Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Cappadonna - The Pillage (March 12, 1998)


I'll be totally honest with you: I don't care about Darryl Hill bka Cappadonna (aka Cappachino The Great aka Papi Wardrobe aka Oh Donna aka that dude who almost ruined Wu-Tang Forever aka he who was kicked out of the Wu camp for a long time and had to resort to driving a goddamn cab until he got back into the Clan's good graces) anymore. Well, that's a bit of a stretch, as I do pay attention to what he has to offer as the official tenth member of the Wu-Tang Clan. But what I meant was that his solo career is chock full of useless gibberish, it's almost as if the dude goes in the booth and rambles whatever comes to mind, then goes to eat vegan pizza or some other hipster bullshit. But of course, this was hardly the case in 1997.

Back then, Cap actually appeared to have the potential to be a respected lyricist and for all intents and purposes it appeared that he was on his way to becoming one. I mean, just look at his debut on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... and his extensive features on Ghostface Killah's Ironman & the crew's aforementioned magnum opus. Apart from a few songs, each guest appearance he made was better than the next. Add in his work on OSTs like High School High and The Great White Hype and dude was set to blow.

None of this explains, however, how he managed to secure proper management backing from the RZA, the founder of the Wu, ahead of infinitely more proven members like Inspectah Deck or Masta Killa. It was RZA's decision to greenlight Deck signing to Loud Records after Raekwon succeeded there, which was the main reason Deck's album suffered numerous delays until that dreaded flood hit RZA's basement and ruined so many opportunities. It was RZA's decision to completely forget about Masta Killa's solo career, feeding him only bits and crumbs like Bounty Killer features and that Shaolin Temple track off the Clan's video game CD. Do I sound bitter, because you bet your hemorrhoid-ridden rusty sheriff badge, I am. End rant.

Alas, Cap was the one who received the nod of trust via signing to RZA's vanity label Razor Sharp Records. And by God, did it show on the boards. This album was a Wu-Element affair back-to-back, with RZA himself contributing five tracks. That's the total of beats that the sophomores of cousins GZA & ODB received combined. (What chance did Inspectah Deck's debut really have?!) So you know he expected big things from this project. Now, RZA may’ve done five beats on this thing, but the true star of this album was one East New York native Derrick Harris bka True Master who's also an original Gang Starr Foundation member. (Bet you didn't know that, did you? What do you mean it's been on the Internet forever?!)

If you remember my previous post, you'd recall me saying that Killarmy's debut Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars was, I believe my quote was, "an exemplary showcase" for fellow Wu-Element 4th Disciple. Well, I am here to argue that my subject here is likewise for True Master. Derrick's relationship with Cap started on Fish, an album cut from Ironman, continued on Heaterz from Wu Forever until it finally arrived at Cap's debut single, Slang Editorial. Trust me when I say that Wu fans gobbled it up. The single's success led Razor Sharp to issue a few more singles before unleashing The Pillage on the masses.

The Pillage then did the unthinkable: It sold five hundred thousand units in one month, which is equivalent to doing Kanye numbers in the present market. Time for you to find out if it deserves such a success.

SLANG EDITORIAL
I wish every single rapper in existence would do what Cap & co. do here: Start the album with your actual lead single. It's the song that convinced people to check for your pretentious ass, any bitching way. So, this track signifies the advent of True Master. True, he's done some absolute magic on songs like Fish & Heaterz, but here the focus is on him and Cap front & center. And you better believe True Mas' delivers in spades: The OV Wright samples are tweaked just enough for them to sound vintage Wu. Trust me, this beat is 5-year-plan type of awesome. For his part, Cap has no choice but to deliver: His opening line was even famously bit by one  Shawn Cory Carter on Renagade. Some of y’all out there might’ve heard of dude. (I don't get the love for that song at all. The original version, Renegades featuring Royce da 5'9? Now that was a classic song.) Back to Cap, though, as he riddles his verse with lyrical shots that, upon further inspection, sound dope as shit. Seriously, hop yourself over to Rap Genius and search this song. You'd be gobsmacked at what you find.

PILLAGE (FEATURING SOLOMON CHILDS)
Goldfinghaz, of Never Gonna Come Back fame (to me anyway), debuts his first of three tracks on The Pillage, and he does OK. The first voice you hear here is Solomon Childs, and he will impress the fuck outta you with his 32 bar-verse. Props to his line: 'I'm trying to walk these dogs, but I'm a dog myself'. However, this is where the lyrical decline of Cappadonna first rears its ugly head on this album, because by God, does he sound like barf on here. Darryl? Flowerpot-head? Read the following very carefully: It's performances like this that invite the ire of hip hop fans worldwide. Including some hate almost 20 years later from a man living in friggin' Saudi Arabia.

RUN
The second single. RZA produced this beat and it's considered one of the finer examples of his 'digital orchestra' phase. That being said, um, why in the motherfuck does Cappadonna suck so goddamn bad here again? What qualities on God's green Earth has True Master, a mere Wu-Element, displayed as a producer through pulling the very best outta Cap so far that the architect of the 5-yr plan's timeless sound doesn't have, HUH?! The tale that Darryl spins is one flimsy-ass display of storytelling, punctuated by his newfound & complete disregard for the beat. What makes this song even worse is that this crap goes on for three full verses, making the track seem like a bloody eternity. If this song was a person, I'd take a dump on their car.

BLOOD ON BLOOD WAR (FEATURING SOLOMON CHILDS)
RZA produced this track as well, and unlike his previous contribution, this is an all-out shitshow, top to bottom. This beat sounds like a lullaby RZA made for ODB's babies when he was playing babysitter. Oh who are we kidding? Even that joke ain't funny. That's how bad this song is, as a whole. Even poor Solomon Childs is stuck on hook duties and thereby ensuring that this song's status as being gorilla manure top-to-bottom. Your ears never stood a chance, dear reader.

SUPA NINJAZ (FEATURING GOLDEN ARMS & METHOD MAN)
Oh yes! True Master returns with one thigh-slapper of a beat, best believe. What's more, he somehow does the unthinkable and makes you believe again, for a fleeting second, that Cap is a lyrical threat. It may also help that Golden Arms is in that Wu Forever form of his, resulting in his patented negative capability making a grandiose return here. Oh, and Mef is in that form of his where he obliterates everyone on the song with him, so there's that. This is so good it'll make you forget all about Cap's performance on the three preceding tracks. Props to Rae and Mef for their Body Rock tribute, and is that ODB in the background?!

MCF
RZA's back, and you know what that means. Actually, this song is the single most infuriating track on the entire album. We've already established that Cap without a True Mas' beat by this point is straight up hog menses, but the fact that RZA wasted such an awesome instrumental on such an incompetent lyrical performance from our host will guarantee you winning your next sumo spar. I already know you weigh 40 kg tops. Here's me not giving a rat's ass. An added incentive to violate your opponent's innards is the thought of what Inspectah Deck would've done to this beat back then, and the realization that this possibility is forever gone because of RZA's boneheaded backing of Darryl's worthless solo endeavor. I hope someone smacks RZA in the face hard after forcing him to realize what a huge travesty he has caused here. And I hope someone smacks Cap hard in the face for the very fact that he's Cap.

SPLISH SPLASH
True Master sits behind the boards once again, in what is becoming a pattern so far, and unearths a masterful beat from a Lyn Collins record that has since become a Wu sample mine, as various Wu-Elements including RZA himself, have created many a masterpiece from said source. And again, True Mas' brings out the Cap everyone wants to hear in yet another one-verse-wonder that is dope as all hell. Again, how the fuck did you do this, Derrick?

OH-DONNA (FEATURING GHOSTFACE KILLAH)
DJ Mathematics, the Clan's official DJ for more than 20 years, continues his awesome relationship with GFK on here, bringing his take on the 'digital orchestra' to the forefront while GFK torches the beat to kingdom come. Nice work, all y'all. What do you mean, I'm forgetting somebody? Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that I have a very selective memory and sometimes, wackass rhymes that aren't worth the time of any creature walking this planet tend to slip my mind. (Captain Obvious time: *In a sing-songy voice* This song is the reason why everyone calls Darryl Oh Donna.)

MILK THE COW (FEATURING METHOD MAN)
Now this piece of work right here could've been called Fish Pt.2 and I wouldn't bat an eyelash. Why? Because this is, by no small margin, the peak of Cappadonna's solo career. Similar to what he did on Fish, True Master (he really earns that nickname here, lemme tell ya) takes multiple excerpts from a venerated OV Wright record and arranges them to make for an original composition that can still be considered an interpolation of said OV Wright record. Trust me, it's not easy to sound both original and attributing at the same time, yet True Mas' makes it seem like an effing breeze. Of course, you don't need me to point out that this accomplishment reflected on Cap, as well. The rapper you here on this track sounds like a proper MC, twisting and turning between punchlines, metaphors and imagery effortlessly. Props to Mef for once again blessing the world with yet another gorgeous hook. This track will be a favorite of yours and will get stuck in your head for days.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER
Another RZA abortion. And the disappointments keep on flowing as he gets on the keys this time and blesses Cap with not one, but two beats. The second one has an iller-than-ill violin sample that will stick itself neatly in your head for quite some time, as you continue sobbing at how RZA is keeping Deck from devouring these beats while Darryl keeps flying into another one of his putrid tangents. Cap spins a fictional tale about a day in his life filled to the brim with attempts of imagery a la Ghostface. This track may be the best argument against Cap's comparisons with P.Tone. Another skip.

CHECK FOR A N****
4th Disciple, the other original Wu-Element besides True Master, brings the Killarmy steez with him in the lone beat he contributed to the Pillage. (I mean, the dude's sanity had limits, right?) However, when you've made it this far in the album, it'd serve you best to think of True Master as the horse traquilizer to Cappadonna's wild boar. Whenever he ain't around, it's gonna be a problem. And not the good kind. So, seeing as 4th Disciple isn't True Master, you're treated to yet another crapfest from our "star". Yeah, chant the song's dumb-as-fuck title more seventy gobijazillion times, Darryl. That'll make everyone forget just how bad you're pissing away your solo career, pissing away RZA's investment in you and pissing in every doomed ear that ever had the misfortune of listening to this tub of llama urine. Rapefuck this song.

DART THROWING (FEATURING RAEKWON & METHOD MAN)
True Master's final beat on the album. You know what that means. This gave the Milk The Cow beat a run for its money, I'm telling you. The fact that he constructed such a masterpiece from a single-second loop sampled from an obscure Hong Kong action flick only adds to the quality of this beat, and the fact that RZA did the same first on Gold from Liquid Swords doesn't take away from its greatness in the least. Speaking of GZA, Cap will sound that good to you after the bullshit you just went through with the previous song. I really don't need to point out the fact that Rae & Mef sound absolutely terrific here, with Mef in particular blowing away everybody. Hell, he even tops his previous lyrical showing on Supa Ninjaz. This was refreshing to say the least.

YOUNG HEARTS (FEATURING BLUE RASPBERRY)
So, yeah RZA's back, and by now the lack of quality will exhaust you. Especially when you are one hundred percent certain that all parties involved can do better. This 'digital orchestra' beat is not really that bad when taken by itself. Hell, Blue Raspberry's interpolation might even fit perfectly on it had it been a solo song of hers. But the realization that Cappadonna with his straight up shitty bars is coming any second ruins the whole. Friggin'. Thing. I never want to hear Cap talk about his emotions ever again.

EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING (FEATURING RHYME RECCA)
Goldfinghaz, in his second showing on the album brings a beat that Melachi the fucking Nutcracker would've utterly destroyed. That's right, I went there. And you can literally hear poor Rhyme Recca (from Rae's short-lived American Cream Team) chomping at the nuts to get on said beat and violate that shit. But nooo, Darryl simply had to ruin yet another fantastic beat with his fecal lyrical choices. I don't even care that he's rhyming on beat here. That's how much this man will make you hate his music.

PUMP YOUR FIST (FEATURING SOLOMON CHILDS & TEKITHA)
I know. I really don't want to continue this assault on my ears, either. But, I've brought this on myself so here we go: This RZA keyboard beat sounds like one of them old-ass cars you always see in Looney Tunes cartoons. Yeah, imagine that car trying to take a shit. Yep. That's what this beat sounds like. Hands down, the worst beat on the album. It's made even worse when Solomon Childs returns for yet another very good performance. I mean, why waste him here? With Tekitha and Cap's incompetent ass? Speaking of Tekitha, she raps here. I really wish I was joking. Oh, and even though she sounds like goddamn hippo piss, she still sounds better than Cappadonna! How did this song leave RZA's studio again?!

BLACK BOY (FEATURING TEKITHA)
The final song of the album is a Goldfinghaz production, and it sounds very similar to his work on Gravediggaz' Fairytalez. He simply speeds up a Love Orchestra Unlimited sample, and it works as a standalone. But again, this is a Cappadonna album, and from the moment you hear his sigh, (Not joking. He fucking sighes.) which opens the song by the way, you will stop listening. Whether by skipping the song and deleting the entire album, or using the CD as a tray to snort whatever drug you got into to escape the horrors of this album. Either way, you can continue doing so without the slightest shred of guilt because Cap predictably sounds like shit here, and the Tekitha I heard here is a far damn cry from her performance on the Soul In The Hole OST's title track. So of course this was the third single, with the video treatment n'all.

FINAL THOUGHTS
See? I'm not above trashing an album. Even if it had multiple songs that I absolutely love. And there's no way around it: At least five songs on here have been some of the best production showcases in hip hop history. True Master, still the unsung hero of this project, has presented a masterclass in the art of producing an MC with potential. And no one can deny that Cap had potential. Unfortunately, however, he obviously also had too many yes men. And when one of those yes men is the motherfucking RZA, architect of some of the most influential music you'll ever hear in hip hop or otherwise, one can only expect trouble. There's no justifiable explanation for why Cap's lyrics on the majority of The Pillage ever left his sessions. It really is a shame that the strength of the Wu brand was absolutely wasted on a person like Darryl Hill whom, to this very day, has proven that he works best when he has zero room to veer into his tendencies. I'm not joking about this: He has impressed me further down the line, but only in controlled environments like future Wu albums or solo projects by other members. As for his solo career, the one song that I like from his catalog that isn't on the Pillage is Put God First. That's it. I've heard everything else, and it's an absolute waste. What's really aggravating is that this dude keeps putting out material with no quality control whatsoever. Hell, he just put out The Pillage 2 two friggin' years ago, and it still sucked wild moonhog balls. And to think RZA could've prevented all this had he directed his managerial efforts towards Deck, Masta Killa, Solomon Childs or even Golden Arms. Whoa, can't believe I went that far. We'll cross the U-God bridge when we get there.

WORTH IT?
Fuck no. Avoid paying for this shit at all costs. With the magic of the Interweb, you can simply download True Master's tracks and add them to your rotation. If you're a producer or a rapper in need of good beats for your mixtape, there are some very good beats here that you can benefit from, so if you find a copy of the instrumentals, all will be copacetic.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
'97 MENTALITY (FEATURING GHOSTFACE KILLAH)
One question: Was this so fucking hard, RZA?! Why would you not produce Cap the way you did here. He's obviously reigned in to the fullest as he spits quotable after sick quotable in a 46-bar Winter Warz-esque performance. All set to RZA's deft sampling of a Mad Lads classic, no less. This was better than all your productions with him on the proper album. Oh and why is Ghostface wasted on the hook again?! A hook that only appears after Cap's finished with the song, no less. And someone apparently forgot to stop looping it. These choices still don't exclude this song from being amazing so omitting it from the Pillage is beyond crazy to me. I reiterate: I hope someone smacks RZA in the face hard after forcing him to realize how retarded management choices like this one were. And I hope someone smacks Cap hard in the face for the very fact that he's Cap.

For more Wu shit, you already know.

1 comment:

  1. Best review I've ever read, no joking! :D

    ReplyDelete