Shane Capone

I remember my 6th grade Wood Shop class, turning around in my desk to see a quiet, pale kid wearing a green velour shirt hunched over his notebooks. He had a whisper of a moustache and the faintest hint of dandruff. There was little indication that he would one day be “Detroit’s Illest”, as his lyrics now declare.

After graduating from high school (and the mean streets of Center Line, Michigan), I have to assume Shane moved on – like the rest of us did – to pursue careers, relationships, and various livelihoods.

I saw him again just once, around 1997 or so. He was working security at the State Theatre in Detroit, standing guard at the side door while The Time performed. Not yet “Detroit’s Illest”, though.

Years have gone by, we’re now in our mid-30’s, and in my Facebook and Myspace travels, I find that – lo and behold – there’s a fresh talent on the rise in Detroit’s hip hop scene: Shane Capone.

So I’m listening to his CD ‘Heated Speech’, and after the initial novelty of the “rapping classmate” factor wore off, I was able to give it a fair evaluation.

There’s great production all around on this disc, that’s for sure – and Shane’s flow nestles into these beats with genuine comfort and undeniable professionalism. It’s just that the lyrical territory here is so tired and antiquated – I’m forced to recall Harmony Korine’s quip, wondering (after 100 years of film as an artform) “why most movies are even made”. Same things goes for lyrics.

After repeated affirmations regarding his rap skills, his desire for success/money, and allusions to guns as prevailing methods of maintaining social order – Detroit’s “illest” just might be Detroit’s …most ordinary. Shane’s bio points out that he’s been writing rhymes since 1997 – when such subject matter was already well-exhausted.

Also, I can’t help thinking that these trappings of his rap “persona” are rather transparent, and that there’s probably some really interesting and unique things about his particular journey into stardom that would make solid, engaging lyrics. Especially since his rap career began in his 20s – many years later than that other Detroit MC, who was already recording and performing at age 15. One of the more entertaining aspects of Eminem’s work has always been his delight in personal/auto-biographical wordplay, and I suspect there’s a lot to Shane Capone that he’s not telling us.

That said, here’s the song I like the most so far. The video is fun, too: