Still Slumming

No shade – Cappadonna’s keeping it real at Studio A.

By Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik

published: April 03, 2008

:“From the slums of Shaolin, Wu-Tang Clan strikes again. The RZA, The GZA, Old Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon the Chef, U-God, Ghostface Killa, and The M.E.T.H.O.D. Man.” That’s how most die-hard Wu-Tang fans mentally recall the lineup of the seminal Staten Island hip-hop crew. But what about Cappadonna? Although the rugged MC wasn’t listed among the original members in Method Man’s breakout 1993 hit, Cappadonna was a cherished part of the crew by the time Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx dropped in 1995. His verse on “Ice Cream” was unforgettable just for the phrase “I love you like I love my dick size.” Uh, thanks for letting us know!

Allegations and intimations that The Wu did him dirty began to surface in 2001, when he was airbrushed out of the album cover for Iron Flag; only his leg remains as evidence that he was indeed part of the gang. Things got grimy a few years later, when Cappadonna infamously groused about RZA’s notorious portion-sharing issues, and wound up becoming a cab driver in Baltimore. But the whole fam squashed the beef live onstage at Rock the Bells in 2006, and these days he still collaborates and continues to drop memorable verses. Can Cappadonna -- “the cabbie,” the “Cappa-Villain,” the “slang prostitute” -- entertain audiences solo? Hell yeah. See him tonight as he performs alongside Big Noyd, Garcia, Major League, and the Psyko South tonight at 11 at Studio A. Admission is free if you’re over 21.
Sat., April 5, 11 p.m., 2008