In many ways, Cappadonna is a victim of his past. After debuting on Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, he followed with what may have been one of the greatest guest verses of all time with his marathon bars on Ghostface Killah’s “Winter Warz.” Much like his highs with the Clan, we’ve also seen Cappadonna’s lows play out in the public eye. Wu-Tang Clan’s unofficial tenth member has voluntarily been homeless and done a stint as a taxicab driver. He doesn’t hide from anything in his past, and that refreshing honesty is the main highlight of his seventh solo album, Eyrth, Wynd & Fyre.
But candor can only take one so far. And in 2013, the only justifiable reason for a double album would be if Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac came back to life, resolved their beef and decided to create new material.
Fellow Staten Island product, J. Glaze was originally enlisted to co-create a mixtape with Cappadonna. The majority of disc one is likely the byproduct of that collaboration. There’s an argument to be made that no producer can get Cappa to tap into his full potential the way RZA can, but Glaze is a more than adequate running mate. This Shaolin pair’s chemistry is best summed up on “Boogah Hill” where Cappa rhymes, “When I put my mind to it / I get deep for them mills / But when I’m not focused / I fall asleep at them wheels / Me and Glaze beats y’all / We dead deep with them skills…”
Glaze generally sticks to bulky basslines and light keyboards with horns occasionally thrown in. The formula works great for a mixtape or an EP, but becomes monotonous over the course of a double album. Disc one’s subject matter matches its dark production but none of Cappadonna’s Wu-Tang brethren make cameos. Half of the appeal of a Wu-Tang solo album is knowing half the Clan might hop on a few tracks. For what it’s worth, Lounge Mode can be found on six of the second disc’s songs, which feature more varied, upbeat production.
Most of the album features Cappa spitting life lessons and anecdotes over production that is passable but never spectacular. When the tracks merit it, he obliges by spitting that off-kilter, stream of consciousness randomness that made The Pillage a winner.
Cappa experiments with a Southern vocal cadence and some note bending on “Bar B Que” to mixed results. Fans of his over-dubbed Kung Fu flick, Iron Fist Pillage, will be happy to hear he still has his trademark humor and occasional self-deprecation in tow.
Age has suited Cappadonna well. He’ll dole out advice, but not money, to the stripper on his lap (“Pull Ya Life Together”) and praise the mothers of his children (“Baby Mommas”). And “Ease On Down The Road” finds him mixing a standard from The Wiz with modern maxims about Ne-Yo. But with 28 tracks to slog through, the times when Cappa and his producers are admittedly “asleep at them wheels” detracts from the overall product. Ultimately, Cappadonna’s most loyal supporters will find themselves buying this one and pairing down the highlights to a single CD or playlist.
good
best double albums in hip hop are
wu tang forever
diplomatic immunity
life after death
cant think of any better at the minute
speakerboxx/love below count?
Wu-Tang Forever by a landslide.
Speakerboxx/Love Below definitely count. All Eyez On Me too
Chino xl Ricanstruction/black rosary shit all over all the albums you listed. Best double album ever!
the new Killah Priest double cd is a fuckin banger!
All Eyes On Me – Tupac
speakerbox love below didnt like it too pop 2pacs double album was good but not better than the 3 i listed il need to check that chino xl one n killah priest tho appreciate the feedback
Art of War by Bone Thugs is up there too…
Underground Kingz by UGK – Classic
Wu-Tang Forever – Classic
Life After Death – Very Good
All Eyez On Me – Ver Good
ALL EYEZ ON ME 4 – CLASSIC the best double album
Killah Priest PWOWR great double album! Sure there are several songs on each disc that just cannot be avoided by any means, and there are about 3 tracks i just dont play, but overall….i waited 3+ years for that album and have played it every freakin time i drove somewhere or in the house with my kids!
“Cappadonna proves that few, if any, emcees can carry a double-album worth of material” – Why don’t you review Killah Priest’s new double-album PWOWR??? It’s not flawless but far better than this album…I would give it at least 4 stars
They’ll review it in time, and there is nothing incorrect about that statement.
they arent gonna review KP’s new album because he didnt even get a distro deal……my man got screwed…..too bad because it’s better than this piece of poop from cap
Cap always cracks me up…always look forward to his releases.
“Cappachino the great, sittin at the table where the gambinos ate”
Whoot whoot
beats are fire. lyrics are crazy. capp’s back on it. so much bass too.
The Wu..
Cappa’s first album, and all the verses that came before it are the only part of his career that I can dig. I’m not trying to hate, but it’s just been oversaturation city since. Aint nobody like “YESSSSS, 2CDs of Don!” Nobody.
wikewikewooord 🙂
Another fav for me.
TO LONG FOR ME BUT IT’S STILL A GOOD ALBUM
Huge fan of Cappa the Great and huge fan of Wu but there was really nothing on this album that stood out. At best one or two tracks. If he would of condensed this down to maybe the best ten tracks I would have given it a 3.5/5 but I have to say 2/5 for this.
Not as good as Czarface, the best Wu album of the year so far.
If it was cut back to one disc, it was would be straight fire
You should check out Killah Priests album
Killah Priest > Czarface > Capp
CRU-“Dirty Thirty”
GIVE ME A CHANCE
Youtube is all about finding new artist, & though I been rapping for a while im still consider a new artist. I just want my music heard thats all, im not looking for no record deal, getting famous ‘r anything like that.! so please just spare a few sec. to check me out, & if you like what you heard please SUBSCRIBE so ill know you actually listen & support
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzBh55tD_eg
Wak as fukk. Has ruined every Wu-Tang song he has featured on. Obviously cant hold down a song by himself, let alone an album.
Burn u wack, ugly fuck
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but to say that he has been wack on every Wu song is absoutely insane. You ever listen to Winter Warz? He killed that song all by his lonesome
Cap misses the mark. A few good tracks. Cheesy art. Stuck in another era. Sad because he is clearly one of the greats if he could update his style and progress.
This album is ok. The beats are pretty good, but Cappa is hit or miss. You could make a pretty dope single disc out of the album though.
Just opened for Cappadonna the other night in Boston! Got him to autograph my copy of the Pillage, he was real cool about it. Bugged out when he saw I had a mint-condition copy haha
https://soundcloud.com/jjordan_arc/sets/the-archive
check me out, I stay hard at work trying to make great music…