Canibus 2000 B.C. (Before Can-I-Bus) CD

Parental Advisory

Personnel includes: Canibus, Kurupt, Pharoahe Monch, Ras Kass, Killah Priest, Rakim, Journalist (rap vocals); Daniel Raff (guitar); Tiawan "Mr. Fingaz" Green (keyboards); Raji Maheem (percussion); Irv "Irv Gotti" Lorenzo (programming); James "Talent" Harris.
Producers include: Pillo Jamel, Heatmakerz, Juju, Choas, Daniel "Danny P" Pierre.
Engineers include: Bruce Miller, Leslie Brathwalte, Joe Quimby.
Personnel includes: Canibus, Kurupt, Pharoahe Monch, Ras Kass, Killah Priest, Rakim, Journalist (rap vocals); Daniel Raff (guitar); Tiawan "Mr. Fingaz" Green (keyboards); Raji Maheem (percussion); Irv "Irv Gotti" Lorenzo (programming); James "Talent" Harris.
Producers include: Pillo Jamel, Heatmakerz, Juju, Choas, Daniel "Danny P" Pierre.
Engineers include: Bruce Miller, Leslie Brathwalte, Joe Quimby.
Personnel: Irv Gotti (programming).
Audio Mixers: Jake Ninan; Joe Quimby; Chris Champion; Tony Prendatt; Leslie Brathwaite.
Recording information: Chung King Studios, New York, NY; D.A.R.P. Recording Studios, Atlanta, GA; Desert Storm Studios, New York, NY; Hit Factory, New York, NY; House Of Chaos, PA; Right Track Studio, New York, NY; Sony Studios, New York, NY; Soundtrack Recording Studios, New York, NY.
Thanks to a legendary feud with LL Cool J, Canibus was thrust on the hip-hop scene with so much hoopla you would have sworn he was being promoted by Don King. But after being labeled the next Rakim, Canibus' enigmatic debut, Can-I-Bus, was such a major disappointment it left the masses chanting a slogan Public Enemy made famous over a decade ago -- "Don't Believe The Hype." With his sophomore effort, 2000 B.C., Canibus remains a lightning rod for controversy, as he continues to chastise his arch nemesis LL. But Canibus also adds a new name to his hit list, as the LP's blazing title track contains a scornful diss of Wyclef: "You mad at the last album I apologize for it, I can't call it m************ Wyclef spoiled it." Though there is some validity to that claim, airing beefs like the one directed at his former mentor reek of irony. While the rugged drum tracks provided by a largely unknown squad of producers are more conducive to Canibus' cold and calculated flow then the melodic palette of Wyclef's, it is virtually a wash in terms of quality. Yet, there is no disputing that Canibus is an MC's MC. His authoritative vocals demand immediate attention and his brutal array of battle rhymes are utterly breathtaking: "100 Bars" and "Lyrical Modulation." While the pugilistic MC shows growth as an artist, Canibus' vast potential remains largely unrealized thanks to bland production. ~ Matt Conaway
Few artists have made such an impact, with such energy, on their hip-hop scene debut as Canibus. Armed with a deadly vocabulary and heavyweight rapping skills, he's had battle-ready MC status since his emergence in the late 1990's.
Now with the release of 2000 B.C., his sophomore effort, Canibus is ready to claim the streets worldwide. Tracks such as "C-Que," which samples "Theme From SWAT," "I Bust 'Em You Punish 'Em," which features the legendary Rakim, and "100 Bars," display Canibus' passion, aggression and single-minded vocal style. Some other 2000 B.C. highlights are "Micnificent," "Die Slow" and the raw, raging title track. There's no sophomore slump here, as Canibus brings it for real; 2000 B.C. has everything a Canibus fan could wish for.
Few artists have made such an impact, with such energy, on their hip-hop scene debut as Canibus. Armed with a deadly vocabulary and heavyweight rapping skills, he's had battle-ready MC status since his emergence in the late 1990's.
Now with the release of 2000 B.C., his sophomore effort, Canibus is ready to claim the streets worldwide. Tracks such as "C-Que," which samples "Theme From SWAT," "I Bust 'Em You Punish 'Em," which features the legendary Rakim, and "100 Bars," display Canibus' passion, aggression and single-minded vocal style. Some oRolling Stone (9/14/00, pp.172-4) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...A nonstop barrage of battle rhymes....the beats are as aggressive as [his] lyrics....A cut above his debut..."
Spin (8/00, pp.147-8) - 8 out of 10 - "...He sticks to his strengths and spits nonstop battle rhymes....[He] upholds the New York mic-slaying tradition of KRS-One, L.L., and the mighty Rakim..."
Q (9/00, p.97) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Beats and samples ranging from soul to classical romanticism. Long vowelled and nasal...and with a tasty line in mortuary slab terminology, he's never knowingly caught short of a rhyme."
Uncut (10/00, p.79) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...A precisely honed blend of melodramatic orchestral beats with mercilessly savage battle rhymes..."
CMJ (8/00, p.55) - "...[He] plays to his strengths, delivering an album filled with crisp, Premier-esque beats and snarling, pugnacious rhymes..."
Vibe (8/00, p.172) - "...Shows vast improvement [beyond his debut]....[He] has chosen beats more befitting of his style: operatic street opuses with melancholic bass. Lyrically, however, it's the same ol' song..."
The Source (6/00, pp.212-13) - 3.5 mics out of 5 - "...13 tracks brimming with enough verbal venom to last most rappers a lifetime, 2000 B.C. proves Canibus is still one of hip-hop's supreme wordsmiths. His visciously articulate lyrics are delivered with guttural clarity..."
Rap Pages (7/00, p.49) - "...It's obvious that he has talent, that he has a strong command over the English language and that he's as intense as they come..."
NME (Magazine) (7/29/00, p.28) - 6 out of 10 - "...One of the best freestyling lyricists of his generation..."