Can-I-Bus

Last updated
Can-I-Bus
Canibus - Can-I-Bus.jpg
Studio album by
Canibus
ReleasedSeptember 8, 1998
Recorded1997–98
Genre Hip hop
Length48:00
52:07 (with "How Come")
Label Universal
Producer A Kid Called Roots, Canibus, Clark Kent, Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis, Joe Servilus, LG, Salaam Remi, Wyclef Jean
Canibus chronology
Can-I-Bus
(1998)		 2000 B.C. (Before Can-I-Bus)
(2000)

Can-I-Bus is the debut album by American rapper Canibus, released on September 8, 1998, through Universal Records. The album was released after the rapper's success with his LL Cool J diss track, "Second Round K.O.", which was included on Can-I-Bus, with additional support from heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson.

Contents

However, the album received mixed reviews. The beats, created mostly by Wyclef Jean, were criticized for their blandness and unoriginality (with a fair amount of the criticism coming from Canibus), but lyrically, the album was praised. Tower Records referred to Canibus as "one of the most innovative new MCs in hip-hop. With Can-I-Bus, the debut album, Canibus delivers more of the battle-rhyme lyrics that are his stock in trade. Still, he manages to cover new ground with conceptually strong cuts like 'I Honor U,' which is dedicated to his mother. With his lyrical skills, Canibus represents the elements that helped build rap music." The album was certified gold by the RIAA 13 October 1998 before ultimately being certified platinum in years following. The song "How We Roll" also appeared on the bonus 3rd disc of Eightball's album Lost .

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Entertainment Weekly B [2]
MVRemix7/10 [3]
NME 8/10 [4]
RapReviews5/10 [5]
Robert Christgau A [6]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Wall of Sound66/100 [8]

Can-I-Bus garnered mixed reviews from music critics who admired Canibus' battle rap skills but felt exhaustive at times, along with subpar production and half-hearted attempts at different topics.

Hugo Lunny of MVRemix praised Canibus' battle rhymes but felt that the production didn't give them the necessary energy needed, highlighting "I Honor U" and "Channel Zero" for finding the right balance, concluding that "Overall, this is a good album, although anyone who's heard Canibus on 'Desperados' or 'Making A Name 4 Ourselves' is likely to find the album a bit too over hyped. However, listen to the album with fair expectations, and you'll enjoy it." [3] David Browne, writing for Entertainment Weekly , praised Canibus for being able to go beyond the battle rapper image and show versatility in his topics but found the production a hindrance to his goal, concluding that "His devotion to the lyrical slam and to self-respect earmark Canibus as a contender, but it wouldn’t hurt him to learn a few things about record making–from, say, LL?" [2] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine found Canibus' aggro delivery tiring at times no matter the beat or subject but still gave credit for remaining impactful, concluding that "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." [1]

Wall of Sound's Oliver Wang felt that Wyclef Jean and Jerry Wonda's pop-sounding production didn't suit Canibus' tight flow and dark lyricism and preferred Clark Kent, Salaam Remi and LG as being a perfect match for his content, saying that "Like his West Coast counterpart, Ras Kass, Canibus proves that his rhyme rep isn't totally fabricated, but both artists blow their bets in trying to appeal to both underground and pop audiences." [8] Kevin Powell of Rolling Stone felt the album lacked more personal tracks and intellectual insight to clear up the lyrical venom found throughout, concluding that "In these smoke-filled last days of the 1990s, Canibus and Can-I-Bus are exactly what much of hip-hop has become: a lot of hype. Don't believe it." [7] DJ Fatboy of RapReviews found the album a big disappointment, criticizing Canibus for trying to change his hardcore lyricist image in order to appeal to a mainstream audience, saying that "It's as if he's embarrassed to be known as a battle rapper. What's wrong with that? Sure, it's a one note performance, but if he can play that one note better than all the other herbs out there, then he shouldn't waste his time and ours by switching up to a style he can't rock." [5]

Track listing

#TitleProducer(s)Length
1"Intro"Canibus, Wyclef Jean, Jerry Wonda (co-producer)1:08
2"Patriots"Canibus (co-producer), Danny & Cyrus (co-producer), Jerry Wonda 3:03
3"Get Retarded"Canibus (co-producer), Salaam Remi 4:07
4"Negronometry"Canibus (co-producer), Jerry Wonda, LG3:12
5"Second Round K.O."Canibus (co-producer), Wyclef Jean, Jerry Wonda4:37
6"What's Going On"Canibus (co-producer), Jerry Wonda, LG3:51
7"I Honor U" (featuring Jenny Fujita)Canibus (co-producer), Jerry Wonda, Wyclef Jean4:34
8"Hype-nitis"Canibus (co-producer), Jerry Wonda, Joe Servilus (co-producer)3:47
9"How We Roll" (featuring Panama P.I.) Clark Kent 3:45
10"Channel Zero"Canibus (co-producer), Clark Kent4:29
11"Let's Ride"A Kid Called Roots, Canibus (co-producer), Jerry Wonda 3:57
12"Buckingham Palace"Canibus (co-producer), Jerry Wonda, Wyclef Jean3:41
13"Rip Rock"Canibus (co-producer), Jerry Wonda, Wyclef Jean3:49
14"How Come" (feat. Youssou N'Dour)

(present on some releases)

Canibus (co-producer), Jerry Wonda, Wyclef Jean4:07

Samples

"Get Retarded"

"Negronometry"

"Second Recond K.O."

"How We Roll"

"Channel Zero"

"Let's Ride"

"Rip Rock"

"What's Goin' On"

"Hype-nitis"

Singles

Single information
"Second Round K.O."
  • Released: March 24, 1998
  • B-side: "How We Roll"

Charts

Album

Chart (1998) [9] Peak
position
Canadian R&B Albums (SoundScan) [10] 1
US Billboard 200 2
US Billboard Top Heatseekers 24
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 2

Singles

YearSongChart positions [11]
Billboard Hot 100 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Hot Rap Singles Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales Canadian Singles Chart
1998"Second Round K.O."2813359

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canibus</span> American rapper (born 1974)

Canibus is the stage name of American rapper Germaine Williams. He gained fame in the 1990s for his ability to freestyle, and released his debut album Can-I-Bus in 1998. Canibus has released 13 solo studio albums, as well as multiple collaboration albums and EPs with other rappers as a member of the Four Horsemen, Refugee Camp All-Stars, Sharpshooterz, Cloak N Dagga, the Undergods and one-half of T.H.E.M.

East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in New York City during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in The Bronx, New York City.

<i>Capital Punishment</i> (Big Pun album) 1998 studio album by Big Pun

Capital Punishment is the debut studio album by Puerto Rican rapper Big Pun, released by RCA Records, Loud Records and Fat Joe's Terror Squad Productions. Released on April 28, 1998, it is the only album released during his lifetime and was regarded as "super groundbreaking" upon release. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 charts and number one on the Top R&B Albums chart for two weeks. It was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1999 Grammy Awards, but lost to Jay-Z's Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life. It was also the first solo Latin hip hop record to go Platinum.

The Hrsmn is an American hip hop supergroup consisting of the artists Canibus, Ras Kass, Killah Priest, and Kurupt. They have released one album entitled The Horsemen Project (2003). The name of the group is in reference to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who appear in the Book of Revelation from the Bible. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are traditionally named Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death. Throughout the HRSMN songs, there are many references to each of the members representing a specific entity. They are Pestilence, War (Canibus), Famine (Kurupt), and Death. They have each frequently appeared on each of the members solo albums, such as Canibus's 2000 B.C. and Killah Priest's Priesthood. Other affiliated members include Chino XL, and Pharoahe Monch.

<i>Paid in Full</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Eric B. & Rakim

Paid in Full is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, released on July 7, 1987, by Island-subsidiary label 4th & B'way Records. The duo recorded the album at hip hop producer Marley Marl's home studio and Power Play Studios in New York City, following Rakim's response to Eric B.'s search for a rapper to complement his disc jockey work in 1985. The album peaked at number fifty-eight on the Billboard 200 chart, number eight on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and produced five singles: "Eric B. Is President", "I Ain't No Joke", "I Know You Got Soul", "Move the Crowd", and "Paid in Full".

Keith Omar Murray is an American rapper from New York. Murray grew up on Carleton Ave, in Central Islip, which is located on the South Shore of Long Island in Suffolk County. Murray was a known member of a local rap collective in Long Island called Legion of Doom (L.O.D.) which included fellow rappers 50 Grand, Ron Jay, and Kel-Vicious. Murray is more famously known for being a member of the Hip Hop trio the Def Squad, which includes fellow rappers Redman and fellow Long Island native Erick Sermon, previously the co-founder of the legendary Hip-Hop group EPMD.

<i>C! True Hollywood Stories</i> 2001 studio album by Canibus

C! True Hollywood Stories is the third studio album by American rapper Canibus, released through Archives Music on October 30, 2001. The album is Canibus' first release on an independent record label. The album was named after the television show E! True Hollywood Story. This album sets itself apart from his first two albums by seemingly being a concept album, some songs rapped from the perspective of Stan, the fan from the Eminem song "Stan". It can also be noted Canibus' rhyme style and flow resemble more that of Eminem than the style presented on his first two albums, which led to mixed reviews from the public.

<i>2000 B.C. (Before Can-I-Bus)</i> 2000 studio album by Canibus

2000 B.C. is the second studio album by American rapper Canibus, released on July 18, 2000, through Universal Records.

<i>Mic Club: The Curriculum</i> 2002 studio album by Canibus

Mic Club: The Curriculum is the fourth studio album by American rapper Canibus, released on November 19, 2002 through Canibus' own label, Mic Club Music. It is generally recognized for its scholarly vocabulary and complex lyrics. Much of the production is handled by relatively unknown producers, though the album has been praised overall for its lyrics and beats. It contains over 1,000 bars combined throughout the thirteen tracks, with only three choruses in "Behind Enemy Rhymes", "'C' Section", and "Liberal Arts".

<i>Enta da Stage</i> 1993 studio album by Black Moon

Enta da Stage is the debut album by American East Coast hip hop group Black Moon, released on October 19, 1993, through Nervous Records. The album was produced by Black Moon member DJ Evil Dee along with Mr. Walt of Da Beatminerz. Enta da Stage features the debut of underground hip hop duo Smif-N-Wessun, as well as appearances from Havoc of Mobb Deep and Dru Ha, the co-founder of Duck Down Records.

<i>Visions of Gandhi</i> 2003 studio album by Jedi Mind Tricks

Visions of Gandhi is the third studio album from underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks, and their first album on the Babygrande record label. Jus Allah split from the group after the release of their album Violent by Design (2000), returning the group back to its original lineup of Vinnie Paz, Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind and DJ Drew Dollars. Producer Stoupe expands his dark sounds, including beats with grand orchestral samples and Latin-tinged production. Vinnie Paz lessens his lyrical topics to focus on his thug persona. Album guests include Canibus, Kool G Rap, Percee P, Ras Kass, and Tragedy Khadafi, as well as underground peers Crypt the Warchild, Planetary of OuterSpace, and Non Phixion members Ill Bill, Sabac Red, and Goretex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slug (rapper)</span> American rapper

Sean Michael Daley, better known by his stage name Slug, is an American rapper from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Slug is best known as one-half of the hip-hop group Atmosphere, which he founded with Derek Turner (Spawn). Turner has since left and Anthony Davis (Ant) produces Atmosphere with Slug. In 1995, Slug, in collaboration with Anthony Davis, Musab Saad, and Brent Sayers founded the Minneapolis-based independent hip hop record label Rhymesayers Entertainment.

<i>Exit 13</i> 2008 studio album by LL Cool J

Exit 13 is the thirteenth studio album by American rapper LL Cool J. It was released on September 9, 2008, on the record label Def Jam Recordings. This would be his last album release with the label.

<i>T.I. vs. T.I.P.</i> 2007 studio album by T.I.

T.I. vs. T.I.P. is the fifth studio album by American rapper T.I., released on July 3, 2007 through Grand Hustle Records, Asylum Records and Atlantic Records. Recording sessions for the album took a year and a half to record towards early 2007, as T.I. stated and confirmed in an interview with MTV News. Production was handled by several record producers, including Kannon "Caviar" Cross, Just Blaze, Mannie Fresh, Lil' C, Wyclef Jean, Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, Sedeck "All Hands on Deck" Jean, Keith "Lil' Wonda" Duplessis, Kevin "Khao" Cates, Timbaland, Bao Quoc Pham, Steve Holdren, Nate "Danja" Hills, The Runners, Tony Galvin, Eminem, Jeff Bass, and Keith Mack, among others. Notably, it is also his first album not to feature production from his frequent collaborator DJ Toomp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4, 3, 2, 1 (LL Cool J song)</span> 1997 single by LL Cool J featuring Method Man, Redman, Master P, DMX and Canibus

"4, 3, 2, 1" is a song by Queens rapper LL Cool J featuring Method Man, Redman, Canibus and DMX from LL Cool J's seventh album Phenomenon as the second single. It was released on December 9, 1997, for Def Jam Recordings and was produced by LL Cool J and Erick Sermon. The single featured an extended version not featured on the album featuring an additional verse from Southern hip hop rapper Master P. Both the original song and the extended cut had accompanying music videos. The song peaked at number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 10 on the Hot Rap Singles and number 24 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

<i>For Whom the Beat Tolls</i> 2007 studio album by Canibus

For Whom the Beat Tolls is the eighth studio album by American rapper Canibus, released through Mic Club Music on May 29, 2007 in the United States and June 5 worldwide. It features the new "Poet Laureate Infinity" concept, which involves mixing 200 bar layers with corresponding ones in order to create various subject matter, rhymes and overall sound. The album leaked on the Internet on June 4, 2007. According to Canibus' DJ, Puerto Roc, the album has sold 60,000 copies as of October 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Round K.O.</span> 1998 song by Canibus

"Second Round K.O." is a single from rapper Canibus' debut album, Can-I-Bus. The song was produced by Wyclef Jean and his cousin Jerry Wonder and features spoken vocals from boxer Mike Tyson.

<i>The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Vol. 2</i> 1998 compilation album by Various artists

The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Volume 2 is the second annual music compilation album to be contributed by The Source magazine. Released November 10, 1998 and distributed by Polygram Records, Hip Hop Hits Volume 2 features eighteen hip hop and rap hits. It went to number 29 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart and peaked at number 46 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

<i>Rip the Jacker</i> 2003 studio album by Canibus

Rip the Jacker is the fifth studio album by American rapper Canibus. Produced by Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind of the group Jedi Mind Tricks, the album was released on July 22, 2003, through Babygrande Records.

Jakki Rubin,, better known by his stage name Jakki tha Motamouth, is an American rapper from Columbus, Ohio. He is a member of MHz Legacy. He was part of the group The Weathermen. Originally released in 2004, his first solo album, God vs. Satan, was re-released in 2005. He's best known for his punchlines and excellent storytelling ability.

References

  1. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Can-I-Bus - Canibus". AllMusic . Retrieved February 23, 2008.
  2. 1 2 Browne, David (September 14, 1998). "Can-I-Bus". Entertainment Weekly . Time Inc. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  3. 1 2 Lunny, Hugo. "Canibus - Can-I-Bus". MVRemix. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
  4. ↑ NME. . NME. Accessed February 3, 2009.
  5. 1 2 DJ Fatboy (September 1998). "Canibus :: Can-I-Bus :: Universal". RapReviews. Retrieved May 19, 2008.
  6. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Can-I-Bus". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
  7. 1 2 Powell, Kevin (September 4, 1998). "Canibus: Can-I-Bus". Rolling Stone . Wenner Media. Archived from the original on February 27, 2009. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
  8. 1 2 Wang, Oliver. "Wall of Sound Review: Can-I-Bus". Wall of Sound. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  9. ↑ allmusic ((( Can-I-Bus > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums ))). AllMusic. Accessed May 19, 2008.
  10. ↑ "Top 10 R&B Albums". The Gazette . September 17, 1998. p. B5 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ allmusic ((( Can-I-Bus > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles ))). Allmusic. Accessed May 19, 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.