:: The Yin And The Yang

Cappadonna

Hip-hop has changed. Rap has changed. Someone please tell Cappadonna. While Cappadonna showed great promise as part of the extended Wu-Tang family and his rhymes are still excellent, his latest release suffers from a stale vibe that makes the record sound like it could have been released anytime in the last 3 or 4 years. As with Wu-Tang solo records, other members of the crew always make the obligatory guest appearance with a quick shout-out or wicked rhythm. The pinnacle of solo Wu releases being Raekwon’s Only Built for Cuban Linx, Ghostface Killa’s Ironman and GZA’s Liquid Swords. These three releases manage the perfect blend of individual style, RZA beats and enough of that scary Wu-Tang flavour to keep you interested. On Cappadonna’s latest release, there is a guest appearance on all but one track – the very average War Bats. His guests upstage Cappadonna. RZA’s beats once again provide a nice backing to the album, but it’s pretty clear that his best work is done on Wu-Tang albums and his own solo work. This release looks back, without drawing on enough of what made the Wu so good in the first place – the humour, the violence, and the cartoon-like characters of the members. It’s a straight-up hip-hop record with too many different people trying to take the album in too many directions. Standout tracks include We Know featuring Jermaine Dupri and Da Brat. This is a filthy little electro-rap number with a funky bass line. Raekwon shines on Love is the Message, a great little jam set to a string-laden disco backing. But the most interesting track on the album is One Way to Zion, a dub inspired track featuring Culture. This follows on from the Wu’s reggae inspired cuts from their latest album. It’s refreshing to hear the mixing of the reggae beats with Cappadonna’s rapping. Overall, a worthy release, but Cappadonna needs to develop a far more distinctive lyrical style to remain relevant in the coming years.