| The Cold Vein | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 15, 2001 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 73:45 | |||
| Label | Definitive Jux | |||
| Producer | El-P | |||
| Cannibal Ox chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Cold Vein | ||||
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The Cold Vein is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Cannibal Ox. It was produced by El-P and released on his Definitive Jux label on May 15, 2001. The album has since been reissued by iHipHop Distribution.
The Cold Vein was the first full-length album to be released on former Company Flow member El-P's newly founded Definitive Jux record label, and its release was preceded by a significant amount of hype, particularly within the hip hop community. In late 2000, a split double vinyl single was released by Definitive Jux, containing three new songs by Company Flow and two tracks taken from The Cold Vein: "Iron Galaxy" and "Straight Off the D.I.C.". These songs also appeared on the label compilation album Def Jux Presents , released on March 20, 2001. The first single, "Vein", was released in April 2001 with "A B-Boy's Alpha" serving as its b-side. The album was released on May 15, 2001.
An instrumental companion to the album entitled El-P Presents Cannibal Oxtrumentals was released on March 19, 2002, on Definitive Jux. AllMusic contributor Victor W. Valdivia wrote: "Mainly, the album sounds as if it were the soundtrack for an unmade film, much as the work Eno made in the 1970s, since the tracks have a distinct cinematic quality that allows them to cohere and flow beautifully." [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Alternative Press | 8/10 [3] |
| The Boston Phoenix | [4] |
| HipHopDX | 5/5 [5] |
| NME | 9/10 [6] |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10 [7] |
| Rolling Stone |  [8] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [9] |
| Spin | 7/10 [10] |
| Uncut | [11] |
The Cold Vein was well received by critics, drawing many favorable comparisons to the 36 Chambers -era Wu-Tang Clan. Many praised El-P's production work, with CMJ contributor Brian Coleman writing, "Producer El-P of Company Flow gives this Harlem-bred and Brooklyn-based vocal duo of Vast Aire and Shamar what usually sounds like a full goth orchestra perched in a dank basement, with thick synth strings, simulated outer-space found-sounds and choppy, pounding drums." AllMusic contributor Sam Samuelson wrote, "El-P (a serious candidate for producer of the year) lays out some of the most lushly intriguing sounds and beats that feel as herky-jerky as they sound gilded with silk." [2]
The album was also noted for its profound lyrical content; many critics and fans felt Vast Aire's and Vordul Mega's lyrics painted a vivid picture of a poverty-stricken New York. [12] Gavin Mueller of Stylus Magazine wrote about "The F-Word", a song addressing unrequited love: "Moments like these show not only the skill of Can Ox's MCs, but the potential for hip hop lyrics to work on as many levels as the finest English poetry." [13] Later placing the album at number 17 on its list of the top 50 albums of 2000–2005, the publication wrote:
Vast and Vordul work wonders on the mic, of course—particularly Vast, who steals most of the album's tracks with his charismatic delivery and clever wordplay. But it's the beats that give the album its unique stamp. The muted five-note motif in "Iron Galaxy"'s verses; the wandering keyboard lines and muffled vocal samples in "A B-Boy's Alpha"; the skittering percussion in "Raspberry Fields"; it all works towards making Vast and Vordul's tales of the Big Apple feel more like they're pulled from Day After Tomorrow -era New York than the present-day version. [14]
The Cold Vein was included on several publications' year-end[ citation needed ] and decade-end lists of best albums. Online music magazine Pitchfork placed The Cold Vein at number 152 on its list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s. [15] Rhapsody ranked the album at number five on its list of the best hip hop albums of the 2000s. [16] Fact named it the best indie hip-hop record of all time. [17] HipHopDX listed it among the 30 best underground hip hop albums released since 2000. [18] In 2022, Rolling Stone named it 165th on its list of the 200 greatest rap albums of all time. [19]
The Cold Vein only broke through to the mainstream on a small level. However, its legacy has grown significantly over the years and the album is today widely considered as one of the best independent hip hop albums of the 2000s as well as perhaps the best album released on Definitive Jux.
The song "Iron Galaxy" was featured on the soundtrack to the 2003 video game Tony Hawk's Underground .
After several years of speculation, [20] a follow-up album, Blade of the Ronin , was released on March 3, 2015. [21]
A poster featuring the album art appeared in the 2017 American film Lady Bird.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Iron Galaxy" | 5:56 |
| 2. | "Ox Out the Cage" (with El-P) | 3:28 |
| 3. | "Atom" (with Alaska and Cryptic) | 5:52 |
| 4. | "A B-Boy's Alpha" | 4:27 |
| 5. | "Raspberry Fields" | 4:01 |
| 6. | "Straight Off the D.I.C." | 4:17 |
| 7. | "Vein" | 4:27 |
| 8. | "The F-Word" | 5:27 |
| 9. | "Stress Rap" | 5:31 |
| 10. | "Battle for Asgard" (with L.I.F.E. Long and C-Rayz Walz) | 4:26 |
| 11. | "Real Earth" | 3:57 |
| 12. | "Ridiculoid" (with El-P) | 4:46 |
| 13. | "Painkiller" | 5:58 |
| 14. | "Pigeon" | 6:07 |
| 15. | "Scream Phoenix" | 5:05 |
| Total length: | 73:45 | |
Cannibal Ox
Additional personnel
Jaime Meline, better known by the stage name El-P, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Starting his career as a member of Company Flow, he has been a driving force in alternative hip hop since the mid-1990s, producing for rappers including Aesop Rock, Cage, and Mr. Lif. He was a member of The Weathermen and is the co-founder, owner, and CEO of the Definitive Jux record label.
Ian Matthias Bavitz, better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American rapper and producer from Long Island, New York. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was signed to El-P's Definitive Jux label until it went on hiatus in 2010. In a 2010 retrospective, betterPropaganda ranked him at number 19 at the Top 100 Artists of the Decade.
Definitive Jux was a record label based in New York City. It was co-founded in 1999 by El-P and Amaechi Uzoigwe.
Cannibal Ox is an American hip hop duo from Harlem, New York, United States. It consists of Vast Aire and Vordul Mega, often accompanied by DJ Cip-One.
Bazooka Tooth is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Aesop Rock. It was released on Definitive Jux in 2003.
Labor Days is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Aesop Rock. It was released by Definitive Jux on September 18, 2001. It is a concept album about work. The album's production was handled by Aesop Rock, Blockhead, and Omega One.
Theodore Arrington III, better known by his stage name Vast Aire, is an American rapper from New York City. He is one half of the New York hip hop duo Cannibal Ox, which consists of him and fellow rapper Vordul Mega. He is also a member of the rap group Atoms Family and Scienceninjateam. He was born in Mount Vernon, New York, then lived in Jamaica, Queens before moving to Harlem, and became acquainted with the underground rap scene, performing in many clubs while still a teenager. He was once a part of the underground hip hop group The Weathermen. He then went on to record with Al Babblez and the group scienceninjateam until kicked from the group.
Shamar Gardner, better known by his stage name Vordul Mega, is an American rapper from New York. He is one half of underground hip hop duo Cannibal Ox and a member of the hip hop group Atoms Family.
Waleed Shabazz, better known by his stage name C-Rayz Walz, is an American rapper from the Bronx, New York. He has been a member of the collective Stronghold.
Fantastic Damage is the first solo studio album by American hip hop artist El-P. It was released through Definitive Jux on May 14, 2002. It peaked at number 198 on the Billboard 200 chart. Music videos were created for "Stepfather Factory" and "Deep Space 9mm".
Funcrusher Plus is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Company Flow. It was released by Rawkus Records in 1997. In 2009, it was re-released on Definitive Jux. The album has been recognized as "a landmark independent hip-hop release".
Hell's Winter is the second solo studio album by American rapper Cage. It was released by Definitive Jux on September 20, 2005. It peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, as well as number 36 on the Independent Albums chart.
Def Jux Presents is a 2001 compilation album released by American hip hop record label Definitive Jux.
Definitive Jux Presents II is a 2002 compilation album released by American hip hop record label Definitive Jux. It peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart.
The following is an incomplete discography for Definitive Jux, an independent hip hop record label based in New York City, United States. Artists such as El-P, Aesop Rock, Cannibal Ox, Mr. Lif, RJD2, and Cage have released records through Definitive Jux.
El-P is a New York–based hip hop artist and co-founder, owner, and CEO of Definitive Jux Records. His discography consists of three solo studio albums, five instrumental albums, two mix tapes, and eleven singles. He has also appeared on numerous other artist's recordings as either a guest vocalist or producer. Releases from Company Flow, The Weathermen, and Run the Jewels, all of which El-P has been a member, are not included in this discography: only solo material.
OX 2010: A Street Odyssey is the third solo studio album by American rapper Vast Aire, one half of the duo Cannibal Ox. It was released on Fat Beats Records and Man Bites Dog Records in 2011.
Blade of the Ronin is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Cannibal Ox. It was released via IGC Records and iHipHop Distribution on March 3, 2015. It is a follow-up to the duo's 2001 album, The Cold Vein.
Look Mom... No Hands is the first solo studio album by American hip hop musician Vast Aire, one half of the duo Cannibal Ox. It was released on Chocolate Industries on April 27, 2004. It features contributions from MF Doom, RJD2, Madlib, Aesop Rock, and Sadat X. It peaked at number 47 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart.
Adam Farag, professionally known as 4th Pyramid, is a hip hop recording artist, producer, songwriter and DJ from Toronto, Ontario of Egyptian descent. He is currently the official DJ for Toronto rapper and Juno-award winner Jazz Cartier.
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