S. Samuel
As tensions continue to rise with the popularity of rap beefs, Canibus has emerged into the spotlight to make peace with his one-time rap nemesis LL Cool J.
Expressing the importance of mainstream rappers joining forces, the former Wyclef Jean associate broke down why artists should aim to unite more often.
“I just wish that today Cool J would man up and do some music with me,” he said in an interview. “All the A-List artists need to do a collaboration album with each other. All these homegrown MCs have now is media worldwide over-saturation with beef and wars on wax that spill over into an artist’s personal life. It’s time for all of us who carry the weight of failing hip-hop on our shoulders to unite on an album and give the people a united community to respect…I’ve responded to my criticism by making more and more music of exceptionally greater value every four quarters over the years. I’m getting better. This is definitely poetry delivered with the passion of battle.” (Boston Herald)
Canibus’ “2nd Round KO” was a direct diss record towards LL from over a decade ago.
The first single form his forthcoming solo debut, “2nd Round K.O.” features Canibus tearing into LL Cool J’s reputation between shouts of encouragement from boxing legend Mike Tyson. In the song, Canibus outlines LL’s past battles with Ice-T, Kool Moe Dee and Jay-Z, saying that “99 percent of [his] fans wear high heels,” while threatening to battle LL “live in front of the cameras on your own sitcom/ I’ll let you kick a verse, f*ck it, I’ll let you kick them all/ I’ll even wait for the studio audience to applaud/ Now watch me rip the tatt from your arm/ Kick you in the groin, stick you for your Vanguard award.” (VH1)
The rapper also struck a cord with Eminem around 2002, which prompted Slim Shady to respond on The Eminem Show‘s “Square Dance.”
“Dr. Dre, wants to square with me,” Em raps. “Nasty Nas, wants to square dance with me/X to the Z, wants to square dance with me/Busta Rhymes, wants to square dance with me/Cana-b*tch won’t square dance with me/Fan-a-b*tch, won’t square dance with me/Canada-bis, don’t want no parts of me.” (“Square Dance”)
He also spent a brief amount of time in the United States army.
One would have thought his lyrics on the song “Draft Me” from the album ‘C’ True Hollywood Stories were just a clever concept to speak his mind on the war America was facing. It has been confirmed that Canibus recently graduated from Ft. Knox, Tennessee’s U.S. Military Academy and is currently a cavalry scout/ reconnaissance specialist in the army as of March 2003. Canibus has not issued a comment on his decision. As far music goes he is planned to drop Rip The Jacker later on this year. (Six Shot)
His high-profile career went underground shortly after his battles with LL and feud with Em.
As a result, when he finally did return with his follow-up album, 2000 B.C. (2000), few noticed, it came and went generally unheard, and Canibus returned to the underground after parting ways with Universal. He continued to record albums and release them on the independent circuit (including 2002’s Mic Club, 2003’s Rip the Jacker, and 2005’s Mind Control); furthermore, he retained a small base of fans as well, yet his days as the next-big-thing had clearly come and gone, as they similarly had for so many other talented rappers. (All Music)
[For more on your favorite rappers from the Big Apple peep SOHH NYC]
