Five months after his last effort, Cappadonna drops his fifteenth album. DJ N-Tense is the main producer of the product, the set is completed by the rhyhtms of Addie Mak, Nottz and True Master. No guest credited.
There are two different tracklist for this record, I'll go with the second one. The CD is opened by "Power": midtempo drum, splendid piano keys, robust bass, sparkling keyboards, first beat of DJ N-Tense. Cappadonna feels at ease on this musical carpet, describing his youth and his years of carefree juvenile delinquency. The Wu-Element producer True Master is behind the keyboards in "Rugged": raw bass line, sparse drum, obscure mood, rusty riff, Don Cappachino spits with energy, he seems in shape in this record. True Master stays in production for the third choice, "Justice": solid bass, harsh drum uptempo, dilated keyboards, the Staten Island rapper goes hardcore and rips even this track. Skit outro.
"Freedom" is the third in a row and last soundscape provided by True Master: dusty downtempo drum, good bass, soul vocal male sample, sweet strings. Over this ballad, the emcee goes hardcore with his rough rap and creates a sharp contrast with the sweetness of the melodic rhythm, among the finest to appear on an official Cappadonna studio album in the last ten years. The artist let the sample breathes in the hook, this is simply one of the best tracks ever by him. DJ N-Tense realizes the production of "Change": skeletal hi-hats, guitar riff looped tight, melodic vocal sample distant in background, Cap goes hardcore. "Reason" boasts a splendid musical carpet, fluid bass line, hi-hats, skinny drum, vocal sample chopped and looped, slick keyboards, good riffs. The Park Hill emcee delivers smooth.
It follows "Truth", the first of two rhythm created by Nottz: extravagant samples, dusted cymbals, rough bass, loop of organ, Cap spits regular for this battle. "Wize Men" is another work of Nottz. Skeletal drum, solid bass, ghostly vocal samples, sparse piano keys, Cappadonna ignores the production and goes straight on his way, spitting hardcore for two minutes. I don't even know how or why it works, but it does. "Know" is the third beat of the main beatmaker of this record DJ N-Tense and is beautiful: splendid soul sample, amazing strings, dusty perfect midtempo drum, Don Cappachino spits hardcore and flies over this soundscape.
The whole record continues to surprise the listener with the choice number ten, "Paradise". DJ N-Tense behind the keyboards, thundering bass, lively drum machine, great soul sample, beautiful guitar riff. The emcee of Wu-Tang Clan destroys the rhythm with his own style. The same beatmaker did "Revolt": scarce drum midtempo, vocal sample, rocking guitar licks, Cap goes regular, hardcore and eats the beat. Skit outro, then "Real", second production of Addie Mak: melancholic piano scale, drum doubled by hi-hats, cymbals, ascendants strings, the rapper is in shape, determined, focused, at his finest.
A soul sample in loop welcomes the listener of "Creativity": downtempo drum, slow hi-hats, splendid guitar riff, dirty and tense strings, bass in background, Cappadonna delivers with energy and a regular flow. Around five minutes, the song is finished, then there's a skit of four minutes. "Love" is the last cut produced by Addie Mak: sample soul that turns almost chipmunk, guitar riff, sparse drum, raw bass distant in background, Cap flows regular and didn't miss. "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" closes the record. Obsessive vocal sample, harsh midtempo drum, last production of DJ N-Tense, the rapper goes straight hardcore.
Released by his label God Love Family Entertainment, mixed and mastered by DJ Intrigue, the release date is postponed by over a month, to allow the rapper to work on the album some more and fix it, so as not to release his usual garbage. The result is in, this could easily be one of his best albums without any jokes. There are no particular mistakes, there are no bad tracks, there are no weak tracks. A rarity in his catalog. It's one of his most solid, cohesive and consistent albums for sure, by a wide margin. It's fantastic. The boy is in shape. He spits focused. He's concentrated. He brings producers, real producers, on his album. There are no guests. He does it all by himself. He proves he can hold up an album by himself at the age of 53 y/o, while guys who are a third of his age need half the music industry to carry a 12-minute "album". This is a real rapper, guys. Cappadonna "brings it" real. Brings it in a manner of speaking. He has always kept it real, since 1995. Every now and then the results come, let's say once every eleven years, but they come. About time.
Rating: 6.5/10.
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