SPILL LIVE REVIEW: GHOSTFACE KILLAH @ THE OPERA HOUSE, TORONTO

GHOSTFACE KILLAH

@ THE OPERA HOUSE, TORONTO

JUNE 29, 2023

Local Toronto promoter and pillar of the hip-hop community, Lord Fury, had booked Conway The Machine to perform in Toronto. Following a leg injury, Conway had to pull out of the show, leaving it hanging in the lurch. Enter Ghostface Killah – arguably the Wu-Tang Clan’s most dynamic MC.  With little promotion and a last-minute announcement, Ghostface filled in for Conway tonight, successfully selling out The Opera House.

The night opened with lengthy set from DJ Mercilless. As you walked into the room, you were greeted with a curated collection of classic hip-hop from the ‘90s and 2000s. The tone was set for a collective of Toronto rappers to take the stage. Led by Asun Eastwood and Lord Fury, this brief set highlighted a number of rappers, particularly Eastwood, and demonstrated the strength of underground Toronto hip-hop.

Following another set from DJ Mercilless, Technician The DJ took over, warming up the audience for Ghost with a collection of throwbacks to hip-hop’s golden era, displaying hits and deeper cuts, each landing with the audience with growing success. It was at the peak that Technician The DJ had created that Ghost emerged onto the stage. Backed by Sheek Louch (The LOX, D-Block) and Trife Diesel (Theodore Unit), Ghost, over the course of an hour, took the audience on a career spanning set. With Technician The DJ seamlessly shifting the beat, Ghost’s performance felt more like a medley as he jumped from track to track, rarely, if ever, completing an entire song. This added a sense of spontaneity to his performance, leaving the audience eagerly awaiting what would come next. From Supreme Clientele era hits “One” and “Cherchez LaGhost” to a range of Wu bangers “Da Mystery Of Chessboxin’”, “C.R.E.A.M.”, Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit”, and “Protect Ya Neck” – all of which saw Ghost flawlessly, and to much spectacle, take on the verses of other members of the clan – the setlist was a demonstration of Ghost’s legacy and value as a top tier MC.

Part cypher, part hip-hop hang, and part concert, Ghostface Killah’s performance at Toronto’s Opera House felt like a party where everyone knew what was up. There was no posing, but rather an energetic atmosphere that could recite, verse by verse, these classic tracks back at Ghost, something which he then played off of more and more as the night went on. Ghost remains one of the slickest MCs with a smooth flow that is always delivered with an explosively powerful intensity.

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