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Now that Canibus doesn't have Wyclef to use as a scapegoat, who is he gonna blame for 2000 B.C? Canibus' first release was dismissed for what critics said was inferior production and lyrics that fell short of his previous work. Despite his fervent attempt to rejuvenate the forgotten art of emcee battling by verbally clashing with LL Cool J, it did not help him to win over the mass market . Even with Wyclef in his corner, a pairing that theoretically should have worked (Wyclef on production and Canibus providing the lyrics), the album was plagued by dry beats, proving that this match made in capitalist heaven was not meant to be. Canibus quickly turned on Wyclef blaming him for his flop of a debut album. Enter 2000 B.C., Canibus' sophomore album that blasphemously means Before Can-I-bus. An album on which Canibus' arrogantly proclaims sorry the lyrical messiah made a mistake the first time, but now I am coming like you hoped, in an effort to duplicate the same formula that made him an underground sensation. The question is can-he-bus in the 2G? Unfortunately, 2000 B.C. falls short on production and in lyrical versatility. Canibus' monotonous eating-emcees flow sounds the same on every song and rarely does he compliment his production. It seems that again this lyrical genius had the misfortune of having bad taste in shopping for quality beats. Please, somebody give Canibus some advice. Despite the harsh criticism, Canibus shows that at his best he still is one of the best. Take "Mic-nificent" for instance, where he goes on the hunt for emcees: "Yo, I'm faster than leopards running across the vast desert / In twenty-two yards per second to catch me to daily delicatessen / With thirty minutes to eat 'em, forty minutes to digest 'em/ And fifty minutes for it to pass through my intestines/ So ask yourself a question - can the Canibus rhyme?" Other tracks include "I'll Bust 'Em, You Punish 'Em" with the godfather of intricate rhymes, Rakim, laying a godly verse. Also, in "100 Bars" Canibus manages to flow nicely despite the tiring beats. Yet, the one track that captures the balance that could make Canibus a star is "Abide By" with his fellow Four Horsemen - Ras Kass, Killah Priest, and Kurupt. Canibus speaks and weaves some interesting concepts within his albums, while choosing a variety of topics that are not common in the rap game. He does his reputation justice with some of his dirty hooks and lyrical entanglements. Regrettably, once again we must wait for a product that is to our satisfaction. Maybe our standards are too high or Canibus' are too low for himself, but as Wyclef might say: "It doesn't matter" - he has only himself to blame. |
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