On The Yin and the Yang, Wu Tang acolyte Cappadonna shows he has come a long way since he made his first appearance on Chef Raekwon's 1995 masterpiece Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. His 1998 solo debut, The Pillage, was one of the most potent albums from the extended Wu family, and his sophomore release continues to deliver. With a defiant delivery, his breathless flow riding on a pulverizing beat, Cappadonna covers territory from brutal realism ("Why It Gotta Be Like This") to lusty fantasy ("Supermodel"). But, as he explains in "Big Business," his real aim is to provide "the vaccine for Uncle Tom rap." And that's what he does, pitched against a claustrophobic backdrop of flaming horns and baleful strings, on the apocalyptic "Bread of Life," the impassioned "Save The Children," and the pained confessional call for peace on "Revenge." The Yin and the Yang shows that Cappadonna is one of rap's leading exponents. --Gavin Martin