Though cinematic intro samples are frequently used, especially in the Wu-Tang Clan canon, seldom are they employed as hauntingly as on "Mighty Healthy." Drawn from 1979 martial arts flick Shaolin Rescuers, the opening exchange paints a foreboding picture of Ghostface Killah's brutality. "I've heard lots of people say once a man's a killer, they just keep on killing and killing, they sort of develop a taste for blood," it begins, the fear in their cadence palpable. "They kill one man, or kill ten, it's all the same -- after all, they can only hang you once."
The minute the Mathematics-produced beat drops, a dusty blend of horror-film chimes and boom-bap percussion, Ghostface draws his sword. "Both hands clusty, chillin' with my man Rusty," he spits, an iconic opening line. "Low down, blew off the burner, kinda dusty / The world can't touch Ghost, Purple Tape, Rae co-host." It's but one of many excellent tracks stemming from Ghostface's sophomore album Supreme Clientele, a project that celebrates its twenty-first birthday today. Widely regarded among the greatest albums of all time -- and rightfully so -- a masterpiece in both lyricism and production from a pair of hip-hop visionaries.
Revisit "Mighty Healthy" -- and Supreme Clientele in its entirety, while you're at it -- and sound off with your comments on the timeless classic below.
QUOTABLE LYRICS
Scissor hand wig vanished in the winter, living off land
You god damn right I fuck fans, king me
Check, checkmate, props like the microchip founder
Neck to neck stock with Bill Gates now