Ghostface Killah is critically acclaimed for his loud, fast-paced flow, and his stream-of-consciousness narratives containing cryptic slang and non-sequiturs.
Ghostface Killah was raised in the Stapleton housing projects in Staten Island, New York. In his autobiographical song "All That I Got Is You", Ghost tells the story of his childhood. He raps about how he grew up in a three bedroom apartment without his father, who left him at the age of six. Apparently, his mother had nine children.
His stage name was taken from one of the characters in the 1979 kung fu film Mystery of Chessboxing.
He was also a close friend of the three founding members of Wu-tang clan
Malcom
Ghostface Killah Lyrics
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Ayo
I'm like Malcolm out the window with the joint
Hoodied up blood in my eye , a lead to fly
Like fuck it (2 gunshots) , look how these niggas duck shit
One kid hollerin what lookin up , he the big wig
Fake ass cat , low life , sodomize mind
Beatin niggas , big bricks of bread sellin mad dimes
Yo smack him where his hand hurt , fuck what he worth
Yo he sucked his thumb smooth for the kid laced with the big guns
Stain to my Baltimore niggas that he on the run
Plus he ill in the drums , heartburn for life , calcium man
Watch him grab the Tums , he's a front
Pigeon totalist sister with the fat ass
Show hash behind up the block plus he smashed her
Big Bub did him somethin deadly , act premedidtated
Buck 60 strike was the medley
Nice like Van Halen , seen him at the tunnel with his skin peelin
Did two days thought he was jailin
You get close , look at his hands
That's the same kid that cut his wrists , talkin bout the cuffs did it
He ran away , frontin majorly , eyes like Sammy Davis jr.
Rounded off with a fade g , he sport the Bob Hope classics
Ran down Asics , Kmart , the short sleeve shit be the basics
He eat hams shitted on himself twice , big hatted Jews
Rushed the nigga out in Crown Heights
CHORUS:
Yo let me tell you how the game go
We gettin rid of all the prostitutes
Tony wants the streets back fo sho
Too many hustlers , too many thieves
We're fuckin up who's willin to fight and teach the c's
Too much TV , guns and robberies
Lust and greed and hate the 4 devils jealousy
[Ghostface]
Yo I champunch Mase in his face over some bullshit
The other night they kidnapped his brother pokin it with knives
It's rainin , 85 degrees kinda muggy
One of the nights they thrown in his face it's real ugly
Yo we up in Jonesy's posin , all these niggas know me
>From fuckin wit , under theses niggas heavy parolees
Yo we played the speaker
And from a distance we could see these chains
The P slayed , flat on his chest , was two plains
Ashy hands yo , no need for rings at all
He just cracked the V8 backed up , leaned against the wall
Lookin flower , he just came home , he on like a fuck
Did a dime for holdin up the gods up in the armored truck
Ten years later son 280 on the weight tip
He throwin up six plates plus he studied Matrix
He's a wally horse shout it out sweatin through his valor
Cock-eyed nigga back up his neck he had shores
Sammy eagerly rode up on him , taxi off the turkey with the joint
On him
Flower look his man stood up before him
The bitches hit the table , Jah king stripped off his cables
Shots went off , Sam'll get a chance to make his debut
Flower grabbed Tiff his man with the sideburns , hat fell off
We nerd his wigworms , he hid behind Rich
See Allah hit the light switch , young girls were trampled
In the measured pool , pistol with Mase , and broke the handle
Desperate crawlin to the door on all fours
Shim kicked the jukebox the theme song rode in was "It's Yours"
Oh my goodness , Ba grabbed the Mo bottle thrashin
He layin like a gay models shoutin out Sebastian
He smiled with his teeth missin begging for mercy
No more god , the 68 thousand down a pair of three
Out came the cannon , whistled out zaggin
Cham snatched his flag four big rocks enter the dragon
It's over , another story told
Lyin with the snakes , tongue kissin cobras
CHORUS
In Ghostface Killah's song "Malcolm," the rapper paints a colorful picture of his environment and the various characters in his world. He starts the song off referencing Malcolm X, saying he's "like Malcolm out the window with the joint," which could be a nod to Malcolm X's activist nature and Ghostface's own rebellious attitude. He then goes on to describe his encounters with different people, including a low-life drug dealer, an ill drummer, and a flamboyant man who wears Bob Hope glasses.
The song's chorus tackles the satirical theme of morality and crime in society, saying there are "too many hustlers, too many thieves" and that "lust and greed and hate the 4 devils jealousy." Ghostface's perspective on these societal issues is interesting to parse through because he continuously jumps back and forth between condemning them and glamorizing them. For example, he brags about punching JadaKiss in the face over some "bullshit" and later gleefully shouts, "It's over, another story told, lying with the snakes, tongue kissing cobras."
Overall, "Malcolm" is a song that encapsulates Ghostface Killah's gritty New York upbringing and his attitude towards the criminal elements that surrounded him. It's a track that's packed with visceral imagery and displays his storytelling ability.
Line by Line Meaning
Ayo
Opening of the song.
I'm like Malcolm out the window with the joint
Referring to Malcolm X, Ghostface is smoking a joint and looking out the window.
Hoodied up blood in my eye , a lead to fly
Ghostface has a hoodie on and has a red eye. He is ready to shoot if needed.
Like fuck it (2 gunshots) , look how these niggas duck shit
Ghostface shoots two shots and sees how everyone ducks for their lives.
One kid hollerin what lookin up , he the big wig
One kid is looking up to see the big boss.
Fake ass cat , low life , sodomize mind
Ghostface describing someone as fake, scum, and twisted.
Beatin niggas , big bricks of bread sellin mad dimes
The person being described beats people up and sells large volumes of drugs.
His feet hurt , networkin he get no work
The person being described is out networking, but he is not getting any business done and complains of foot pain.
Yo smack him where his hand hurt , fuck what he worth
Ghostface suggests to hit the person where it hurts them the most, and not worry about how valuable they are.
Yo he sucked his thumb smooth for the kid laced with the big guns
Talking about someone who is scared and weak, despite being surrounded by dangerous people.
Stain to my Baltimore niggas that he on the run
Informing his Baltimore friends that the person being described is on the run and wanted by authorities.
Plus he ill in the drums , heartburn for life , calcium man
The person being described is sick, has heartburn, and has a lot of calcium in his body.
Watch him grab the Tums , he's a front
The person being described is faking it, and taking Tums is a sign of weakness.
Pigeon totalist sister with the fat ass
Describing a woman as attractive with a large rear end.
Show hash behind up the block plus he smashed her
The person being described shows off his drugs and had sex with the attractive woman mentioned earlier.
Big Bub did him somethin deadly , act premedidtated
Big Bub did something deadly to the person being described, and it was planned ahead of time.
Buck 60 strike was the medley
Big Bub's strike was successful, and he accomplished his mission.
Nice like Van Halen , seen him at the tunnel with his skin peelin
Describing someone as cool like Van Halen, and also mentioning his skin is peeling.
Did two days thought he was jailin
The person being described only spent two days in jail, but acted tough and made it seem like it was longer.
You get close , look at his hands
Ghostface advises to look at the hands of the person being described up close.
That's the same kid that cut his wrists , talkin bout the cuffs did it
The person being described attempted suicide, and claimed the cuts on his wrist were caused by handcuffs.
He ran away , frontin majorly , eyes like Sammy Davis jr.
The person being described is trying to act tough and confident but is really scared, and has eyes like Sammy Davis Jr.
Rounded off with a fade g , he sport the Bob Hope classics
Describing the person's hairstyle and the classic style of his glasses.
Ran down Asics , Kmart , the short sleeve shit be the basics
The person being described is wearing Asics shoes, clothing from Kmart, and basic short-sleeved shirts.
He eat hams shitted on himself twice , big hatted Jews
The person being described ate pork and defecated on himself twice, also mentioned Jewish people with big hats.
Rushed the nigga out in Crown Heights
The person being described was dragged out of Crown Heights.
Yo let me tell you how the game go
Introducing a new topic of conversation and explanation.
We gettin rid of all the prostitutes
The lyrics suggest that they are cleaning up the streets.
Tony wants the streets back fo sho
Referring to someone named Tony, who wants to take over control of the streets again.
Too many hustlers , too many thieves
There are too many people committing crimes or trying to hustle others.
We're fuckin up who's willin to fight and teach the c's
The excessive crime is ruining the chances for those who want to teach and learn from the younger generation.
Too much TV , guns and robberies
Suggesting that the media is showing too many guns and robberies on television.
Lust and greed and hate the 4 devils jealousy
Listing the four devils of lust, greed, hate, and jealousy that can cause problems in society.
Yo I champunch Mase in his face over some bullshit
Ghostface punched someone named Mase in the face over a trivial matter.
The other night they kidnapped his brother pokin it with knives
Someone's brother was kidnapped and tortured with knives.
It's rainin , 85 degrees kinda muggy
Describing the weather as rainy, but still hot and humid.
One of the nights they thrown in his face it's real ugly
Referring to a violent incident that occurred one night.
Yo we up in Jonesy's posin , all these niggas know me
Referring to being seen at Jonesy's and everyone knowing who he is.
>From fuckin wit , under theses niggas heavy parolees
Being around these people who are on probation or parole can be risky and troublesome.
Yo we played the speaker
Referring to playing music on a speaker.
And from a distance we could see these chains
Seeing the chains of someone from afar.
The P slayed , flat on his chest , was two plains
Someone named P has been killed and is lying flat on the ground.
Ashy hands yo , no need for rings at all
Describing someone with dry hands who doesn't need to wear rings.
He just cracked the V8 backed up , leaned against the wall
The person being described drank a V8 juice and leaned against a wall.
Lookin flower , he just came home , he on like a fuck
Describing someone as looking good and being excited after just being released from prison.
Did a dime for holdin up the gods up in the armored truck
The person being described spent ten years in prison for robbing an armored truck.
Ten years later son 280 on the weight tip
After ten years, the person has become muscular and weighs 280 pounds.
He throwin up six plates plus he studied Matrix
Referring to the person lifting weights and watching the movie 'The Matrix' as inspiration.
He's a wally horse shout it out sweatin through his valor
Describing the person as sweating through his shirt due to too much working out and lifting weights.
Cock-eyed nigga back up his neck he had shores
The person being described has a lazy eye and has his shirt button up to the top.
Sammy eagerly rode up on him , taxi off the turkey with the joint
Someone named Sammy comes up to the person being described in a taxi while smoking a joint.
On him
Flower look his man stood up before him
Someone else stands up in front of the person being described.
The bitches hit the table , Jah king stripped off his cables
Women hit the table and someone named Jah King starts taking off his jewelry.
Shots went off , Sam'll get a chance to make his debut
Gunshots are heard, and someone named Sam gets his chance to finally shoot.
Flower grabbed Tiff his man with the sideburns , hat fell off
The person being described grabbed someone with sideburns named Tiff, causing his hat to fall off.
We nerd his wigworms , he hid behind Rich
Making fun of someone for wearing a wig and hiding behind someone else named Rich.
See Allah hit the light switch , young girls were trampled
Someone turned off the lights, causing chaos and young girls to be trampled.
In the measured pool , pistol with Mase , and broke the handle
Referring to a fight where someone named Mase had a gun, and the handle broke off of it.
Desperate crawlin to the door on all fours
Someone crawling on their hands and knees trying to escape through a door.
Shim kicked the jukebox the theme song rode in was "It's Yours"
Someone named Shim kicked the jukebox, and the song 'It's Yours' played as the altercation ended.
Oh my goodness , Ba grabbed the Mo bottle thrashin
Exclaiming a surprise reaction, someone named Ba grabbed a bottle and started thrashing around.
He layin like a gay models shoutin out Sebastian
Someone is lying down and shouting out for someone named Sebastian.
He smiled with his teeth missin begging for mercy
Describing someone who is smiling despite missing teeth, and is begging for forgiveness or mercy.
No more god , the 68 thousand down a pair of three
A reference to the card game of Three-Card Monte and losing a large sum of money.
Out came the cannon , whistled out zaggin
A large gun was brought out, and fired making a loud whistling noise.
Cham snatched his flag four big rocks enter the dragon
Someone named Cham took the other person's flag symbolically, and four huge rocks were placed in the gun's handle.
It's over , another story told
The incident is over and another story has come to an end.
Lyin with the snakes , tongue kissin cobras
Revealing that people cannot be trusted, and kissing dangerous snakes will lead to trouble.
Yo let me tell you how the game go
Repeating the same line as before, suggesting more knowledge is going to be shared.
Contributed by Gianna B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.