In person, Ghostface Killah isn’t as intimidating as his name suggests. While he’s tall and somewhat imposing, there’s a gentle soul behind his eyes. As a member of one of hip-hop’s greatest and most successful groups, the almighty Wu-Tang Clan, he’s accustomed to accolades and automatic respect but at the same time he has a firm grasp on reality that’s rooted in his Islam.
Ghostface Killah was born Dennis David Coles in 1970 on Staten Island, NY, where he grew up in the rough Stapleton Houses projects with a single mother and two brothers with muscular dystrophy. As he stumbled through his formative years, he ultimately came to a fork in the road: continue committing crimes (which landed him in jail by the time he was 15) or pursue music with his Wu-Tang brethren RZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard (ODB) and GZA. While there was a little bit of both for awhile, he fully embraced his chosen path by 1993, when Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) arrived on Loud Records.
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Like a giant earthquake, the impact the album had on the hip-hop landscape was impossible to ignore. Soon the iconic Wu logo was emblazoned on t-shirts, posters, beanies and, of course, their albums. It wasn’t just another rap group—it was a movement.
Seven Wu-Tang albums, numerous collaborations and twelve solo projects later — including the critically acclaimed 2000 classic, Supreme Clientele — Ghostface Killah is firmly established among the rap elite. His razor-sharp delivery paired with his rich, complex rhyme schemes make him untouchable.
Now 54, Ghostface Killah moves differently. The 2004 overdose death of founding member ODB served as a cautionary tale. As Ghostface ages, he’s been taking care of his diabetes, which went undiagnosed for years and led to some serious health struggles.
With that in check, he’s been as productive as ever. His memoir, Rise of a Killah, and latest solo album, Set the Tone (Guns & Roses), both arrived in May 2024. “Wu-Tang Clan: The Saga Continues… The Las Vegas Residency” happened.
And he’s got his own Killah Koffee collaboration — of course! — with Keurig, and continues to perform in films and TV shows.
SPIN: I heard about the Killah Koffee collab with Keurig. Are you a coffee guy?
Ghostface Killah: Not really, I mean, I like iced coffee and stuff like that. But my brothers came to me like, “Yo, we should do this coffee thing.” And they had a vision. So I just followed their vision and put my face on everything and stuff like that.
Did you have any say in the packaging?
Yeah, they come and show me a bunch of things. I could be like I don’t like that, I don’t like the letters right there, the font on it or whatever, you know, and that’s it. It’s really, really good though.
How do you take care of yourself differently now?
You gotta be more aware of shit. Know your limits, know what you could do, know what you can’t do. Whatever you’re doing, if it’s a little bit negative, just don’t overdo it. You gotta take it one day at a time. Try to exercise, eat right whenever you can and get your rest. That’s it, really rest and exercise. You add the diet in there and it’ll be all right.
Chuck D and I talked about how, after Fatman Scoop died and Lil Troy’s heart attack, there’s not enough of a conversation in the rap community about how important health is.
I don’t try to get Vin Diesel in the gym. I’m past that time. I don’t want to be lifting a bunch of weight and all that other shit. Cut the drugs off, cut the alcohol. I’m just gonna take a little sip here and there, but not every day, not like my guys do.
Every day is a struggle. It could be health, it could be problems you got circulating around you in your family, or women that get on your fucking nerves [laughs].
When once asked if you were happy, you said “I’m content.” What did you mean?
It is what it is. I understand a lot of things. There are a lot of things I don’t understand, but I try to find the answer to life. But you know, you’re always gonna have obstacles. Once you think you’re happy, there’s gonna be some type of tragedy. Life is a balance. You got good, you got bad. You got karma. And everything is a balance, so I stay in the middle. You think you’re feeling mad happy, and you could be happy, but for every action, there’s an equal reaction. You feeling bad then you’re gonna experience some good times, where you feel good. It’s a never ending thing until you die.
Death is such a taboo topic. Do we go somewhere after this?
You travel. You go into the next dimension. That’s what I believe. I don’t believe in reincarnation and all this other stuff like that. I think when you go, you go with your ancestors, your family, your mother, you go to that holding ground over there. I forgot the name of it, but it’s a place where all your people is right there.
God is merciful. He wouldn’t have you suffer here. There’s another level to this. People think that is just like, oh, no, you transition to another thing. It’s just the death of your body. But your spirit, your mind, it still goes on. Like even when you fast, you know your day. You know your goals, you know what I mean? But you gotta go to the next place to where all your relatives that passed away is at right there.
I’ve seen one of my peoples go through that stuff. They can’t explain it because they’re on their way out. They’re in a certain frame of mind where it’s like, you be talking to them, they might be hearing you, but the people is calling on to you to come and don’t be afraid. Just let go and come because they know that this place is worse than being dead.
You got a lot of people that was living here doing a lot of bad things that’s not resting in peace. And now you might think everybody went to heaven. It’s not like that. Just because you’re dead don’t mean you went to heaven.
Losing Ol’ Dirty Bastard was awful. Do you still think about him every day?
I got his picture on my dresser. Sometimes days go by and stuff like that, but for the most part, you do think about your loved ones like that, especially the close ones.
What did his passing teach you?
Life is life. I just know that this is real. It didn’t really teach me nothing. I just know that this is real. People die around us all the time. It ain’t just him, he’s just someone I love. Everything has an expiration date on it. I don’t care if it’s a car, your clothes, everything expires. Milk expires. Your house, everything in your body, so it’s just life. That’s why you got to live it to the fullest and you gotta try to enjoy yourself while you can, ‘cause when you’re dead, you’re gonna be more dead than when you was alive.
Are you happy with how his legacy has been carried on?
They need to let it go. I really don’t think about this shit. But they could celebrate him more. Talk about him more. He’s from the greatest group of all time. That’s what we need to talk about.
Is the Wu-Tang Clan working on new stuff?
I’m working on solo music. We just taking our time to make sure it’s right, so I don’t got no set date on it. It’ll be soon, though.
You’ve been a part of Wu-Tang Clan for most of your adult life. What are your thoughts on fame?
It depends on how you’re thinking. Sometimes you can be asked for a picture and you go back to humble. I got people out here asking me for a picture or autograph and wanting to give you things. I’m humble to it because I could have been locked up, jailed, dead. We’re from where we come from. We come from New York, so anything can happen in that type of environment. I’m grateful for what it is. So fame, it’s like, it just came with the business that we do. I’m not gonna downplay it. It gives you a lot of opportunity.
But I just don’t get caught up in it. You got other people that just get caught up and act like a dick. You just gotta be humble to what God gave you.
What’s left that you feel you haven’t accomplished?
I just give it to my Islam, you know what I mean? Give it to my Islam and try to understand what’s coming my way. I just try to be in good health and live long. What else could you really ask for?
God blessed you if he gave you old age and you got good health. You want to learn more and get deep about what you believe in and answer the questions to a lot of things that you’re searching for? It’s like, “Yo, that’s it, man.” Just be with your family, keep good people around you, and good friends. That’s it.
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