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**1/2 Cappadonna

THE YIN AND THE YANG

(Razor Sharp/Epic)

The Wu protégé who stole the show six years ago on modern-day Raekwon and Ghostface Killah classics like “Ice Cream,” “Winter Warz,” “Daytona 500,” and “Camay” returns with The Yin and the Yang. Unfortunately, it’s another hip-hop release cluttered by a bevy of guest “stars.” And they get in the way of Cappadonna’s unique flow — an off-balance delivery that’s made him integral to the Wu-Tang Clan. Cappadonna’s debut, The Pillage, had its moments, but his true strength has been as a team player on the Wu discs Wu-Tang Forever and The W, and on Ghostface Killah’s Supreme Clientele. “Real Niggas” and “Why It Gotta B This” feature the GZA’s patented haunting violin loops, but the latter suffers from needless misogynist banter. And names like One Ton, Culture, and Crunch (just a few of the cats who steal Cappadonna’s shine throughout) turn up in the conspicuous absence of his Wu brethren. Elsewhere, Raekwon lobs razor-sharp darts atop the smooth club beat of “Love Is the Message,” and Ghostface helps out on the hook of the disc’s first single, “Supermodel.” But Cappa seems more relaxed and effective here on the rare occasions when he’s not competing with a posse of other voices.

— Chris Conti