Dennis Coles (born May 9, 1970 in Staten Island, New York), better known by the stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper. Ghostface first rose to fame as a member of the Wu-Tang Clan hip hop collective. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the early-mid 1990s, each member was free to pursue solo careers; Ghostface's would turn out to be one of the most critically and commercially successful of the group, regardless of, and perhaps due to, his loyalty to his obscure yet highly vivid lyrics and 1970's soul sound.