Profile Text
Birth Name: Dennis David Coles
Place of Birth: Staten Island, New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: May 9, 1970
Ethnicity: African-American
Ghostface Killah is an American rapper. He is a member of hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. Other members of Wu-Tang Clan also include/have included Ol’ Dirty Bastard , GZA , Masta Killa , Method Man , Raekwon , and RZA . He is also the leader of hip-hop collective Theodore Unit. He is also known as Ghostface, Toney Starks, Ghostdini, Pretty Toney, and D-Love.
Ghostface is the son of Diane and Dennis Coles. He has six children, including two with RZA’s sister, Shurrie. His children include rapper Sun God, a member of Theodore Unit, rapper Supreme, and singer Infinite. He is said to be a cousin of rapper Shyheim. Ghostface is a convert to Islam.
His stage name is taken from the film The Mystery of Chess Boxing (1979), and its character “Ghost-Faced Killer,” and not from the Scream (1996) franchise, and its Ghostface Killers.
Ghostface’s maternal grandfather was Herbert Cunningham, Jr. (the son of Herbert E. Cunningham and Henrietta Gertrude Eady). Ghostface’s grandfather Herbert was born in Charleston, South Carolina, to parents who had deep roots in the state. Ghostface’s great-grandfather Hebert was born in Charleston, the son of Abraham Cunningham and Julia Josephine Graham. Ghostface’s great-grandmother Henrietta was born in South Carolina, the daughter of Richard Jake Ferguson and Mollie Brown.
Ghostface’s maternal grandmother was Pearl E. Lamb (the daughter of James Lamb and Pearl Collins). Ghostface’s grandmother Pearl was born in Staten Island, New York City, to parents from North Carolina, who had deep roots in the state. James was born in Elizabeth City, Pasquotank, the son of Robert Lamb Artis and Mary Elizabeth Hyter. Pearl was born in Plymouth Township, Washington County.
Sources: Marriage record of Ghostface’s parents – https://www.familysearch.org
Obituary of Ghostface’s mother – https://www.silive.com