Customer Reviews

The Ying And The Yang

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

With a slim 10 tracks I was hoping to get cracked in the head with some ear-popping Wu-Bangers. Instead, it was more like being ... on. Not even the slang-slinging efforts of Ghostface and Raekwon could save this forgettable Wu-installment. Personally, it's the WORST material from the immediate Wu-Tang camp to date (with U-God's joint coming in mighty close). Two cuts merit the two stars: "Supermodel" and "Love is the Message". Take a guess at why. I'm stretching with the latter cut so you can only imagine just how unappetizing the rest of the menu is. DonnaCappa Goins' style is bearable in doses. I've never really been that enamored with his arbitrary use of words and phrases. In some instances it works but most of the time he's just dropping words that might sound good together. And that voice...all I'm hearing is a grown man teasing fools in the schoolyard with that whiney, wanna-be B-Real type vocalizing. Then he yanks in Jermaine Dupree and Da Brat to ... on the album after he ... on it??? "The Yin and the Yang" is yet another dent in the Wu armour. This album should've come strapped with a ... pamper.

The worst effort the Wu has ever put forth. Cappa has been digressing gradually since his show-stealing verses on Ice Cream and Winter Warz. The Pillage was good, but only because of great production from the RZA, not because of the mc rocking the tracks. The Yin and the Yang is not blessed with that production. It is just Cappadonna making very little sense to radio friendly beats and rapping alongside the likes of Jermaine Dupri and Da Brat. No wonder he wasn't on Iron Flag.

Don Don Cappachino the Donnamite returns after about 2 and half years to deliver his second solo effort. Though not as good as his classic debut, and slightly below his "Struggle" it has some good songs. There are about 2 songs of the 11 that are definitely skippable and 2 more that are ok, but the other 7 are all tight songs (2 are almost classic material). It starts off maybe stronger than his debut but dwindles halfway through and picks up a little toward the end. Production is decent, mostly by non-Wu related producers. Neonek does 5, Goldfingaz does 2, and Jermaine Dupri, Trumaster, Inspectah Deck and 8-off all do 1. I'd recommend it for his fans or Wu fans but it needs more quality songs. All songs but one feature at least one other rapper.

#1 - 9.5 (f/ 8-Off)
#2 - 9 (f/ Ghostface Killah on the hook)
#3 - 9 (f/ Neonek)
#4 - 8.5 (f/ Killah Priest, Neonek)
#5 - 9.5 (f/ Raekwon)
#6 - 5.5 (f/ Da Brat)
#7 - 5 (f/ Jamie Sommers)
#8 - 9 (f/ Shyheim & Crunch Lo)
#9 - 7.5 (f/ Masta Killa, Royal Fam & Prodigal Sun)
#10 - 4 (f/ Culture)
#11 - 7.5

b. -- Darryl Hill --- Park Hill, Staten Island, NY --- 1969
check all my reviews

It's all about Benjamins, Cappa didn't make this album for the people, he did it for the money. From "The Pillage" 5 stars, to "The Yin and the Yang" 1 star. I gave it one star for effort. Nobody deserves O stars. This is the height of commercial rap.
All I'd like to say is "Bring That Beat Back." Cappadonna could of done better.

I'm just gonna put it bluntly from the beginning: this album is not very good. I won't say that it [isn't good at all] because there's a few decent beats throughout the cd. However, the first flaw is that there's only 10 f'in songs and not enough quality to make up for lack of quantity. Second of all, I haven't been a fan of Cappa's lyrics since his appearances on Ghost's first album. I don't know what happened to him but since then he just lost his flow. Unfortunately, it seems that he still hasn't found it. In fact, most of the guests he had on the album (excluding J.D. and Da Brat) sounded better than he did and quite frankly made him sound worse than he already does. Overall I wouldn't recommend this album to Wu-fans or others.

this album is turd i don't care what anybody says, i dont know why the man can't rap how he did on ironman by ghost (maybe ghost was writing his lyrics back then). he now stutters garbage with no flow, might as well talk. the beats on this album are pathetic apart from decks beat on revenge. this is honestly the worst wu associated album, straight trash how the hell rza allowed this wack to come out id never know. don't get me wrong i love wu tang but this has gone too far, The wu sign does not mean quality anymore thanks to this!

Here we are again, another eagerly awaited Wu release followed by dissapointment. If I am not mistaken were we not promised over and over again by Rza and co-horts that this wouldn't be happening anymore. Sure I enjoyed "the W", but what is this mess entitled "the Yin and the Yang"? First off this was supposed to be out the same time Supreme Clientele was released, also it originally had 18 tracks. What do I get when I open it up 11 tracks and the worst zeroxed art work I have every seen. Give me a break the last Killarmy disc got better treatment than this. But alas this is where the problem lays, the records company for screwing Cappa over. Now you'll no doubt read countless reviews how much Cappa misfired on this album, but it really isn't Cappa that went wrong. Poor management and direction killed any chances of a this becoming a Wu classic. I must say his lyrics are a vast improvement and his guests were just as sharp. Shyheim is always right on his mark (too bad "Manchild" was pulled off the shelves, it was the best Wu release in years)Timbo King, Raekwon and Killah Priest also deliver the goods. Make no mistake that that the J.D. track is just about the worst thing I have ever heard...you'll skip it everytime. Most other songs are quite alright and will enjoy repeated play. the problem though is that seven songs are missing which include a brilliant song with Remedy entitled 'Girlfriend', butthey pulled it off so it could be on his album. Sadly enough Real Niggaz, Why it gotta be this way, Love & Hate(mellow drama), If it's all right with you, Taking Drastic Measures and Odd Couple did not grace the album like they were originally intended to. Again do not blame Cappa for this, mess blame his record label, write them and tell em how you feel about them jerking around your favorite group. All in all check out the album there is something on there you'll enjoy and just hope that "WW2", "Cuban Link 2" and Remedy do not suffer the same fate.

First I would like to correct anyone who thinks that RZA did production on the CD. He didn't do a single beat on the CD but as executive producer he merely checked to see the final result. So this isn't like Talib and DJ Hi-Tek type stuff.

On to the CD: Cappadonna is better than his debut in terms of his lyrics which is a wonderful sign at least. I think that his wisdom has grown and his sense of rhyming is smoother, particularly in intricate verse dropping, say in, the song One Way 2 Zion. However, apart from Raekwon, the guest artists don't compare very well.

The Grits is a cool song with horns but when you check out the sample it's a 1997 Latino band. That's rather hilarious because those horns are clean sounding and not dirty like RZA's style. You can't go too wrong however because it is funky all the same.

Super Model is the best track but it needs some scratching or something to break up the beat. True Master has produced a dope banger at least to Wu standards w/ his guitar blues sample.

War Rats was rather impressive with its odd and atonal harp sounds which I liked a lot. The complexity was rather great indeed. Cappadonna drops a wonderful metaphor about ending street violence.

Bread of Life is the most complext song in terms of lyrics. Cappadonna uses a Biblical metaphor to damn the secular nature of today's world... The production is alright and has some dope strings but they are too synth for my liking.

Love Is the Message is the most danceable track on the CD no doubt. The chopped up sample of a disco hit which was rather popular proves that the Wu can have fun no doubt. This hit was banging for me.

We Know and Shake Dat are the worst tracks of the CD. Wu techno music, please no! And jermaine dupri's production can suck my d baby. That synth digi sound is so lousy and yes those are for clubs but Cappadonna should have used RZA or Pete Rock or Primo at least.

Big Business is fabulous with the guest Shyheim. He talks about the fact that money doesn't rule everything and I enjoyed its message. The sampling I think is good and competent at least.

Revenge is more relaxed and talks about the psychology of being a tough guy in a harsh world. The production is fairly good and I have not too many complaints except that it's too simple for my ears...

One Way 2 Zion and Save the Children (bonus track) are fabulous no doubt. They have a positive message for the community and at least they are able to define the Wu agenda for the future. The production with a sampled banjo is cool and Wu country music would be funny in the future (hee hee)... By the way, Save the Children has the same message as ERic B and Rakim's old song. Check out that version too...

Overall, this disc was banging most of the time and please no So So Def crap on it next time. The Wu don't need to ruin a CD with wack artists and horrible danceclub production. They need deep beats with offkilter loops and the old dirty shhhhh....

Peace and I'm outta here, Beat Detective.

I cannot believe how underrated this album, let alone this rapper, are... even amongst Wu-heads... I'm not sure what the reviewer who referred to them as "Intelligent stuff only rich kids listen to" was trying to claim-
But they're obviously banannas.
Wu is the sh*t, true Hip-Hop is the people's music, and Cappadonna's just keepin' it real in that tradition-
I LOVE this record-
Buy two copies,
One for each hemisphere of your brain.

ok, firstly, Cappadona is a horrible lyricist. It's sad to see a good group like Wu-Tang endorse a rapper with such weak rhymes. Secondly, if Cappadona's rhymes weren't bad enough, the production bored me half to death. This CD is just plain horrible.