ITO
By
Cappo
It has to be, for me, an honour and a pleasure to be able to
give my thoughts on the final album in Cappo’s CAPStone trilogy, ITO.
The trilogy began in September 2024 with S.T.A.R.V.E. a
deep, relatable and impactful story of one person’s decent into mental health
decline due to the collapse of a long-term relationship, alongside the trials
and tribulations on everyday life. Then in April of this year came Houses, set
some twenty years after the first album, it took us on a day-in-the-life
journey as one man looks to come to terms with his own morality and the true
meaning of being a father.
With ITO rounding off the trilogy, we find that the promo
gives us a little insight into what to expect from the album. ITO encompasses
aspects of both the previous albums in the trilogy; it juxtaposes elements
of S.T.A.R.V.E.’s thematic abstraction with the temporary linear narrative of
Houses. ITO can be read as a ‘key’ of sorts, acting as the conceptual
thread that links together each piece of the trilogy. As such, ITO can be
listened to as an introduction to the trilogy and/or as a conclusion. This
kind of puts me in mind of some movies that I have watched, such as Pulp
Fiction and others. So, I expect this one to be everything the other albums
were and more.
Released through Plague, the album is written and produced
by Cappo, with additional production from Sam Zircon on Pequod, Greene, Frost,
X, and Glaze, King Kashmere on Red, and Zygote on Gold. Recorded by 1stBlood,
mixed and mastered by Irn Mnky, with Design and layout coming from Rich Brown
(Bee Graphics).
Now we have all that said, let’s get into it…
The album begins with he title track Ito, which is
produced by Cappo and has this deep sounding vibe that is thick with bass,
drums and guitar, and organ notes, immediately bringing your focus to the
vocals. As you listen to this one you
are drawn in by the quality of the intricate lyrics, teasing you, giving you
just a glimpse of what is to come, which is the trick here, it is giving you
just enough to pique your interest, but never giving away what is behind it
all. That is for you to deduce as the album goes on, you know what has gone
before, so can you feel what is the truth? Now the metaphorical carrot has been
dangled, White sees Cappo’s production keep that deep sound, but this
time the percussion takes the forefront with keys providing a background vibe
that softens the edge, making you want to nod your head, but almost unconsciously
as the words speak to you. I get the feeling here that what those words say
will depend very much on your experiences through life thus far. There is a
reflective edge to this one that puts you in mind of a middle-aged man looking
at where he is now in his life, the past being almost a distant memory. Could
this be a reflection of the protagonist P from Houses, now further down his
path in life and considering life on that very path. Next up is Pequod which
might be the name of the whaling ship from Moby Dick, but does that have any
relatability here? Sam Zircon gives us a solid beat which backed by an eerie
sound that spins your mind into a fog bound space. The words breakthrough the
fog allowing you to see that here the focus is on drawing positive energy from
the poor decisions of the past, casting aside their weight that presses on your
chest, rising to climb from the fog filled valley to the peak of mountain where
the air is clear and you can finally see the your dreams with clarity, knowing
they are there for the taking.
Red brings production from King Kashmere where bells
bring a ringing in your mind as heavy beats seem to pound a different ringing
that almost causes your entire body to vibrate. As the lyrics seep into your
conscious awareness, Cappo’s words feel like they embody the many meanings of
the Red Dragon symbolism. Western culture sees the Red Dragon as bringing chaos
and destruction, while in Eastern cultures it symbolises good fortune,
prosperity and imperial power, however its spiritual symbolism is one of a transformative
force, and we see all those things here where the ashes of chaos and
destruction ignite to bring good fortune and prosperity as the phoenix rises,
showing the overall transformative power. This mirrors how our own paths in
live can ultimately lead to a positive transformation from a troubled past. As
those thoughts still remain clear in our minds, Sam Zircon once more provides
production for Greene, where the sound is led by piano notes as the
drums are sparse, giving a vibe that tweaks your mind back into this reality,
just long enough to allow Cappo’s words into your mind. Here, it seems, Cappo
is focusing on personal convictions, defining the very beliefs and opinions
that made you the person you are, and have got you to where you are now, in
this very moment. Opinions and beliefs can change over time but, if you had to
define the very convictions that you live by, how would you do that; then
consider the events of the past two albums in the series and how this fits with
what you have heard. Sam Zircon’s production continues on Frost, as we
flip from Side A to Side B of the album, with a lo-fi sound where all sounds
appear to be synth based and there is no drum beat to get you nodding and so
the words fill your mind with even greater effect, something that is important
here as this one appears to be the most personal track we have heard. Cappo
lays all his cards on the table, his thoughts and feels for his crafted body of
work, his wishes for his children and much more. There is much food for thought
here as you begin to consider just how much of the CAPStone trilogy is personal
truths from Cappo’s own lived experience? Then, perhaps that was the whole
point of this one, to have you think and ponder what is the truth here, how
personal is this, which then has you thinking the same about your own life.
Gold sees Zygote on production, bringing a heavier
bass sound with some electronic vibes that seems to cause your brain to vibrate
on some weird level. This one seems to continue on from the previous track and
has Cappo speaking more on his craft, the inspirations, and how he is viewed
with the UK Hip Hop culture. Cappo is viewed as one of the leading rap artists
of the current era and what he does here is to not only solidify that but, expand
it and define what he does as being at forefront of new developments and new
ideas on a lyrical level. Sam Zircon is back on production for X, Where
the sound has a more head nod vibe, but one that seems to come from a random
selection of sounds that just seem to work. In fact, there is almost a John
Carpenter vibe about this one on a level. Here, it feels like we have shifted
focus once more, to a narrative that could easily be back to the character of
P. Here there is very much an air reflective thoughts, a collection of them in
fact, like we are witness to a thoughts of someone thinking back on life and
many of the crucial moments that have shaped him, brought him to this point,
and finally allow him to look at, identify, and lay the final piece of the
puzzle into place. Z returns Cappo to production who brings us a solid
banger of a track which has some vocal samples and more in the background that
gives this one a slightly dark air. The complex nature of this one takes a few
listens to really get into but, as you listen things do begin to clarify in
your mind. The focus appears to be one that is all about speaking the truth and
not using your platform to preach false truths to those who will listen. What
spoke to me here, as I listened to the words a number of times, was that you
can speak anything to an audience whose only reference is a base of lies and
false narratives, but when you speak the truth, your truth, one that is built
on a firm foundation of knowledge and understanding, you might only reach the
ears of the few but, eventually those few will reach others, and so on, making
people think and search for the truths that are buried by the lies. There was
one thing in Z that had me thinking and diving into some research at 8am on a
chilly Thursday morning; and that was Cappo’s reference to “November Golf, The
city of legends”, now this one troubled me for a bit. I know he hails from
Nottingham and I thought, is it that simple, But I looked into it and found
that Bournemouth is referred to as that due to its golf courses and apparent
mild winter weather. However, after musing over this I felt that Nottingham was
what this cryptic phrase referred to, hope my thinking is right here…
Time to delve into the final two tracks of the album, and
the penultimate track here is Berry, produced by Cappo, this one has a
more chilled sound with a laid-back drumbeat, and some synth sounds that create
an air of calm, to a point. What strikes you about this one is the fact that
this one brings your mind to a place where you think about the things you do,
or have done, that will leave a lasting impression on those around you and the
world, long after you are gone. We all build things over the course of our
lives that directly, or indirectly, touch others; for Cappo, it is his music
and the messages that it carries with it, for me, it is these very words that
you are reading. But no matter where your life has taken you, there will be
something is yours and speaks your name. We now come to the final track of the
album Glaze, also the final track produced by Sam Zircon, brings a beat
that makes you nod your head in a subtle way. The synth sounds bring a sound
that has a reflective edge but, also has you casting an eye to the future. Listening
to these last few minutes is like sat listening to the response to a deeply
personal question. Cappo seems to be opening up on his own personal commitment
to music he produces. You get a real sense that he focuses on bringing years of
knowledge and academic study to bear on his lyrical prowess, giving rise to a
form of Hip Hop expression that is taking wordplay to the next level with
complex realism that invites the listener to think, giving them a desire to
truly understand what is being heard, and at the same time considering their
own place, their own mortality, and their own desire to give something back…
It is not often that I get to the point of giving my overall
impression on what I have just heard, only to realise that what I have already
written down can easily sum up the whole project on its own. I honestly feel I
could end it right here and you would still get a huge amount from my words.
However, ITO has a lot more to say than just what my
interpretation brings forth. Because the shear wealth of what Cappo has just
given you makes you think intently and deeply on the content, before
considering what it is in relation to the other two parts of the CAPStone
trilogy. For me, I found the overall message within the album to be one of a
positive outlook on life. It gives you a point at which you can either start or
finish listening to all three albums and still get the same feeling. There are
tracks or Chapters here that you feel link directly to either S.T.A.R.V.E.
or Houses, there are also tracks that provide an insight into unsaid
elements and those that bring clarity to what comes in the now, the reasons for
the whole trilogy and how, perhaps, you can apply that in your own life. There
may well be an aspect of all three albums that are autobiographical, but
considering how deep this all is, it is so relatable that there are times you
feel you are listening to aspects of your own life.
ITO is an incredible journey in itself, giving much
food for thought and bringing you a realisation that Cappo may well have tapped
into a new form of Hip Hop music that is not just a packed with deeply cerebral
storytelling, performed in a way that I feel has not been done before. Cappo
packs his intelligent wordplay with knowledge on a whole new level, one that
appears to come from intense academic study of philosophical works and an
understanding of life’s journey, in a way that many of us fail to grasp or even
chose to look at. It just goes to show that Cappo is someone who could be given
the GOAT status, not just because of lyrical prowess or production values, but
because he is bringing a whole new level of intelligent wordplay and
storytelling to a wider audience. Now it might not be for everyone; as some
will just enjoy it for what it is but, there are those who will seek to find
the deeper aspects of the albums, discover how all three album mesh together,
and perhaps find other hidden aspects along the way, who knows, that is for you
to find out.
The last thing for me to do here is just to comment on the
production and couple of other bits along the way. Musically, ITO has
some interesting and deep sounds that give you that Hip Hop vibe but, also that
work in tandem with Cappo’s vocals to bring you a deep experience with each
track, and Cappo, Sam Zircon, King Kashmere, and Zygote, should all be
commended for just what they bring to the table here. Yes, the album has that
foundation of a Hip Hop album but, it takes that foundation and builds something
truly unique on it, something that sets the bar high on a whole new era/genre
for Hip Hop music and the application of knowledge into that medium.
ITO and its companion albums in the CAPStone Trilogy
are, by far, something Hip Hop and perhaps music in general has nor seen
before. Albums that work perfectly as a standalone listening experience or
together as the trilogy, regardless of you listening to ITO as the introduction
or as the conclusion. ITO and the CAPStone trilogy will be talked about
in the annals of Hip Hop history for a long time, perhaps even setting a new
benchmark…
I’ll leave it there, but I could go on talking about this.
You definitely have to listen to ITO and find which context it sets for you.
My humble thanks to once again to Dan at Plague for the
chance to bring you my take on ITO, and in fact to be able to review the whole
trilogy. It has been a true honour and a pleasure, opening my mind along the
way.
ITO is out today, 21st November on both
limited edition vinyl and cassette, as well as digital too.
Keep watch for CAPStone the book and Box Sets, coming on 12th December 2025.
I’ll see ya next time,
Steve.
LINKS
Grab your copy here:
https://plague11.bandcamp.com/album/ito
Cappo on Insta:
https://www.instagram.com/kafka_poe_murakami/
Plague Socials:
https://www.instagram.com/plague_11/
https://www.facebook.com/plague11
VIDEOS
ITO: A Sonic-mosaic Journey
