Ever since news that Wu-Tang vet Ghostface Killah would be sticking to his more soulful side on his new disc— an entirely R&B tinged effort titled The Wizard of Poetry— there have been mixed reactions. But in a recent interview with MTV News, Def Jam vice president of A&R Lenny Santiago assured fans that despite the softer beats, Tony Starks has no plans to change his signature rap style.

"It is an R&B album,” he said. “When I say that, this is what I mean: Ghostface usually raps over melodic, soulful R&B tracks. This time, we came around and I had him rhyme over the same type of tracks, but we matched him with great R&B stars," he explained. "John Legend is on there. Raheem DeVaughn is on there. Estelle is on there. Musiq Soulchild is on there. Lloyd is on there. We just paired him up.”

It's the same Ghost,” he added, “the same gritty host, the same Ghost that talks to the ladies in that soulful voice along with R&B hooks."

The disc is reportedly set to drop this fall but as of press time there is no set release date. Several new Ghost tracks have leaked on the net (“Message From Ghost,” “Forever,” “She’s a Killer”) but it is uncertain if they will be included on the project. – Max G

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