Infinite Sounds UK: Album Review: S.T.A.R.V.E by Cappo

S.T.A.R.V.E

CAPPO

This review was originally written for the September Issue of the Killa Tapes Magazine. It is amazing to think that my reviews are being featured in physical magazine. There are not many magazines out there right now and it was reading magazines such as Hip Hop Connection and others that were part of the inspiration for me to do what I do now, because I wanted to do reviews which expanded on those short reviews and gave an insight from the point of view of a person who might buy and listen to the music. Anyway, back to the review...

Way back in the early 2000’s I became aware of a highly rated album by a UK emcee called CAPPO. This album, Spaz The World, quickly became hot property and one of the must haves of the time. So, to have the chance to review his latest work for my first review contribution in Killa Tapes Magazine is something special.

Cappo was born and raised in Nottingham UK and originally began his Hip Hop journey as a Graff writer. He also began rapping from an early age and by the Mid-1990’s getting noticed with his first proper show coming in 97 at the Nottingham carnival. His first Demo ‘First Knight’ came in 98, closely followed by the self-produced and self-financed ‘The Cap Tape Vol 1’. After getting noticed by SON records Cappo had a few released via the label before his first solo album ‘Spaz The World’ came on the Zebra Traffic label in 2003. Since then, he has become a legendary UK emcee, with a string of releases under his belt, the latest of which ‘CANON’ came in 2023

S.T.A.R.V.E is released via Plague records and is a nine-track album with some incredible physical releases on the cards too. The album is written and produced by Cappo, with some additional production coming from Congi, Theorist and Sam Zircon. Recorded and mixed by 1stBlood and mastered by Irn Mnky, the design and layout come from Rich Brown at Bee Graphics.

With all that said, there is only one thing left to do, and that is for me to take you through the album, top to bottom, giving you my impressions along the way…

It all kicks off with Jar which is produced by Congi and has a heavy pounding beat, interlaced with keys and more, giving it a sound that is deep but, also switches along the way keeping you focused on the words. Cappo’s vocals here seem to have this reflective air to them which mirrors the tone of the beat. Jar grabs you deep in your chest as Cappo speaks on what feels like the thoughts of someone musing on a broken relationship or even the loss of someone close, things that have a close emotive energy and leave you wondering what hits home more, the loss or the wonderful memories left behind. With those thoughts still so clear in your mind the intro to Drip, suddenly jerks you back to reality, produced by Theorist, this one has a sparse beat mixed with piano and the sound of dripping water. This all comes together for a vibe that plays havoc with your mind, much like Cappo’s words, which at first seem to be reflective of things he sees around him, from the struggles of relationships and changing aspects of who you are to fit with that relationship, to the struggles of a parent doing their best but, seeing their frustrations explode on those closest to them. However, as you listen you begin to question those thoughts and wonder if this all about one person’s experiences in life, dripping into his current awareness. There is not time to sit and contemplate those thoughts as Terrace 3 – Void hits with an accapella vibe, where Cappo’s words have the emotive strength of a person grappling with their own mental health, stepping back from those closest to them. The beat kicks in about halfway through and has a more modern sound to it, mixed with some electronic vibes that seems to match the feels of those intrusive thoughts that hit every day, matching the air of the lyrics perfectly.

Window is next and opens with an eerie intro, which I’m not gonna try and translate here, and sets a tone that has you wondering what’s coming. When the beat drops, it has a pounding feel that seems to weigh heavy on every nerve. Cappo’s words seep into your mind and speak on someone struggling with life, medicating and immersing themselves into anything that numbs the pain. Just as you are coming to some understanding, the beat changes, becoming slightly more upbeat with a sound that gets your head nodding. Here, it feels like this is a moment of clarity in an otherwise pain filled haze. This is a moment where you can suddenly see your own struggles and where you need to be to get back to who you are but, it is also the moment where you may question if you have the strength to do it? Terrace 2 is a short that has a huge impact, with Cappo’s words those someone might record in a live video, recording their thoughts as they continue to struggle with the strains of life where there is not enough money or help for those who need it most. I have seen this stuff first hand on the streets and in talking cafes and it hits so hard because these few words are so real and reflect the sad reality that so many live. With those words hitting so hard, it is almost a relief when the piano and head nod beat of Strongbow kick in but, that relief is short lived as the reality of Cappo’s words hit home once more. There is a glimmer of hope here though as this one focuses on someone doing their best to recover, swapping the spliff for a four pack of Stongbow, doing their best to take their meds in an attempt to get better but, only finding solace within their own four walls while the system looks down on them, labelling them and failing them and those around them. This is where the medical model favours legal drugs over giving more support and therapy that can truly help people get back into society and back on their feet.

Slow Poison is produced by Sam Zircon and brings a heavy modern sound with a grime edge to it. The piano elements give this one an emotive edge; that emotive edge fits with the vibe of the track which really seems to be focused on addiction in its various forms, and that is the poison which slowly invades you, gaining control of who you are, taking away your true self and separating you from those who care. Coming back from addiction is hard and takes willpower, something that has to come from deep inside, from your true self, and you have to recognise that and find who you truly are. The penultimate track is another short, Terrace 1, which brings another glimpse of the sun through the dark storm clouds. Here we hear the words of someone fighting to kick the darkness and find the light of the true self, realising that they have retreated from everything and everyone who brought light to their life. This is one of those huge steps forward in finding your true self, asking for the help. The last track of the album is Writeful Owner and brings another emotive vibe of electronic keys and heavy pounding beats that reinforce the deep aspects of the words. Those word here see Cappo opening up on moving forward with a clean slate, starting again after all the struggles, pain and suffering, this is where the new journey begins and walking forward into a future that you get to write yourself, written in a place that is illuminated by the light of love and positive vibes…

Sometimes you have to give yourself a minute when you are summing up the overall vibe of an album such as this, and this is one of those times.

On the face of it this album is about so many of the struggles that people go through in life but, it is so much more than that. S.T.A.R.V.E has such a deeply personal edge to it that you can’t help but feel as you listen to every track. It hits every emotion you have as you listen, from sadness and empathy to a conclusion that culminates in a feeling of relief as you understand that all the battles throughout the album have not gone in vain and there truly is a brighter horizon in view.

Cappo touches on so many subjects that anyone of us can relate to, and it is the strength of those words that impacts you so deeply as you listen; you can feel his pain because you know that pain but, more than that, you can feel the positive nature of the final track because you feel that too, and you feel all this because of the skilful way in which Cappo delivers every word of every line across the album and those spoken word elements carry such impact too, it’s almost unreal. The wordplay is incredible too as it matches the impact of the delivery, allowing you to hear and feel every word on a whole different level.

Production wise too, you can’t get much better here as every track has this sound that matches the tone of the lyrics perfectly, allowing every track to reverberate through your entire being, eliciting an emotive response that you might not be expecting. I have to commend the guest producers as much as the production from Cappo himself, it’s a cracking piece of work to say the least.

I don’t know how much of this might come from Cappo’s personal experience but, from sitting here and letting every word in, feeling those words too, it makes me think that these words could very well come from his own lived experience, which is why this album hits on so many levels, because it comes from a place that is rooted firmly in reality and true emotional experience and for someone to be that open and honest takes story teller to a whole different level. In fact, you could even say that this goes beyond story telling and becomes a beacon to those out there going through their own personal hell, and shows them a light, a direction to a true path of recovery.

S.T.A.R.V.E is out on Plague records now.

You should also check out the additional release by Cappo and Plague called Vignettes, a collection of additional shorts that serve as an expanded narrative for S.T.A.R.V.E and it protagonist. This is available as a free or Pay what you can download and well worth listening to once you have digested the original.

My humble thanks to Craig at Killa Tapes for asking me to do this and also huge thanks to Danny over at Plague for giving me the chance to review the album.

I’ll see ya next time.

Steve – Infinite Sounds UK

LINKS

Get your copy of S.T.A.R.V.E. here:

https://plague11.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-a-r-v-e

Get a copy of Vignettes Here:

https://plague11.bandcamp.com/album/vignettes

Cappo Links:

https://www.instagram.com/kafka_poe_murakami/

https://linktr.ee/_Cappo_

Plague Links:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/plague11/posts/