'Can-I-Bus' flies high

Calling out arguably the biggest star, icon and sex symbol in hip-hop is without a doubt a sure-fire way to get publicity. In Canibus' case, however, the hype was well-deserved; Canibus is one of the most talented rappers to arrive in the hip-hop scene in the past few years, and both fans and critics alike had lofty expectations of his debut album. With his debut "Can-I-Bus," Canibus tries his hardest to live up to all of the hype.

It's hard not to be impressed with Canibus's lyrical ability. A thinking man's rapper, Canibus combines metaphors with heavy doses of science (the prophetic "Channel Zero"), Mathematics (the laid-back "Niggonometry") and wisdom (the angry "What's going on"). It becomes evident even from the intro that Canibus is thinking on a level that the majority of rappers have not yet reached.

That may also be the main problem with this album. It isn't often that a lyricist as gifted as Canibus comes on the scene, and those who know of him expect nothing less than a perfect album out of him. Therefore, rappers such as Canibus are measured on a much tougher scale, especially when songs like the experimental "Rip Rock," or the hokey "Let's Ride" fall short of expectations.

Canibus
Can-I-Bus Group Home/Universal 4 stars Reviewed by Daily Arts Writer Quan Williams

The album's stripped-down production, while solid, is by no means spectacular, and the braggadocio songs like "Patriots," "Get Retarded" and "Buckingham Palace" are good, but they still fall in the huge shadow of "How We Roll" and the Cool J-bashing "Second Round K.O.," which are the earliest - and still the best - of Canibus' recordings.

The truth is that Canibus suffers the same fate as Common, Rass Kass and Organized Konfusion. While Canibus has succeeded in delivering a worthwhile album that is a fitting addition to any music collection, he has failed to deliver the revolutionary, groundbreaking album that rap critics wanted from him. This makes you wonder if we in the hip-hop world place our expectations on these guys just a little bit too high.

09-15-98