Wu Tang Clan member Cappadonna's debut solo effort, "The Pillage," hit the national SoundScan charts at No. 3. It makes one wonder if consumers are on auto-pilot when it comes to picking up the seemingly never-ending string of solo projects emanating from the Wu Tang Clan. The Staten-Island-born rapper first made his mark on Clan collaborator Raekwon's solo album, "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx." Raekwon pays back the favor here along with Wu Tang's Ghost Face Killah and Method Man as well as RZA, who produced the disc.
But no new ground is broken here. "The Pillage" is standard East Coast gangsta fare. Bass. Snare. Rhymes. Repeat. Formula hip-hop, but it has served the Clan well, and as my grandfather used to say, "Why fix it, if it's not broken?" In this case a little maintenance could have resulted in a more inspired effort.
