Wu Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah recently dropped a new album titled Supreme Clientele 2, a follow-up to his second studio album Supreme Clientele — a seminal work from 2000 that is considered to be one of the best solo albums from a Wu Tang rapper and extraordinary enough to be ranked #403 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” While it took 25 years to produce, that album’s sequel was worth the wait, judging by the reviews already published in outlets such as RapReviews.com, Albumism, RGM, Underground Hip Hop Blog, Clash, Soul in Stereo, Shatter the Standards, and Rolling Stone (paywall). Music critic Marvin Twigg from Earmilk writes:
One of the first things that lands on Supreme Clientele 2 is the energy in Ghostface’s voice. His rasp is still amped and reckless, and he proves early on that he’s still a top-tier narrator who can flip from diamond-draped bragging to blood-on-the-tile details in half a bar. He sounds present and hungry, not embalmed by legacy… The beats are bumpin’, the writing stays airtight, and the sequencing makes the 22 tracks play like channels on a late-night marathon. Ghostface doesn’t try to outrun his classic; he builds beside it. In today’s landscape—where Griselda pushes grit back into the mainstream and veterans from Nas to Killer Mike are sharpening with age—Ghostface Killah not only sounds relevant, his music sounds essential.
The fourth track of Supreme Clientele 2 is titled Curtis May — an homage to the legendary singer / songwriter Curtis Mayfield, who introduced the world to soul music, inspiring many musical artists and genres that followed (he’s best known for songs such as People Get Ready, Move On Up, Keep on Keeping On, and the soundtrack to Superfly, among others). The song “Curtis May” opens with an intro by Ghostface Killah:
Yeah, uh-huh
We back at it again, baby
Ayo, do me favor, yo, shut those blinds
Count this money over here, yeah, yo-yo, where that wine at?
Yeah, uh-huh, I need that Sequoia Grove and sh*t
Ya heard?
Yep City for life
This how we dive in (Uh), aight? (Yeah)
Check this fly sh*t
Let’s go
You may be wondering what — or who — Ghostface is referring to when he says “Sequoia Grove.” The first time I heard it, I thought, “hmm, is this a new colloquial term used by rappers today?” (admission: while a fan of hip-hop, I am not hip,and never was). A quick trip to Urban Dictionary told me that no, it is not slang for anything. The clue is in the line before — “yo-yo, where that wine at?” — because it turns out that when Ghostface Killah says “Sequoia Grove,” he is referring to a brand of wine. It turns out, Ghostface — who stopped smoking weed and drinking heavily more than ten years ago due to health issues, occasionally has a glass of wine, and when he does, it’s usually Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon.
What Is Sequoia Grove Wine
Ghostface Killah’s favorite wine is Cabernet Sauvignon from Sequoia Grove Winery in Napa Valley, California. It retails for about $55.
Sequoia Grove Winery Facts
- Sequoia Grove winery is located in Rutherford, Napa Valley, a place known for outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon
- The Winemaker is Jesse Fox, a former chef at restaurants such as Daniel, Blue Hill, and French Laundry
- Sequoia Grove Winery is family owned, and was established in 1979
- The winery sits on a 24-acre estate vineyard that’s part of the original Rancho Caymus land grant given in 1836 to George Yount, the area’s first European-American pioneer
- Sequoia Grove is a sustainable winery, holding a Napa Green Certification
- Named for the grove of endangered Sequoia trees that tower above the winery
If you would like to learn more about Sequoia Grove winery, you can visit their website. And if you haven’t heard it yet, you can listen to Supreme Clientele 2 on Spotify.
