So, this Ghostface and MF Doom album/colabs are officially on.

Three Ghostface Albums Materializing In Stores This Year
03.29.2005 8:25 PM EST

Wu member plans solo LP plus collabos with MF Doom, Raekwon.
Ghostface (file)
Photo: Appio

Ghostface's next album may as well be titled Ghostface Meets Metal Face, as he's teaming up with iron-mask-loving hip-hop veteran MF Doom.

"I'm into old hip-hop, and the music that he makes is right up my alley," Ghostface said. "His beats are real underground. He's got the sound RZA had back in the day."

The Wu-Tang rapper and the former KMD member have collaborated on six songs thus far, and while the project will probably be released on Doom's indie label, Nature Sounds, his manager claims Def Jam is also interested.

Meanwhile, Ghost is digging up tracks for his next solo album, tentatively titled Rapper's Delight, and Doom may have some tracks on that project as well. "I'm working my album around his beats and whatever I add from other producers," Ghost said. "I would love to do a whole thing with him. He's a cool guy."

And while some Wu fans might've been disappointed that Raekwon wasn't on last year's The Pretty Toney Album, Ghost promised the Chef would be featured on at least four or five songs on the new disc.

"Fans are always asking why you didn't do this or that, but they have to understand that people are working and busy themselves," Ghostface said.

Schedules aside, the two are also in the early stages of piecing together a second duet album, following up Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.

"We sort of Batman'd and Robin'd that first album," Ghost recalled. "I told him to send me some beats that he wants to use so I could catch some lines on it when I could. I'm really trying to focus on my thing, but I like to focus on two things at the same time."

A lot has changed since their 1995 album, Ghostface said — especially the state of hip-hop. Referring to 50 Cent and the Game's highly publicized saga earlier this month (see "50 Cent And The Game Call A Truce"), he declared, "The game is like wrestling right now. ... I don't see any originality in it no more. Everything is a gimmick. It's not based upon good music. It's just based on hype now. You have to shoot somebody in order to sell some records. I put out good albums, but my albums never really sold nothing."

He's hoping Jay-Z can reverse that trend, now that Jay's got a corner office at Def Jam (see "Jay-Z, Dame Dash Sell Roc-A-Fella Records; Jay Named Def Jam Prez").

"Jay knows I'm fresh, and [about] the work I've been putting in on the streets. It's great for somebody to understand me," Ghost said. "I'm glad that Hov is the president because I'd rather talk to him than anyone that's over 50 years old. I just wanna get my talent out to the world within these next two or three years. And maybe two albums after that I might call it a wrap.

"My goal was just to do 10 albums. But if God spares my life and gives me the frame of mind, then I'm gonna keep going until he tells me to stop," Ghost continued. "I'm going to go straight into film. I've been writing movies. I want to produce and direct if I could and just get my movie career up, 'cause I think I could get real busy on the acting tip. If they caught me in Hollywood, it's gonna be some sh--. I want to do a little real estate and help poor people. I want to be that dude on the TV like, 'For five cents a day you could feed this kid right here.' That's what I want to do. It's payback for what God gave me."

MF Doom's manager said he expects Ghostface and MF Doom's album to drop this fall. Ghost said his solo album and his reunion with Raekwon will likely drop later this year as well.

— Hillary Crosley