After Canibus burst onto the scene, he dropped albums many people thought were disappointing. Finally giving up on making the mainstream feel Bis, he took things into his own hands with mixtapes and lyrically laced albums.
This time around, Rip the Jacker is a conceptual album. As the alter-ego of Canibus, Rip the Jacker is the side of Bis that battled LL Cool J and made Canibus his name back in 1998.
Hooking up with eccentric producer Steve Stoupe, the combination is his best work yet.
1. Intro
2. Genabis
The track is to show the birth of Canibus and how he mastered the art of lyricism. The production reflects a coming and suits the feel of the song perfectly. Finally, Bis has a chorus that mixes into the song. A great start to the album.
3. Levitibus
The first thing you notice on this track is the production with an eerie biblical style feel to it. Of course, there is a reason for that. Leviticus is the Biblical set of ritual rules, Levitibus reflects Canibus’ rituals to making his style. The lyrics are fire, and the production again suits Bis perfectly.
4. M-Sea-Cresy
A more laid back production to this track that enables you to listen to the lyrics Canibus lays down. It has a very oldschool New York feel to it. If it was made in 93 it would’ve been a hit. The lyrics and production again combine nice.
5. No Return
Concept of the song is that Canibus is who he is and there is no returning to that Wyclef mainstream style he was forced to have on Universal. The chorus and production is kind of annoying and is the worst track on the album, the lyrics are great again, but like past Bis failures is the mixture into the song..
6. Spartibus
The first single of the album. This track created a lot of buzz for the album and with good reason. The production is dark and the lyrics are straight heat. The chorus is perfectly mixed into the style of the track. One of the album’s best moments.
7. Indibisible
The production to the track is unbelievably off the hook with it’s Mexican style feel. The concept for this track is “Unspeakable”. Basically, if it can’t be said, Bis can’t rap it. The lyrics are off the hook, the chorus fits in perfectly and the production is off the hook. The song is ill beginning to end.
8. Showtime At the Gallow
The production on this track is genious. It gives the feeling of being executed with it’s drops which is the concept of the track. “Gallows”. Canibus feels like he was the next thing, how could he be executed for what made him great by the fans? The lyrics and production are tight. Another classic track to this album.
9. Psych Evaluation
An inner look at the mind of Canibus and the production again is well done again, with Canibus getting more angry in the depths of his mind as the song goes on and the music makes you feel like you are inside the insanity. Song could never be a club banger, but the concept of the song and it’s delivery by Bis and Stoupe is mindblowing.
10. Cemantics
Semantics is the study of meaning in language. This is the concept of this track, the depths of Canibus’ lyrics. The production again suits the track nice and Canibus’ lyrics are ill. The flow he has is again unbelievable. Nice track.
11. Poet Laureate II
Back on “2000BC”, Canibus delivered a track called “100 Bars” where he spit 100 and it was recieved by critics as amazing. On his last album “Mic Club”, Bis said he thought 100 was nothing, so here it is. An unbelievable 200 bars on this track. I’ve never heard this done so well by any lyricist and this track alone proves that Canibus is the greatest lyricist of our time. The production suits the 200 bars, never leaving you feeling bored. Amazing.
People looking for another Aftermath style hit, turn away. But for anyone that wants to hear rap and a lyricist perform the art the way it was intended, this is one of the greatest albums ever made. Stoupe and Canibus are a combination that if they continue dropping albums like this could be the next Dre/Snoop, Eric B and Rakim, etc. They have a style together that fits perfectly. Bis’ problem up til now was his production, now that he has it, he dropped the album everyone waited on. The concepts of this album were finally delivered by both Canibus and his producer, which is what every Bis fan has been waiting for. If this album was the one that came out in 98 instead of “Can-I-Bus”, I feel he would be a star today. Now it’ll be slept on which is the ultimate irony of the album. Makes you wonder what will happen with Crooked I as it’s hard pressed to imagine he could ever drop an album like this one.
Again if you want MTV worthy rap, turn away. If you want pure rap and lyricism, this album is great and damn near a classic.
Rating – 4.5/5
Awesome review. It’s actually nice to hear somebody given canibus an unbiased review or any of his albums because this one is definitely a classic no questions about it