Artist: CaponeTitle: Menace 2 SocietyRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Angus Crawford
After watching Noreaga’s rise as a solo artist from prison, Capone returned stronger than ever on the group’s second album, The Reunion. While Noreaga remained visible as a solo artist, Capone had to wait another six years to release his solo debut, last year’s Pain, Time & Glory, but he is back much quicker this time with Menace II Society (Sure Shot Recordings).
The album opens with the show tune sampling “King of New York”, with Capone claiming he is inline for the crown after Jay and Nas. Strangely the lyrics on the song do not support Capone’s high opinion of himself, but songs like the D.R. Period produced “38 Special” and the clever “Aura” show that he is an underrated MC. On “Aura” he gets grimy and spits lines like, “My aura be the type that bite the night shift/ While your aura play the village sipping on white zinf.”
On the album’s bonus track, “Fallen Soldiers”, Capone borrows some flow and lines, from Tupac, Biggie and Big Pun, doing a decent impression of all three. Sadly, the rest of the album is devoid of creativity with Capone sounding like he wrote some lines in his sleep. Couplets like “I love to party and b####### like Christopher Wallace/ Play hard, pimping, watching my dollars” from “Mac on Chill” and “Try to catch me at the light like the queen/ I pull out a machine about the size of a stretch limousine” on “Recognize” are too elementary for someone aspiring to be the next Frank White.
Amazingly its been almost a decade since CNN released The War Report, and fans have been yearning for that same sound ever since. Unfortunately on Menace, Capone only provides fans with glimpses of that hungry MC.
