Most of the members of rap's Roman Empire, {$the Wu-Tang Clan}, experienced sophomore slumps with their second solo releases, whether artistically or commercially (usually both). The second offerings from {$Method Man}, {$Ol' Dirty Bastard}, {$GZA}, and {$Raekwon} featured some of the old {$Wu} magic, but not enough to warrant a claim to their once total mastery of the rap game. Just as the {$Wu} empire appeared to be crumbling, along came the second installment from {$the Clan}'s spitfire element, {$Ghostface Killah} (aka {$Tony Starks}, aka {$Ironman}). Every bit as good as his first release, {^Supreme Clientele} proves {$Ghost}'s worthiness of the {$Ironman} moniker by deftly overcoming trendiness to produce an authentic sound in hip-hop's age of bland parity. Some of {$the Wu}'s slump could be contributed to {$Wu-Abbott}'s (aka {$RZA}) relative sabbatical. This album has {$RZA}'s stamp all over it, but the guru himself only provides three tracks. On this effort, {$the Wu-Pupil} producers at times seem to outdo their teacher. {$RZA}'s best composition is the piano-driven, double-entendre-laced childhood retrospective {&"Child's Play."} But of the many standout cuts, it's the slew of disciple producers paying homage to the {$Wu} legacy that truly makes this album fresh-sounding: {&"Apollo Kids"} ({$Hassan}), {&"Malcolm"} ({$Choo the Specialist}), {&"Saturday Nite"} ({$Carlos "Six July" Broady}), {&"One"} ({$JuJu} of {$the Beatnuts}), {&"Cherchez la Ghost"} ({$Carlos Bess}), {&"Wu Banga 101"} ({$Allah Mathematics}). While the album is complete and characteristically {$Wu}-sounding, each track is distinctive lyrically, thematically, and sonically. {$Ghostface}'s {^Supreme Clientele} is a step toward {$the Wu-Tang Clan}'s ascent from the ashes of their fallen kingdom. The once slumbering {$Wu-Tang} strikes again. ~ M.F. DiBella, All Music Guide