Fake Shore Drive vs. Cappadonna

(Photo courtesy of Clayton Hauck)

On the verge of releasing their 5^th album, the Wu-Tang Clan stands at a crossroads. Internal bickering and the groups disdain for the RZA and his vision for 8 Diagrams have grabbed more headlines than the album itself. Has the album been sabotaged? Will this be the end of the Wu-Tang Clan? Wu-Tang is forever, but does this phrase hold any weight these days?

You’ve heard what Raekwon, Ghostface and RZA have had to say about 8 Diagrams, but one member you haven’t heard from is Cappadonna. Loosely known as the “unofficial member”, Cap was made an official Wu-Tang general this past fall. For myself and countless other Wu fans, it’s been a long time coming.

Take a ride on the dart (pause) as Fake Shore Drive chats with the man who needs no introduction, the 10^th Apostle, Cappadonna.

First off, congratulations on being named the official tenth member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Even though you’ve basically been a member for well over a decade, RZA finally made it official. That must feel good, right?

Thanks, I appreciate that. (laughs) Every little bit counts.

How did RZA go about anointing you and letting you know that it was official?

Basically, he just said now it’s official, and signed me as a member of the Clan contractually. It was a contract thing, really.

You came to Chicago in July for the Pitchfork Music Festival and performed with the GZA and absolutely rocked it. After the show, you headlined your own performance at the Funky Buddha Lounge that was even crazier. On “Campfire” (from 8 Diagrams), you spit: “All in Chicago, grindin, puttin’ it down”. Internet speculation ties this to your time in Chicago this summer. Any correlation here?

You already know what it is. That concert wasn’t just crazy, it was off the chain. But no doubt, I was in Chicago for like a year, puttin’ it down everywhere. I was going to underground MC battles, I was doing collabo’s with MC’s around town. I was just out there spreading that joy and hittin’ the blocks. I wasn’t a shy dude out there. I didn’t come out acting like I was Richie Rich or somebody. I walked the blocks of Stoney [Island], I was in Jeffrey Manor, I was out at the warehouse parties. You know, I was gettin’ it in with everybody.

I can vouch for that, I hung out with you and saw you around.

You know what I’m saying. I walked the blocks.

Over the past few weeks there has been a lot of talk about 8 Diagrams and some of the Wu members seem to be less-than-thrilled about the final results. What are your thoughts on the album?

Well I feel like, I mean, we got the album done. It’s not like we didn’t put the work in. Everyone was there and put it down and you spoke what you needed to speak on and the end results should be something that you’re satisfied with. But really we should have put some more effort and time in. The thing about it was that there was a lot of, you know, disagreements and arguments going on that stagnated me from giving it the best that I wanted to give it. But I still felt like my participation wasn’t in vein, because you know how they say, “something is better then nothing”. So I’m going on that level. I’m happy that we were even able to manifest the album, even after all of this time. I think everybody did the best we could do given the circumstances that we were presented.

How about your placement on the songs? I was hoping for some more Cap verses. Did you submit verses for every song and then RZA pick and chose what he wanted to keep?

Yeah, he got me to change a couple of verses here and there and change some stuff that he might not have liked. But my thing is, whatever I do is what I’m feeling for myself and you can’t really tell a guy how to write his rhymes, because then it’s not real after that.

Were there any songs, in particular, that you spit on that didn’t make the final cut for the album?

Not necessarily. I don’t remember exactly how many songs it was that I hit [ed note: at press time Cappadonna is featured on 3 songs on 8 Diagrams]. Like I said, there was just so much going on that I couldn’t even get with it. They was messin with my spiritual side of things.

How do you feel about Ghostface and Raekwon’s comments on the album? They have been knocking it pretty hard

I mean, I’m not really concerned with these guys’ comments because these guys are the heavy hitters. They know what they want, they have a good following, they deal with the biggest labels and you’re gonna get that all the time with the egos. And those egos get in the way of your better judgement, you know. Sometimes, some things are better left unsaid, you know?

I see where you’re going with that, so we’ll leave it there. So do you have a favorite track in the album?

(Laughs) My favorite track is the first track on the album (“Campfire”). My thing is that it’s funny how, at the end of the day, God works everything out, because here it is the last person in the Wu being on the first song on the album, with the two most talked about Wu-Tang members: Method and Ghostface - who are both signed to Def Jam. They’re the top two artists of Wu-Tang right now. They got the most work in, they get the most spins, they’re the most popular in this time and day….and we’re the first three on the album.

And you snuck in at the end and just killed it. It seems to be one of the verses that everyone is talking about.

The content of the lyrics, if you listen to it, and compare what I’m saying to what they’re [Ghostface Killah & Method Man] saying, it’s like mines is more mature. It’s maturity and something that people can grab on to. You know, cause I’m talking about grindin’. I’m talking about being in Chicago, and you know, you’re right AB, you can vouch for that! You saw me out there in Chicago, so you know the realness of that lyric. I’m not playin’ around. I’m tryin’ to do something and build bridges (laughs). Like you doin’ what you doin’ and I do what I do and I’m tryin to build bridges! I’m gonna let brothas know that I’m a regular dude like you and living like you and I walk the streets. I walked all the way from 63^rd and Stoney [Island] all the way out the Wild, Wild Hundreds! It’s like that everywhere I go, as you probably know, I was in Baltimore for 5 years and doing the same thing. I do that everywhere I go and whoever I’m with, man.

So you’re no longer in Maryland?

Nah, I’m back in New York. I had to take it back to the foundation real quick. To let my NY people know that it’s still real, you know. You can see me all around town everywhere. The last joint I did was the Jam Master Jay Tribute with Raekwon.

I heard you were there

Yeah I was in the house. Got on stage, did what I had to do, rocked it. Played the part, you know what I mean

So what’s next for Cappadonna? I know this past summer you released “The Cappatalize Project” independently. Any plans for a new album in 2008?

I actually just finished an album! All I gotta do is mix down the last two songs. It’s called, “The Good, The Bad, The Ugly”. But man, I got into a car accident today! Somebody hit me from the back.

What? You alright?

Yeah, somebody tried to rub me the wrong way. I caught a little back-pain, little whiplash, little stiff arm, nah mean? It’s that hate coming my way. It’s gets everybody though. But when it comes back to those that sent it, it comes back like 7 times worse, word.

What’s your label situation right now?

Right now I’m just looking for distribution so I can do my independent thing and all of that.

So are you going to be in Chicago for the show next weekend (12/15 at the Metro)?

Nah, I don’t think I’m gonna be in Chicago, because I got two previous engagements and I wasn’t given all the information at the right time. So now I got a show in Vegas at the same time I’m supposed to be in Chicago. Everyone isn’t corresponding correctly and getting the right info out to people. And that’s the thing, recently we’ve been trying to be on point and do everything righteously, and all that, but right now I’m already in Vegas.

I know they’ve been advertising it as the whole Wu-Tang coming, but a lot of the dates around the country have been cancelled. Something seemed, for lack of a better term, suspect.

They need to let people know what’s going on and stop just trying do everything without the proper set ups, you know.

Yeah, I don’t think the RZA’s team was behind booking this concert, I believe it was Raekwon’s people

Yeah exactly, and that’s the whole mix-up with the touring right now, and I’m just smack caught in the middle of it all, you know.

On a lighter note, I’m gonna ask you some questions that may be a little bizarre or off-kilter, but whatever. Let’s take it back to your first solo video, "Slang Editorial." The video co-stars Pauly Walnuts [Tony Sirico from the Soprano’s], before Pauly Walnuts was known as Pauly Walnuts. You could have actually been the star behind the star.

(Laughs) Yup, I had him all in the video. (Laughs) I’m sure it’s something for him to add to his resume , you know. He was work for hire in that joint. Yeah, that was one of my best videos, actually my best solo video.

Do you still “post up like paint on walls?"

(laughs) Still post up like paint on walls baby, you see how I get em in!

Do you still enjoy performing “Winter Warz?” Do you agree when people say that’s your best verse ever?

Yeah, I like doing that one; it’s definitely one of my better verses. Definitely enjoy doing that…I actually like doing it on other beats, that aren’t just Wu-Tang. But the beat for “Winter Warz” is just so infamous.

What’s your favorite line from that song?

“You’re weak in the knees like SWV, tryin’ to get a title like Wu Killa Bee” (laughs). Then you got the “See my face on a $20 bill” joint.

I’ve always favored “under vets, we paid out debts for mad years, hibernate the sound and now we out like bears”. Highly quotable verse all-around, no doubt.

Out of the entire Wu-Tang Clan, you very well could have the most aliases: Vocabulary Donna, Diggalah, The Cab Driver, Donna Goines, Cappa Phi Donna and many more. Which one is your favorite and what is the current alias you’re rolling with?

Wow!! Um, craziest, right now…I think Diggalah.

How’d that come about?

The thing about it is, when I do the Diggalah, it’s more like the period at the end of a sentence and that’s how I bring it a lot of the time. When I finish my rhyme, I use “Diggalah” at the end. That right there means everything. It’s my style, it’s my swagger, it’s my wardrobe and that’s the beginning of the end: Diggalah. It’s everything that’s fly about me. And you gotta spell it right, nahmean, D-I-G-G-A-L-A-H.

Any final words?

Just let everybody know that Cappadonna is the Angel of rap. I’m the Apostle, nahmsayin, of Wu-Tang. I’m not the 10^th member, I’m the 10^th Apostle of Wu-Tang. Yeah, and if you remove the zero, then you’re left with one. I’m the first and last. I’m gonna be traveling the land. I’m headed to Europe in mid-2008, and that’s my prediction. I’m coming with the Gospel right now, word. 10^th Apostle. Diggalah. Stay blessed.

Bonus: Wu-Tang Clan "Campfire"