Canibus:
Rip The Jacker

Release Date: 22 July2003

Reviewed By: Spyce

1. Intro

2. Genabis

3. Levitibus

4. M-Sea-Cresy

5. No Return

6. Spartibus

7. Indibisible

8. Showtime At The Gallow

9. Psych Evaluation

10. Cemantics

11. Poet Laureate II

Faboulous - Street Dreams
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If you thought he was at the end of his run, Canibus sets the record straight with his latest piece “Rip the Jacker”, a deep and clever album which is filled with an array of new beats. Hailed as an experimental concept album, Canibus has put together a very good come back album. The production is from Stoupe of Jedi Mind Tricks who adds an interesting Latin/Caribbean sense to the tracks, leaving Canibus to simply deliver tight vocals, which he most certainly does.

Canibus and “Rip the Jacker” is a very different album and can easily be classed as diverse. A clear example of the diversity is on the track “Poet Laureate II” where there seems to be several different beats in one song. The song “Cemantics” has some amazing orchestral instrumentation and deep feel, along with “Levitibus”, another interesting jaunt. The album is a grower as some tracks may seem unappealing at first, but by the second or third listen the talent of both production and lyrics begin to shine through.

Canibus has taken a risk with this album and as he says on “Genabis” - "I'm the first rapper to speak over beats dogmatically, mixed with Elizabethan drama and tragedy, my motto is to dress casually and live lavishly, Look at the Victorian tapestry in back of me"

The surprising aspect of this concept plugged album is the genuine real rap it produces. Canibus has had a turbulent Hip Hop career, never really aspiring to the commercial success expected from him. He has had some high level battles, where he has shown his ability to spit intelligent disses, especially his well know beef with LL Cool J. But pushing all of that aside he has achieved a good album with good beats. With some of his best lyrics to date he is on fire. He does go deeper in this album and tell more stories of his life experiences, including his time in the army and changes he has to deal with.

Every song is distinctive in its own way, showing a very unique and creative side to the rapper. Canibus is trying his best to become the tightest rapper in the game. This 11 track concept album, does what it set out to do very well. Hopefully there is more of this to come.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Favourite three tracks:
5. No Return
9. Psych Evaluation
11. Poet Laureate II

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