Infinite Coles once told NME that he was “trying his hardest” to keep his queer, ballroom-doting music separate from the legacy of his father Ghostface Killah, a part of the legendary hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. But that boundary has since collapsed, after Ghostface called Coles “that person” instead of his son on a 2024 podcast, which Coles had publicly pointed out as the latest sign of his father “continuously shutting [him] out and disowning [him]” instead of “embracing” him.
READ MORE: Infinite Coles: the unifying force between R&B and ballroom culture
Born from that rupture gone viral, Coles’ debut album ‘SweetFace Killah’ drags him out of the shadow he’s spent his entire career trying to outrun: his turbulent relationship with his father. The result is a record caught between spectacle and sincerity: bold, messy, deeply personal and, at times, smothered by the very narrative he’s trying to reclaim.
Coles wrestles with being the prodigal son of Killah throughout the record, trying to flip years of trolling, homophobia and paternal rejection into rebellious, club-ready armour. On the title track, he clowns insecure masculinity with ballroom flair, calling out men (pointedly, his father) through drag queen-level reads about fragile egos and long-standing absence. But the old-school boom-bap backbone and exaggerated delivery push the song toward camp melodrama, which can feel at odds with how he views his lineage.
‘Dad & I’ could have been the album’s rawest moment, but Coles slips back into that familiar theatrical overstatement – a plea for his father’s affection that lands less like catharsis and more like a cry aimed at someone who’s never going to hear it. The pain is real, but the staging dilutes it. For something truly unfiltered, ‘Body Strong’’s gospel-like candour will scrub you clean as this universal redemption hymn finds its power from simplicity where Coles sheds the armour and stands bare before us.
Ballroom has always been his saving grace, and the ‘Boots – Ballroom C*nt Mix’ is Coles’ most infectious salute to the community – a full-bodied soundtrack for the dolls where the beat snaps, the chants soar and he finally sounds like he’s moving with his people (this time, Maleigh Zan and ballroom legend Julz) beside him. ‘DMs’ is the crowning jewel, though: sexy, smooth, and a universal pick-me-up that turns any pavement into a runway.
But ballroom culture isn’t all about the most powerful moments, sometimes it’s about the softest. ‘Shoot’ is the perfect example of this: Coles surrenders to the bassline in this dreamy, silken Jazzy Pha-style instrumental. It’s sultry and infectious – a brief callback to the luscious sounds of his 2021 debut EP ‘Destiny’ – but at the end, the New Yorker breaks out into that explosive, percussion-like MC flow.
Then, over tropical house, ‘Mama Song’ sees Coles showcases his beautiful breathy vibrato as he carves a safe space like the nurturing figure he is – but there’s also an uplifting power present too as Coles chants: “They’ve not seen what I’ve seen / I rule, the queen / Guess what, he ain’t get me.” He knows how to be loud and proud and felt – you just have to listen past the singles to get it.
Closer ‘Hummingbird’ is the window into the artist Infinite Coles is becoming – tender, assured and finally strutting on his own terms. It shows what happens when he leans into the world that’s always held him: ballroom’s warmth, airy softness, the emotional clarity he rarely grants himself on the louder tracks. ‘SweetFaceKillah’ reveals a musician carving out a space far richer than the story forced onto him, and during its brightest flashes, Coles proves he’s already becoming something more compelling than just Ghostface Killah’s son.
Details
Record label: Don’t Sleep / PIAS
Release date: December 5, 2025
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