Born Germaine Williams in 1974 in Jamaica, Canibus moved to the United Stat… Read Full Bio ↴Born Germaine Williams in 1974 in Jamaica, Canibus moved to the United States with his mother at a young age. Because his mother's career required constant relocation, the family moved frequently and the soon-to-be rapper found solace within himself. His rhetorical abilities blossomed later, once hip-hop became the guiding force in his life. He began rhyming and in the mid-'90s joined a group called T.H.E.M. (The Heralds of Extreme Metaphors.)
This group consisted also of his partner Webb. Following a fallout with his partner, Canibus pursued a solo career and began infiltrating the mix-tape circuit. By 1997, he had approached the brink of the major-label rap game, guesting regularly on high-profile releases: He contributed to "Uni-4-orm," an inclusion on the Rhyme & Reason soundtrack also featuring Heltah Skeltah and Rass Kass; "Love, Peace & Nappiness," an inclusion on the Lost Boyz's Love, Peace & Nappiness also featuring Redman and A+; "Making a Name for Ourselves," an inclusion on Common's One Day It'll All Make Sense; the non-album remix of Wyclef Jean's "Gone Till November."
And most famously, "4, 3, 2, 1," an inclusion on LL Cool J's Phenomenon also featuring Redman, DMX, and Method Man.
Of the several guest appearances, "4, 3, 2, 1" certainly meant the most, as it brought together many of New York's preeminent hardcore rappers and thus ushered Canibus into that same elite class. At the same time, however, Canibus lashed out shortly afterward with the Mike Tyson-featuring "Second Round K.O.," where he rhymed, "So I'ma let the world know the truth, you don't want me to shine/You studied my rhyme, then you laid your vocals after mine."
In fact, the entirety of the song directed barbed rhymes at LL: "You walk around showin' off your body cause it sells/Plus to avoid the fact that you ain't got skills/Mad at me 'cause I kick that sh*t real niggaz feel/While 99 percent of your fans wear high heels," and so on. Shortly thereafter, LL sought his revenge, releasing "The Ripper Strikes Back" on the Survival of the Illest soundtrack (1998) and thus channeling even more attention toward Canibus.
From the track's chorus ("Can-I-bus? Yes you can!") to practically every line of the verses ("You soft as a newborn baby takin' a nap/Make my dick hard with that bitch-ass track/Where you at? smokin' in some one-room flat/Suckin' on Clef's dick hopin' to come back"), LL unleashed a fury of insults and threats. The media, of course, elevated the battle to grand heights, as even MTV gave the story headlines. In the aftermath of 2Pac's and Biggie's deaths, such confrontations fascinated the rap community, and Canibus certainly capitalized on his newfound publicity.
As for his debut full-length, Can-i-bus (1998), though, the response was sobering. Critics expressed little support, and sales quickly dropped as listeners also felt genuinely disappointed. Executive produced by Wyclef, the album suffered on many levels, both production-wise and rhetorically as well (critics targeting Canibus' delivery more than his lyrics or themes). The momentum that "Second Round K.O." had generated simmered almost immediately, and it didn't help that LL's "Ripper Strikes Back" found substantial acceptance at the time as well.
In the two years following the release of Can-i-bus, the rapper maintained an extremely low profile, much in contrast to the regular guest appearances he had made leading up to his debut. 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.
This group consisted also of his partner Webb. Following a fallout with his partner, Canibus pursued a solo career and began infiltrating the mix-tape circuit. By 1997, he had approached the brink of the major-label rap game, guesting regularly on high-profile releases: He contributed to "Uni-4-orm," an inclusion on the Rhyme & Reason soundtrack also featuring Heltah Skeltah and Rass Kass; "Love, Peace & Nappiness," an inclusion on the Lost Boyz's Love, Peace & Nappiness also featuring Redman and A+; "Making a Name for Ourselves," an inclusion on Common's One Day It'll All Make Sense; the non-album remix of Wyclef Jean's "Gone Till November."
And most famously, "4, 3, 2, 1," an inclusion on LL Cool J's Phenomenon also featuring Redman, DMX, and Method Man.
Of the several guest appearances, "4, 3, 2, 1" certainly meant the most, as it brought together many of New York's preeminent hardcore rappers and thus ushered Canibus into that same elite class. At the same time, however, Canibus lashed out shortly afterward with the Mike Tyson-featuring "Second Round K.O.," where he rhymed, "So I'ma let the world know the truth, you don't want me to shine/You studied my rhyme, then you laid your vocals after mine."
In fact, the entirety of the song directed barbed rhymes at LL: "You walk around showin' off your body cause it sells/Plus to avoid the fact that you ain't got skills/Mad at me 'cause I kick that sh*t real niggaz feel/While 99 percent of your fans wear high heels," and so on. Shortly thereafter, LL sought his revenge, releasing "The Ripper Strikes Back" on the Survival of the Illest soundtrack (1998) and thus channeling even more attention toward Canibus.
From the track's chorus ("Can-I-bus? Yes you can!") to practically every line of the verses ("You soft as a newborn baby takin' a nap/Make my dick hard with that bitch-ass track/Where you at? smokin' in some one-room flat/Suckin' on Clef's dick hopin' to come back"), LL unleashed a fury of insults and threats. The media, of course, elevated the battle to grand heights, as even MTV gave the story headlines. In the aftermath of 2Pac's and Biggie's deaths, such confrontations fascinated the rap community, and Canibus certainly capitalized on his newfound publicity.
As for his debut full-length, Can-i-bus (1998), though, the response was sobering. Critics expressed little support, and sales quickly dropped as listeners also felt genuinely disappointed. Executive produced by Wyclef, the album suffered on many levels, both production-wise and rhetorically as well (critics targeting Canibus' delivery more than his lyrics or themes). The momentum that "Second Round K.O." had generated simmered almost immediately, and it didn't help that LL's "Ripper Strikes Back" found substantial acceptance at the time as well.
In the two years following the release of Can-i-bus, the rapper maintained an extremely low profile, much in contrast to the regular guest appearances he had made leading up to his debut. 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.
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uck
"Those who create literature know first-hand
just how difficult creating meaning can be..
..There are no options now..
...If I weren't a writer, I think I'd be a total psychological mess"
out of the imbelicus wombdee, this is lyrical lunacy
from a human being that speaks so fluently
bars of poetry without precedence
complete par excellence, listen to the Levitibus Testament
to understand me you need help
you gotta see the film "The Day After Trinity" written by John Else
to understand that, you must know thy self
you should keep listening cuz Canibus flow might help
"...But you said keep quiet while the emcee raps
...I'm the sick and bad, can't get above me
Remember that, I'm constantly comin with rippa raps
off the rhyme time like a coke fiend addict
I'm not an emcee who talkin all that junk
please, a lot of suckas would like to forget me but
the incredible, lyrical, and original
rapper's still with the crime on top"
find the answers that we didnt know, maybe Edgar Allan Poe's
description of El Dorado is not so
see the reason there's no light at the end of tunnel
is cuz we're really not in a tunnel, we're trapped in a bubble
the government hired Ian LeDrexis society
can you explain why you believe hell is firey?
we sufferin from symptons of Drapetamania
slavery isn't over, it just took a new alias
the day the repository established with a maintenance
almost turned me into an atheist scared of aliens
why write lyrics when I make a better livin
sellin freeze dried venom to wildlife clinics?
cuz I hate the thought of bein a predictable bore
once you get used to me you wont love me no more
the final soliloquy of the internal paramour
what are we all to do when rap music is gone?
I hope god that the imagination of one
a golden tongue can achieve synchronicity with the sun
transcended beyond the flesh and the blood
cuz this is #1, after this album my message is done
"...But you said keep quiet while the emcee raps
...I'm the sick and bad, can't get above me
Remember that, I'm constantly comin with rippa raps
off the rhyme time like a coke fiend addict
I'm not an emcee who talkin all that junk
please, a lot of suckas would like to forget me but
the incredible, lyrical, and original
rapper's still with the crime on top"
yeah you can't battle me, so you'd rather embarrass me
I maintain dignity in the face of calamity
they reach out they hand to me and talk this honesty
but I read through their syntactic structure like Nome Chopski
a student so overzealous I motivate my trainers
id rather get some now then get some later
take a break from writin rhymes on paper
you've been dissin my character
change my nature with seven days of Opasanaf
let go of the stress, man I was deeply depressed
so famished in fact, I needed a rest
to regenerate my mind
bless the cornerstone of my rhyme with corn oil and wine
to see the light in the luminous paradime
that became more apparent with time, all I had to do was follow the signs
to be a better man, I need help
I just gotta find an inner link between my deity and myself
"...But you said keep quiet while the emcee raps
...I'm the sick and bad, can't get above me
..Remember that, I'm constantly comin with rippa raps
..off the rhyme time like a coke fiend addict
..I'm not an emcee who talkin all that junk
..please, a lot of suckas would like to forget me but
..the incredible, lyrical, and original
..rapper's still with the crime on top"
"People are usually terrified of poetry
and they don't realize that its just speech
it is language that is sometimes extraordinary
but there are ways to deal with it without worrying about it the way they do"
International JiGGy
Those who create literature know first-hand
just how difficult creating meaning can be..
..There are no options now..
...If I weren't a writer, I think I'd be a total psychological mess"
out of the imbelicus wombdee, this is lyrical lunacy
from a human being that speaks so fluently
bars of poetry without precedence
complete par excellence, listen to the Levitibus Testament
to understand me you need help
you gotta see the film "The Day After Trinity" written by John Else
to understand that, you must know thy self
you should keep listening cuz Canibus flow might help
"...But you said keep quiet while the emcee raps
...I'm the sick and bad, can't get above me
Remember that, I'm constantly comin with rippa raps
off the rhyme time like a coke fiend addict
I'm not an emcee who talkin all that junk
please, a lot of suckas would like to forget me but
the incredible, lyrical, and original
rapper's still with the crime on top"
find the answers that we didnt know, maybe Edgar Allan Poe's
description of El Dorado is not so
see the reason there's no light at the end of tunnel
is cuz we're really not in a tunnel, we're trapped in a bubble
the government hired Ian LeDrexis society
can you explain why you believe hell is firey?
we sufferin from symptons of Drapetamania
slavery isn't over, it just took a new alias
the day the repository established with a maintenance
almost turned me into an atheist scared of aliens
why write lyrics when I make a better livin
sellin freeze dried venom to wildlife clinics?
cuz I hate the thought of bein a predictable bore
once you get used to me you wont love me no more
the final soliloquy of the internal paramour
what are we all to do when rap music is gone?
I hope god that the imagination of one
a golden tongue can achieve synchronicity with the sun
transcended beyond the flesh and the blood
cuz this is #1, after this album my message is done
"...But you said keep quiet while the emcee raps
...I'm the sick and bad, can't get above me
Remember that, I'm constantly comin with rippa raps
off the rhyme time like a coke fiend addict
I'm not an emcee who talkin all that junk
please, a lot of suckas would like to forget me but
the incredible, lyrical, and original
rapper's still with the crime on top"
yeah you can't battle me, so you'd rather embarrass me
I maintain dignity in the face of calamity
they reach out they hand to me and talk this honesty
but I read through their syntactic structure like Nome Chopski
a student so overzealous I motivate my trainers
id rather get some now then get some later
take a break from writin rhymes on paper
you've been dissin my character
change my nature with seven days of Opasanaf
let go of the stress, man I was deeply depressed
so famished in fact, I needed a rest
to regenerate my mind
bless the cornerstone of my rhyme with corn oil and wine
to see the light in the luminous paradime
that became more apparent with time, all I had to do was follow the signs
to be a better man, I need help
I just gotta find an inner link between my deity and myself
"...But you said keep quiet while the emcee raps
...I'm the sick and bad, can't get above me
..Remember that, I'm constantly comin with rippa raps
..off the rhyme time like a coke fiend addict
..I'm not an emcee who talkin all that junk
..please, a lot of suckas would like to forget me but
..the incredible, lyrical, and original
..rapper's still with the crime on top"
"People are usually terrified of poetry
and they don't realize that its just speech
it is language that is sometimes extraordinary
but there are ways to deal with it without worrying about it the way they do"
Up is better Love
I think Canibus has proved a point that's never been seen or capture through out raps history is that he's a artists who doesn't use fake words or alot of filler 91% of all rappers in the 90's used unclear words til this day most Legends have words on there publication that isn't logical every word he rhymes is as " golden apples in pitchers of silver" "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom"..God Bless professor Germaine Williams!!!
Dan Gerous
BS.
Literally EVERYONE used clear words in the 80's and '90s. I don't know what you're talking about. I was 16 in 1993 and a die hard hip-hop fan.
Nowadays is when they say nonsense. Filler words and mumble rap, not in the nineties.
The 90s is literally known for true hip hop that actually had a message so to say they didn't use clear words is kind of hilarious.
Tiago Macedo
This beat is sampled from a song of Portuguese Fado called Sombra (Fado Noturno). Amazing how Fado can influence so many hip hop beats and instrumentals in Portugal and overseas! Proud to be portuguese!
Dave Thom
You don’t know how happy I am to find the original sample idea!!! Thanks brother and cheers from Canada
Zachary Martinez
Love how sampling can bring people of different cultures together like this! Hell even music itself brings us all together, salute from the US!
chris melendez
On behalf of the United States....we thank y'all😎
Don Catalog
From America, we salute you and your homeland for allowing one of our most admired, use your music, such as this one, to enhance their product and message.
247617
+Tiago Macedo Thanks man this mean so much
Nick Sarjveladze
It just doesn't get better than this...this is like pure mastery of hip-hop shown by canibus, he's just on whole another level
Rob j
Masterful! This is the height of Hiphop.