Steve 'Flash' JuonI have mixed feelings when I review Darryl Hill’s work. Perhaps it’s because I met him once when I had a backstage pass at a concert and he took a few minutes to do an interview even though he was just about to go on stage. That’s a humble and accommodating act, and I respect Cappadonna for that. He certainly wasn’t obligated to give me the time of day. Had he read reviews like this I certainly would’ve understood him telling me to go straight to hell. I’ve been pretty hard on Cappa over the years. I respect his role as a foundational member of the Wu-Tang Clan, and even sympathize with him being bitter over losing valuable years at their outset to a prison bid. My respect for him as both a man and a pioneer can’t change two facts though — his vocals are abrasive and his bars are often absurd.
“I’m a Weed Head” off “Ear Candy” is both of his worst qualities rolled up like a blunt and smoked up in one song. Lines like “Too many adversaries trying to crush me/I eat ’em up, my stomach is all husky” had me pressing rewind to make sure I heard him right. “My mind is like milk, my heart is cookies.” Seriously Cap? The funny thing is I’m actually impressed. The raps are corny but let’s face it he is UNAPOLOGETIC about it. Mr. Hill didn’t question himself for a minute, and he delivers these strange lines with his signature vocal tone and the conviction of someone dropping jewels. That’s another thing I respect about the man — confidence. Even though the best rap song I’ve ever heard sample Anita Baker’s “Caught Up in the Rapture” is Ras Kass’ “Understandable Smooth,” such is Cappadonna’s confidence that he said “let me take a stab at it too” on the track “Finesse.” He’s not even close to matching Ras Kass let alone Fabolous, J Stalin or Skyzoo, but at least he tried.
As long as I’m giving Cappadonna his flowers I’m also going to note that “Ear Candy” is a full album. This is a respectable 55 minutes and 18 tracks, and it dropped in 2018 as shorter projects were turning from a rarity into the normal. Whether you want twice as much of Hill’s unique vocal tone or a slew of unknown guests like Rollo, Ratchet, SugarShane and Kelso is up to you. I don’t have a problem with any of the bars from “Five on the Black Hand Side” if I’m being honest, but the production is really hurting my heart. It takes the beginning of Action Bronson’s “Barry Horowitz” — JUST the beginning — and loops the shit out of the least interesting part. That entire track is built on the foundation of Dry Bread’s “Words to My Song” and they didn’t pretend otherwise. This is like knowing somebody had a dope sample but trying to cover your tracks by not using the same loop the same way. The attempt ends up making it worse when a straight up jack would’ve sounded better.
This is also a solemn reminder that despite him having some legendary credentials, it only seems like other Wu-Tang Clan members think of him when they have shit to drop. When Cap puts out a solo album like this where are Ghostface, Rae, Method Man or Inspectah Deck? Shit, you better inspect your deck if you thought any of them were on this LP. That’s what confounds me the most. Cappadonna can be great in SMALL DOSES. When he only has one verse in a song like on “Daytona 500” he can really blaze that shit and give his best bars and most energetic performance. He has to right? You can’t sound weak around the rest of the Wu. On silly songs like the “Africa” sampling “Don Gar Gon” he’s spitting poorly mastered and lazily delivered vocals in a half-assed patois. Did he record this in his hall closet? It’s blown out, it’s worn out, it’s like a four track and a headset microphone that are on their last legs.
In spite of and arguably because of its flaws “Ear Candy” turns into something more akin to outsider music than traditional rap. Judged by the strictest standards of quality rap beats and rhymes, good production techniques, and the freshest samples possible it doesn’t hold up. Judged as a sincere effort from a man who even his own Clan seems to forget about, it’s something entirely different. I think… that I kind of like it? I don’t LOVE it. I’m not even going to recommend that you buy it. Maybe you should stream it though and put a few pennies of Spotify’s stingy wallet in his pocket. If I can give a man I respect one more compliment before I go it’s this — in an age of rappers who sing, Cappadonna is a rapper who raps. That alone is commendable. He isn’t always pretty, but he’s a real one.