Canibus Albums (8)
'MicClub Mixtape Master, Vol. 1'
Release Date 11/22/2005
Tracks 26
Label Switchblade Musis
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
If we can't all get along, can we at least move along? Not Canibus, who is still referencing verbal scuffles from a bygone decade. Produced entirely by Jedi Mind Tricks' Stoupe, Rip the Jacker is one of Canibus' best albums - but that's not saying a great deal, given his lack of masterstrokes. What makes Rip the Jacker stand out when compared to the other albums in the MC's discography is the strong production from Stoupe; despite obvious indebtedness to Premier and Kanye West - not to mention a reliance on an endless flood of golden-age samples - this is the best set of productions Canibus has had to work with to date. And once again, though the MC can be positively staggering at times, the effect is fleeting. His relentless, grimacing monotone tends to turn into a drone with extended exposure and winds up more tiring than energizing. Even though many of the same factors that plagued his earlier albums bog down this one (and a track title like "Spartibus" is more likely to conjure the vision of a bus full of gladiators than anything else), it's hard to imagine a hip-hop world without him. MCs dealing in scholarly hardcore are becoming an extremely rare breed, and Canibus has retained his membership in that small club. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Four years removed from the flash-in-the-pan success of "Second Round K.O.," Canibus seems to have finally come to terms with his has-been status on Mic Club: The Curriculum, where he emphasizes heady rhyming rather than his pointed dis tracks of the past. The first two hard-hitting tracks, "Poet Laureate" and "Master Thesis," illustrate this well. Canibus had always been a thoughtful rapper with a gift for bookish wordplay, even if he'd garnered much more attention for his battling skills as displayed previously on "Second Round K.O." (pointed at LL Cool J) and "Stan Lives!" (at Eminem). Other tracks here like "Cenoir Studies 02" and "Dr. C Ph.D" similarly boast an educated demeanor, and Canibus teams up with fellow street intellectual Kool G Rap on "Allied Meta Forces." Given the shortage of hardcore yet scholarly rappers out there, Canibus offers a refreshing alternative to his bestial hardcore peers as well as his boringly behaved scholarly ones and presents himself as a proud, true anomaly. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'C True Hollywood Stories'
Release Date 10/30/2001
Tracks 21
Label Archives
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What The Critics Say
Canibus is always doing something different. It seems like most of the better rappers and groups nowadays don't do many albums the same as one another, but adapt their style to keep people intrigued. Canibus does this here, with an almost mellow, laid-back offering. This album is really relaxed; the MC from "100 Bars" or "Poet Laureate" isn't found here. The beginning of the LP starts with a few intros and some tracks where Canibus takes on the form of Stan from the Eminem song. It's interesting, but not necessarily effective. The video game samples used throughout are a really weird thing about this album. Some of them are just plain annoying, but still Canibus proves that he can rock over anything. This is a long album, something that Canibus obviously worked pretty hard on. If you're a die-hard fan, don't expect the MC murderer listeners have grown used to, but don't completely write it off either. An introspective effort. ~ Brad Mills, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Prior to the release of his debut album, Canibus had a hit with "Second Round K.O.," a single that attacked LL Cool J in a style reminiscent of classic '80s cutting contests. It was an audacious beginning to what appeared to be a promising career, but the full-length album Can-I-Bus doesn't quite live up to the potential indicated in that hard-hitting single. Part of the problem is that Canibus is a monotonous rapper, sticking to the same delivery no matter what the subject of the lyrics or the tone of the music. He also shows surprising misogynist, violent, and homophobic streaks, especially for a protégé of the Fugees' Wyclef Jean. Even with all these faults, Canibus does have his strengths -- in particular, his intense delivery is intoxicating in its power (which is part of the problem, too, since its very intensity can be too much) -- and when he's on his game, he comes up with some clever, unexpected turns of phrase. Unfortunately, those moments only occur sporadically over the course of this overlong debut, but when they do happen, it's easy to see what all the hype is about. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
