Rip the Jacker

Canibus | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 22, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Babygrande Records
• ASIN: B00009Y3PI
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (168 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,711 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #68 in Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > East Coast
  • #99 in Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > Gangsta & Hardcore

Editorial Reviews

Babygrande Records and Mic Club Music are proud to present Canibus’ fifth album, Rip The Jacker. Conceived as a concept album, Rip the Jacker combines Canibus’ unparalled lyricism with Stoupe The Enemy of Mankind’s eccentric beats.

Seeking to challenge convention without concern for commercialism, Canibus and Stoupe chose an unorthodox production approach. Just prior to enlisting in the US Army, Canibus laid the vocals for the entire album. Stoupe would then spend the entire winter of 2002 creating a sonic landscape that would mesh seamlessly with Canibus’ intricate rhyme style. We are proud to say that the result is an album where Canibus’ music is finally as interesting as his incredible lyrics.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What rap has been missing for so long., September 17, 2004

By 

Abraham Lender (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rip the Jacker (Audio CD)

After over 15 years as a rap listener I have stopped listening to rap for the most part because there is so little innovation. With the exception of a few sparse offerings I find little more than run of the mill topics like "I am significantly more gangster than you", "I am a superior MC", "My album is expected to be more lucrative than yours" and lastly "I am quite beloved among my groupies and perhaps by your significant other". Eminem has succumbed to a certain degree to the temptation to make quick money on simple and overused topics and the industry cannot survive on Outkast alone.

Enter Canibus:

Rip the Jacker boasts beats that are both diverse and epic in scale. This is the formula that Canibus has needed for his entire career. He flows competently from track to track utilizing a lyrical complexity that should make other MCs retire in shame. Not only does canibus for the most part avoid the 4 topics mentioned above, he never reverts to gimmicky word plays to make lyrics fit. I can't think of a single lyric that ends in izzle nor does he use a reigonalized accent to make a verse work. Canibus possesses a mastery of the English language that is simply unparalleled in the industry. His critics would use this as a point of attack and some would even say that he "makes up" words. This is a somewhat understandable accusation considering that most people have never heard language of this caliber in day to day conversation and do not understand what he is saying. In fact, many websites that post lyrics misspell or misinterpret words. The fact of the matter is that the epic scale of the beats on this album showcases the powerful concepts that Canibus is trying to relay to the listener. If nothing else this album serves as a showcase of a verbal mastery the likes of which rap music (possibly music in general) has never seen. It is sadder still that Def Jam holds such sway over the industry that most casual listeners will never hear this masterpiece. Instant classic.... 5 Stars.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't be fooled by the Canibus haters...(all ten of 'em), August 31, 2004

By 

Scott D. Gribble (Baltimore MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rip the Jacker (Audio CD)

Let me start by saying this fact:
Currently of the 126 Reviews 116 of them give this album 4 STARS OR BETTER!!!! If that doesn't say something to you you've prolly ruled out Canibus and you wouldn't buy this album anyway.

When Canibus first came out on "Beasts From the East" i loved him instantly. His guests spots for the next two years where always amazing. His albums have always been disappointing, but i kept giving him a chance. Finally I could no longer take it after "C- True Hollywood Stories" which is hilarious but easily the worst album i've ever heard. When Mic-Club came out i shrugged it off, cause i had been scorn by his previous efforts. This album went beyond all my expectations. I could hype the album up... but it speaks for it self.

A small handful of reviewers criticize Canibus for using "big words" or for "intelligent" rap or whatever. So, making rap less intelligent makes it better?? Those same people prolly listen to Jay-Z and completely blow by his "Dumb down for my audience" verse. Criticize Canibus for putting a lot of time into his raps if you want, if you don't think he makes sense on this album, you just don't have enough patience for something that isn't spoon fed to you.

"Im so nice on the mic, they wanna beat me up
its deep as ****, I aint seen it all but ive seen enough
Really unbelievable stuff
theres a lot of times where I wanna speak but I'm stuck
I should leave this rap **** alone
and kick my incredible in rhymes in the privacy of my own home
My imagination is my own
delibity to speak to freely lyrically on the microphone
Wit a pen in my hand, I bring motion to the enyogram
and become "Cani-millenia man"
Grave my back with the emperor's stamp
been spittin scientific rap since the 17th century began
Tryna' escape the wicked empire of Def Jam
and the land where lyrics are bland and heretics hang
Every warrior has an axe to bury
but he has to learn to discern between enemy and adversary
I said to myself, "Germaine this is insane
It's suicide its controlled flight into terrain"
I fought to regain, control of the plain, but went up in a ball of flames
and got banned from the hip-hop hall of fame
For two bars I kept hearin in my head
over and over again, it cost me everything"

So there is a larger chunk of one of his verses which contains some scary "big words" (Oh no, those are bad!!) and to refute some other reviewers, he talks about his personal life, his career and his beef with LL, all while using metaphors and imagery. I'm sorry if that's too complex for you, sorry if you can't spend more than an instance thinking about lyrics. And not to say I listen to artists similar to Canibus very much, but damn give the guy some credit! If that's not enough for you just check out the story telling on "No Return".

And to the stupid reviewers that think they could write just as well as this using an online dictionary/word rhymer: when does your album drop again????? i'm still waiting for it.

sorry this is not so much of a review and more of a pointing out some obvious things to people interested in the album. The other reviews here really speak true to the album. Highly reccomended. I'm done.
(9.5/10)

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Underrated Classic, August 3, 2005

By 

Ludacris88 (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rip the Jacker (Audio CD)

First, I'm a huge Canibus fan, and I like almost everything he puts out. Personally, I think he could be the best lyricist in the game right now, and he definately is a top 5 MC at the moment. I've only heard 2 Canibus CDs, this (Rip The Jacker) and Mic Club (which is DOPE, too). I need Can-I-Bus & 2000 B.C. (im not going to bother with Mind Control), but everything I have heard from Canibus has been just great.

The greatest, being the material from this album. Here, Canibus is at the top of his game, his flow perfected, great energy, and as always, top notch lyrics. BUT, unlike most of his other material, here Bis gets top notch PRODUCTION from Stoupe of Jedi Mind Tricks. The whole album, luckily, is produced by Stoupe, and the beats for this album go with Canibus perfectly.

Top 5 Songs (In Order):

1. Poet Laureate II - One of my favorite songs of all time, and my favorite Canibus song of all time. Canibus spits fire for 7 minutes over 3 different beats...Classic song

2. Showtime At The Gallows - My favorite beat on the CD

3. Genabis - Sets the mood for the album perfectly...another one of my favorite Stoupe beats

4. No Return - WEIRD chorus (I always picture like Lepruchauns or Gnomes...yeah I know, weird), but dope storytelling, and overall a great song

5. Levitibus - Many songs couldve taken this spot, because nothing on the album really stands out like those 4 (although they're still dope), but Levitibus just has a nice feel to it

Lyrics/Substance/Subject Matter - 10/10
Flow - 10/10
Production - 9/10
Overall Feel - 9/10

Party Rating - 2/10 - Canibus is just not a party MC. He makes no party songs whatsoever, and the beats aren't really ones to dance to.
Overall Rating - 10/10 - Must have for Canibus and Jedi Mind Tricks fans, but personally, I would reccomend it to anyone who likes rap, classic, to me
Guest Apperances - None