what has become of cappadonna?

By Jason Torres

Cappadonna, aka Cappucino, aka the Wu-Tang Clan’s most long-winded MC, famous for his extra-long verses, is now yet another Charm City hack driver between appearances on local club stages. City Paper wanted to give Cap the chance to set the record straight about how he went from recording for Sony to hacking in B’more. During a phone interview the excessively laid-back slang master took time to discuss everything from the Wu-Tang and his family to hacking and space aliens. Yes, space aliens.

City Paper: A lot of people are curious about everything that happened with you and the Wu, wondering if your gig as a hack is a publicity stunt. What do you say to that?

Cappadonna: What do I say to that? Basically, I don’t give a fuck what people think, first of all. And as for my well-being, I’m a hustler. Whatever I see that’s generating paper, I do that. Shit, from hackin’ to rappin’ to actin’, I’m-a do that shit. As far as me and the Wu, we still see each other, still slap each other on the hand, show love, and throw up the buddah—if niggas feel like smoking something extraordinary, we do that, too.

CP: So what happened?

C: The only thing that went sour was the business aspect of it. We got a little fragile, we had to take a step back and look at ourselves again as individuals before we can come together as a team. But we doin’ things now, slowly but surely, pickin’ up the pieces, trying to get a new Wu album out there and all that.

Me, I’m moving all around. I did five years in Baltimore City. I’m trying to throw out an official banger, Wu South Volume 2, with all my brothers from around the way and whoever I bump into in the grit, [such as local MC] Clayway. I’m willin’ to deal with anybody.

Baltimore, right now, for real, this my second home. I been here for five joints, from the streets to the bullpen to up in the bitches and all that. I got kids out here that might not even be mine, word. Once you tell me they mine, and a kid only know me as a father, then I gotta play that role, word up. I’m looking out for the orphans and the underprivileged, that’s what it’s all about when I’m out here, word up. It’s still for the kids, man. The Wu tradition ain’t gon’ never die.

CP: When can people expect a new Wu
Tang project?

C: It’s hard to tell, we got so many other things poppin’ off in the back room, too. I got a DVD I just completed. I might go ahead and pop off with the second volume of that. I was working on an album called Transitions, and in the middle of that I had another transition and went the whole opposite way of what I was I doin’ on that album, so it’s like my thoughts is scattered like weed. But it’s like, you still gotta put all that together to make a blunt, though. And that’s what I’m doin’, putting all my talent together, so I can make everything nice, clear, and blunt. I don’t wanna be throwing long darts on ’em like that no more. I wanna make everything nice, short, and clear.

It’s for the kids, man. I’m doing this for them, I don’t give a fuck what nobody think. I ain’t in love, I ain’t pussy-whipped, I ain’t afraid to bust a mothafucking ratchet. I just ain’t got time for a lot of shit right now. I gotta spread this joy to the kids, that’s what I’m dying for. I know they say save self first, but I got a greater accomplishment, sacrificing my little bit of shit to have my seeds live in a comfortable condition, using my God-given talent, turn it into some big dough and do positive things with it.

CP: Method Man’s been out here a few times doing The Wire. Have you had a chance to talk with him?

C: A lot of people don’t really understand me, man. They don’t really know how to go about building with me on different levels. A lot of things don’t impress me nowadays. My whole picture of life and music and all that is much bigger. I’m [in] the spirit world, and niggas is living in Sodom and Gomorrah. I’m on the outside lookin’ in to all of that shit right there, watchin’ them make fools of themselves. Like, I did that shit when I was 18, all that jewelry and shit. I want land. I’ll wear an outfit all week to get some land.

CP: So you not feelin’ music right now?

C: I’m trying to use music to address real issues and not be speaking upon some ol’ street garbage—fucking this bitch and fuckin’ that bitch. Fuck that. I’m trying to come with a harp with 10 strings, like the song is beautiful. That’s all that’s on my mind.

I don’t give a fuck about not having a mansion, or not having a car. Real life is in my head—death to those dealing with stupidity. The most guilty is not the ones that’s doin’ it, it’s the instigators. They’ll be one doin’ it, but there’s a hundred thousand cheering him on, like “Kill, kill, kill, kill.” Backwards-ass niggas out there right now. Niggas is abusing their gift, man. They don’t understand yet.

CP: There’s a lot of Wu-Tang members, and you all have a unique persona. Which one are you?

C: I want to be the one that the people love. People mistake fear for love. They might respect you, but that’s respect. When they love you, that shit supersedes all that shit. When they love you, you can throw it out however you wanna throw it out and still be accepted, and that right there is what music gotta be changed into. Niggas is claiming a corner as a big-ass piece of land and shooting each other for that shit on some young-ass 24-year-old gangbanging stupidity. Start the revolution if you wanna impress me.

CP: How old are you?

C: Older than the sun, moon, and stars. My bloodline has no beginning and no end. They call me the unordinary light. That’s what I’m known as to the cats that be on the wheel.

CP: Huh?

C: The wheel—that’s the UFOs and shit. I don’t expect none of these little niggas with their little 20-20 vision seen a UFO before, but I seen one.

CP: You seen one?

C: I seen one. That shit is over niggas’ heads man, word up. Niggas ain’t gon’ be able to find me, man.

CP: Tell me about it.

C: I got enough information to crack an atom in half. I’m crackin’ atoms right now. I’m-a have to start talking in codes and shit. My first code is (pause) seven. That’s my six children and me. (laughs) That’s seven right there. Knowledge, so me being knowledge, and my six children being the culture, from each one of them, you get each individual in this world.