Credit: Ghostface Killah

Despite what one may think at first, Ghostface Killah is a soul with a kind heart. Although many hip-hop heads know him as one of the toughest, most aggressive members of the Wu-Tang Clan, it’s fair to say that if he knows you, he is going to remain a loyal friend until the end, and this has been put to the test on numerous occasions for the emcee.

While the lyricist has been involved in his fair share of beef over the years, sometimes reality hits you, and the politics of the music industry become insignificant, especially in the face of death.

Although Ghostface Killah had been shot before joining the Clan and before fame, on one occasion, while part of the collective, he faced losing everything he had acquired. This includes money to fame and even nearly his life.

In an interview about life after fame in the ’90s and enjoying his success, the Supreme Clientele creator spoke about an incident that saw him save his friend from dying and nearly perishing in the process. That said, the Staten Island native remembered it clearly and vividly recalled it for fans.

Recounting the build-up to the event, Ghostface explained, “So we [were] in Miami. We was out there at the beach the first day, cool and calm, just swimming in the water and the next day. The next day [I thought] ‘We should just have a party on a boat!’ So we brought the liquor, brought everything, we had the music, got the boat. So we just sailed off.”

The lyricist was enjoying the fruits of his labour, and the perks of new money. Still, he wasn’t ready to lose any of it, but he nearly did while the vessel was out at sea, although he didn’t know it at the time.

Remembering the atmosphere of the party, Ghostface continued, “We partying! We’re in there, we jamming on the boat. Everybody’s drinking, eating food, this and that and the third…whatever. All of a sudden, we like in the middle of nowhere, and we see some boats pull up right next to us, and they swimming around the boat.”

This is when the artist had a lightbulb moment that he would later regret. According to the ‘C.R.E.A.M’ rhymer, the swimmers were a sign that he was not in shark-infested waters. Therefore, he viewed this as a green light for a dip in the ocean.

Recounting his excitement, he added, “So I’m thinking, ‘Yo! There ain’t no sharks in there! They just peeled off. My mans and them downing [drinks], so they’re already kinda saucy. My friend takes his shirt off and says, ‘I’m going in the water!’ He dived in. I’m waiting for him to come up because he took a long time to come up. As soon as he pops up I’m like, ‘Wassup! Is the water warm?'”

He continued, “It’s making me want to go in now! My other friends went to the front of the boat with the captain and the lifeguard, so it’s just me and him in the back. All of a sudden, I hear ‘Help! Help me!'”

Although it’s against maritime law for a captain to drink while operating a ship, it still isn’t wise for tipsy passengers to go for a swim. However, this didn’t stop Ghostface’s friend.

The emcee explained that although he wasn’t scared, he knew his friend was facing a life-or-death situation. Detailing this he recalled, “I didn’t get shook. I just said [to myself] ‘Go get your friend’. If you really care for someone and you love them, the instinct is automatic. So I dived in there and I swam to him. He had a wifebeater (vest) on so when I grabbed his wifebeater he started going underwater, seriously drowning. I’m trying to swim with him back to the boat.”

He concluded, “The lifeguard came in. He just dived in and swam to us got to my man, grabbed him. I’m out there, and we’re away from the boat.”