Cap – Official
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Cap’s “Official” is the new single from a Southern California music giant in the making whose four solo albums thus far has helped establish him as one of the most thrilling hip hop talents on the scene today. Michael Capshaw’s rising profile in the music world comes around as honest as it gets – he’s built his reputation through the aforementioned solo albums, video appearances, live performance, guest spots on releases like the Bones Thugs & Harmony tour album, and producing numerous artists as well as his own music. His tenure serving overseas in the military is likely an influence on his command over what his art and career needs, particularly in the area of work ethic and discipline, and the quality of this song bodes well for his soon to be released fifth project Scorpio. “Official” is one more reminder that Michael Capshaw, otherwise known as Cap, is ready for prime time.
A little over three minutes in length, “Official” has an evocative musical imagination while never coming off as overstated. – the melodies Cap follows are his own and the unique presence of that quality in his music marks his material as distinctly different from the genre’s more common fare. The best way to describe this song is a synthesis of styles – there’s hip hop present, soul, R&B, and even a light singer/songwriter sensibility in the lyrics’ deliberate attempt to make the personal universal. The arrangement underscores the presence of guitar in the mix and it’s a relatively unexpected addition makes the tune stand out more than it already does.
The production and playing working in concert gives the instrument an unusually stylized sound that adroitly invokes a mood. Cap’s singing balances a thoroughly traditional approach to both integrating his voice with the arrangement and phrasing while also bringing a modern approach to his singing that crowns the song for listeners.
The remaining instrumentation is equally well handled. The production complements the arrangement nicely without ever drawing too much attention to itself and balances the instruments well against one another while still highlighting the vocal. The completeness of this song is quite satisfying; from the first, Cap’s “Official” comes off like a song that knows where its going and has a compelling rhythmic arrangement working alongside some powerful melodic strands. It’s the next big step in a career in constant ascent and points the way towards even bigger accomplishments to come. Its warm, radio friendly veneer comes across from the first and sustain itself for the entirety of the performance. We need entertainers and musical artists like this in an increasingly cookie cutter age where the lowest common denominator wins out over quality far too much of the time.
The beauty of “Official” is Cap’s own, imitative of no one, and exudes an emotional mood quite unlike anything else you’ll hear in this style. Both casual and hardcore fans alike will enjoy his work.
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Clay Burton