Customer Reviews

Rip the Jacker

5 star:		(130)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

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)

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

I wish I could give it more than 5 stars but, man this album is straight up craaaazy! Canibus had a lot of promise when he first came into the game in '98, but his beats were weak, miserable in some albums. But this time, he comes back with a concept album. And what an album! His lyrics are sharper, as he gives up his battle-rhyming skills to more narrative styles. In the song, "No Return", he raps about his death from the point-of-view of three different people. Basically, every song is crazy. Starting from "Genibus", where he raps about his version of the Genesis, to Poet Laureate II, where he raps for 7 minutes, no hooks, or anything. The only bad thing i could say about this album was that it was waaay too short. Two or three more tracks , and it would have been perfection.

Moving on to Stoupe's production, I have to say that he is probably the best upcoming underground producer. Every track that he has laced up here has been amazing, blending Canibus's dark lyrics, using samples and a variety off music styles - arabic, jamaican and salsa. But he saves the best for last in "Poet Laureate II", when he uses three different beats to go with Canibus's three different narrations. It sounds downright crazy.

Altogether, the album was sensational, as Canibus has finally recorded his best album of his life. Combined with Stoupe's beats, Canibus will become unstoppable in the future.

The POET LAUREATE IS BACK BABY!

As expected, Canibus has dropped another metaphorical master-piece. I won't go into depth about every track, all of them show his lyrical wizardory, and most of the beats are ill, with the exception of two. I only have two regrets...One there is no one else featured on this album, it would've been nice if some of the Jedi Mind Tricks were featured or even better (which is something i am still awaiting) Chino XL was featured on it. The second regret is that there are too many samples cuts, the mixing is ill, but too many sample cuts just gets over-played. The illest track on this is definately Poet Laureate II, 7 minutes and 18 seconds of insanity, where Canibus rips on I believe 5 different beats...sick.

I HIGHLY recommend you buying this album if you're a true hiphop fan...If you see any review that says this album is wack or is not up to par, those kids have no idea what they're talking about, trust me, i'm a true underground hiphop fan...this album is worth your money.

Represent'n Newark New Jersey...Brick City.
One

Well Canibus finally figured out a way to get hot production. He gave full control of the production to Stoupe and he delivered the goods. The beats on this album are by far the best Canibus has ever had in his career. They are a hip hop/ indie feel but they feel right over Canibus ill lyrics. We all know Canibus can rap and he kills it as he usually does. This is defiantly a must buy for Canibus fans and I would reccomend it for any one who likes strong lyrical performances.
Overall 5 stars

I'm not a Canibus expert, and don't have any of his other albums. But from everything I've heard, his lyrics were good but the production was mediocre, and an album without good beats just isn't a good album. If that's the case, I have to wonder...why didn't Bis employ a genius like Stoupe earlier? I firmly believe the Enemy of Mankind is one the top producers in the rap game right now. If anything, Stoupe outshined Bis. But having a producer that's too good is preferable to having an inferior one.

Canibus has a great flow, and very creative metaphors. He has a good rap voice, and never seems to slow down. But he's not the best like some people claim he is. For one thing, nothing changes. No Return provides a little variety, telling three stories about people who died, all in the first person. Other than that, it's all crazy metaphors and other battle-type rhymes. This can get kind of boring after a while, although not as fast as you might think just because it's fun listening to see what he'll come up with next. He doesn't switch up his flow very much, and his constancy is a strength and weakness at the same time. You never feel like he's failing, but sometimes you feel like she should be getting more intense when he's not. Still, Canibus is a well-above average rapper.

But really, it's Stoupe who made this album great. The beats here aren't just standard, nod-your-head break beats. Stoupe gets seriously creative and musical on this album. What's nice is that even though these beats are so different from what you usually hear in hip-hop, they still match Canibus' rhymes perfectly, probably because the rhymes were actually recorded before the beat, and Stoupe just had to make it fit. The beats mostly have either a Middle-Eastern or tropical influence. The first song (not the intro) is very addicting, both because of the beat and the infectious hook. It has a very grand, almost heavenly sound, with what seems to me kind of like angel voices and ringing bells. Genabus is a good title, since the word "genesis" makes you think of the start of something grand. The next track is very Middle-Eastern. So is the one after that, "M-Sea-Cresy," but it's different sounding. That one is probably one of my favorites on the album. It has a bright sound with fast guitars and a high-pitched singing sample that actually make me think of some sunny Mediterrenean island. After that is No Return. I already told you about the lyrics. The beat is tropical. It sounds too happy for the words at first, but when you've listened to it a few times, it sounds a little bit sad. It has a weird sample which creates a nice effect, but could be considered annoying. Next is Spartibus, which sounds kind of Egyptian to me and reminds me of a desert or something. The next two are tropical-souding, and personally I feel they're the dip in the album. Just not my thing, I guess. Then we have Psych Evaluation and Cemantics. These are similar and different at the same time. Both are dark with an orchestra violin sound, like something out of a movie. But while Psych Evaluation is slow and brooding but gradually more intense, Cemantics is fast-paced and frantic. See what I mean when I say these are more like serious music compositions than standard hip-hop beats? The problem with both of these is I feel like Stoupe is trying to increase the intensity, but Canibus' tone never changes like he can't keep up. You want him to break out with emotion, but he never does, which can be almost frustrating. Nevertheless, these might be my favorite tracks. The last track has a grand sound to it with what seem like angel voices, but this one sounds darker, unlike the truimphant Genabus. This one has lyrics describing the course of Canibus' career.

Overall, this is a great album. It's Stoupe that put it on it's level, but it wouldn't be the same with any other rapper. It runs 45 min. long, which is good because you won't get sick of Canibus' voice or rhymes. The beats are so good sometimes I just lose myself concentrating on those and forget about Canibus altogether. I'd recommend this for anyone who wants something different but dope, with very exotic tracks. Don't sleep on Bis.

Closing Comments: More rappers should make use of Stoupe's genius.

As a lyricists, no one can dispute the skills, and I never lost faith in his lyrical ability. But his concepts and his lack of subject content and of choosing solid beat makers kept me disgusted with this cat-that is until this lp. Now I can truly forget about lp's like "C-True Hollywood Stories, Can-I-Bus, and 2000 B.C. (though the latter wasn't a complete flop). The best thing that could have happened to Canibus was the marraige of his vocals over a Stoupe beat (check "Mic Club" for the intro of this unity) and now Stoupe has took control of the boards for all 11 tracks on the album. Stand out tracks include "Levitibus, Spartibus, Indibisible, Showtime At the Gallow and Poet Laureate 2." This is the album that die hard Canibus fans, and those of us who hailed him as hip-hop's lyrical savior have been waiting for. The feeling I have with this album is the same I had with the classic "Illmatic" when it dropped-baggin beats, razor sharp lyrics, and only 11 joints, including the intro. Since I just copped it today-the release date and I'm listening to it as I write this review, I can't describe the songs and what the content is all about but it is deep, and it's not a cd complete with battle joints like 2000 B.C. and Mic Club. For all who love Canibus, and all of you who loved Mic Club, this is by far his best work to date and you won't be disappointed. Cop this!!!

I have been a huge fan of Canibus since I first heard Second round knock out on BET. I was amazed at the lyrical wizardry of this mic master, his flow literally left me drooling! I instantly purchased the full length release "Canibus". My exited anticipation was met with disppointment. Not with the lyrics, no, the lyrics are tight as all hell. The beats were weak. WEAK! Wyclef did such an injustice to Bis' and the album flopped, save for the Bis' initiates who were enthralled with his lyrical genius. Nevertheless, I rocked that album everyday. 2000 B.C came out and again, the lyrics were dope as ever, but the beats were lacking, frankly they sucked. Another let down in the production area. And this was tarnishing Bis' name because although he is a master emcee, without master beats to back him up, his cd's just didn't feel right. Then came Rip the Jacker, which featured Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind on beats and an instant classic was born! Bis' lyric are as fresh as ever on Rip the Jacker, which is a concept album as well. The collab of Stoupe's beats and Bis' lyrics is phenomenal. Rip the Jacker is the album that I and many others have been waiting for. Aside from a few cheezy concepts, the album is perfection. Canibus is an amazing emcee. One of the top emcees in the game. This is the Canibus album to own.

I started listening to hip-hop music about 5 years ago and started off listening to the mainstream rappers like eminem, ludacris, etc. As I get older and almost done with college, I'm starting to realize how uneducated and stupid those rappers are. If you listen to their lyrics, you can realize that a 10 year old could write them. A year ago I basically gave up listening to hip-hop because i just couldn't take how stupid the songs were. I have about 100 hip-hop cds that I don't listen to anymore, all about killing people, screwing girls, smoking weed, etc. Yeah, real productive. Well, last year at that time I picked up this album, Rip the Jacker by Canibus, and I finally got the understanding of what hip-hop should really be. He gives views on life, astrology, the fall of other rappers to mainstream success, etc. This music makes you think. Its not shallow, its deep. Since I bought this cd I've bought all of Canibus' albums, and gotten into Jedi Mind Tricks also. This is honestly music that I will still be listening to when I'm 40 years old, while all the other mainstream rap cds are collecting dust.