{$Ghostface Killah} fields questions from reporters on the intro to {^The Pretty Toney Album}, the rapper's first under the just-{$Ghostface} moniker and his first on {@Def Jam}. According to the intro, {$the Wu-Tang} are doing fine and waiting for the right moment to drop their next album, and it's none of your business why {^Pretty Toney} took so long to come out. That's about all {$Ghostface} wants to say about any of the drama surrounding the album. With tracks this good, who can blame him for the "let's get to it" attitude? {^The Pretty Toney Album} has a lack of {$Wu}-related references on it. It's {$Ghostface}'s album entirely and all the better for it. It's partly a party album like 2001's {^Bulletproof Wallets}, but freer, more inspired, and tempered with pure street tracks that were missing last time round. Perhaps feeling the lack of hood interest for his last album, {$Ghostface} puts a handful of {^Pretty Toney}'s hardest tracks at the beginning as if he's ready to prove something right away. The best of the lot, {&"Metal Lungies,"} could be the theme for any aspiring mack, but the rest are very good, suffering a bit from being laid out one after another. The sleazy {&"Bathtub (Skit)"} has the repeat-play value of a porno movie, but it brings on the lighter and more rewarding part of the album. {&"Save Me Dear"} is a bumpy and fun {$Ghostface} production and another great singalong from the rapper. Don't expect a ton of chemistry between {$Ghostface} and {$Missy Elliott}, but their {&"Tush"} is a hedonistic, club-aimed highlight with both in top form on their own. {$Jackie-O} connects much better with the man on {&"Tooken Back,"} one of two great productions from {$Nottz} and first of the three solid tracks that finish the album. The chaotic {&"Run"} and the sentimental laundry list of beloveds on {&"Love"} finish the album on a high note, but there's something missing. Rumor has it {@Def Jam} wouldn't pony up the dough and clear samples for the tracks that didn't make the album. Songs the rapper has posted on his own website and mixtapes like {$DJ Kayslay}'s {^No Pork on My Fork, Vol. 1} or the MC's own {^Pretty Toney (The Lost Tracks)} (released under his original {$Ghostface Killah} moniker) tell the whole story. Get them all and you might be able to piece together a classic {$Ghostface} album. {^Pretty Toney} comes close, very close, and puts the man's solo career back on solid ground. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide