Often cited as the official 10th member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Cappadonna has managed to have a noticeable solo career without a direct support line from the group’s core members. Perhaps this feeling of disdain is motivation for his latest LP, the ridiculously titled Slang Prostitution. The album’s feature interludes exhibit a composed Cappadonna confirming his affinity to God and his desires to rise above all who’s done wrong against him. And while sticks and stones may not be able to keep “A Good Man Down,” poor beat and track selections will surely plunder a rap album into the pits of hell.

It’s not that Cap’s unorthodox stylings are the totalitarian behind the album’s downfall. His contributions on classics like “Winter Warz” and “Ice Cream” have established his purpose in Hip-Hop music. It’s the high volume of imbalance and lack of personality that’s induced from Slang Prostitution that makes a great deal of the tracks basically unlistenable. The feeble attempt of walking down memory lane “Do You Remember?” comes off as disentraced as does the played-out rap game/crack game innuendo “Hustle & Flow.” And aligning C and D-lister MCs only lead to more monotony as heard on the dixieland downer “Somebody’s Got To Go.”

While it was obviously not in the budget, things do pick a bit with assists from more ambitious guest stars and production. The album’s best cut arrives in the form of “Life’s A Gamble” which features a sinister composite of murky bass streaming through a river of illuminating chimes and lively vocals from Raekwon and Ratchet. Even Cappadonna diversifies his flow, obviously inspired by the precedence the track sets. Unfortunately, moments like this are overshadowed by redundant backdrops (“Savage Life,”) choppy verses (“That Staten Island Shit,”) and inane filler (“What’s Really Up”) that ultimately prove impossible to overlook.

At album’s end, it’s clear that Cap’s in high spirits and “You Can’t Keep A Good Man Down” (the same skit appears twice,) but this outing’s simply not going to get the job done. He may be still willing to spit game, but Cappadonna’s going to have to look for a new angle if he’s going to be successful in pimping the system.

2 CIGARETTES