Cappadonna
THE YIN AND THE YANG
(RAZOR SHARP/EPIC)

The Wu protégé who stole the show six years ago on modern-day Raekwon and Ghostface Killah classics like " Ice Cream, " " Winter Warz, " " Daytona 500, " and " Camay " returns with The Yin and the Yang. Unfortunately, it’s another hip-hop release cluttered by a bevy of guest " stars. " And they get in the way of Cappadonna’s unique flow — an off-balance delivery that’s made him integral to the Wu-Tang Clan. Cappadonna’s debut, The Pillage, had its moments, but his true strength has been as a team player on the Wu discs Wu-Tang Forever and The W, and on Ghostface Killah’s Supreme Clientele. " Real Niggas " and " Why It Gotta B This " feature the GZA’s patented haunting violin loops, but the latter suffers from needless misogynist banter. And names like One Ton, Culture, and Crunch (just a few of the cats who steal Cappadonna’s shine throughout) turn up in the conspicuous absence of his Wu brethren. Elsewhere, Raekwon lobs razor-sharp darts atop the smooth club beat of " Love Is the Message, " and Ghostface helps out on the hook of the disc’s first single, " Supermodel. " But Cappa seems more relaxed and effective here on the rare occasions when he’s not competing with a posse of other voices.

Issue Date: June 14 - 21, 2001