While Canibus’ 1998 debut album Can-I-Bus? was flawed with weak production, his sophomore album made up for that with better production and beats. While both albums were flawed with some fairly bad production, the lyrics were some of the best I’ve ever heard which easily made up for these flaws. Although I constantly told myself that Canibus would make an album where he enlisted DJ Premier, Large Professor and Alchemist to create the beats for this, and quite possibly, his second best album yet, despite the poor production. A list of no-name producers however had my high hopes lowered. While I still had hope for this album, upon listening to it, I realized this was no longer the Canibus that was the best battle rapper of our time. Instead, it was a subject matter-varied album that was both original and creative. This Canibus is intent on dissing commercial success and most mainstream Hip-Hop rather than selling out to these forms of lyrics and subject matter. As said above, originality and creativity is Canibus’ main goal, and for the most part, even over bland production, creates a fairly good album, although not the classic I was hoping for.
As it would appear, trying to mock commercial success would mean rhymes about woman and getting these women in clubs (Hott Tonight) which, in itself, is to be taken lightly. Although this was a moment that was quite unexpected, the subject matter alone was enough to have me almost laughing in amazement at an artist actually daring to do this. While Canibus’ lyrics will always be some of the most skilled and charismatic out of any emcee, his lack of ability to be able to identify good beats detract greatly from this album. While this albums predecessor used heavier, darker sounds and bass lines, this album seems to return to the ’’Caribbean-styled’’ beats that rely more on island-sounding rhythms and minimalistic drum loops. While synthesizers are common, the lack of even looping Jazz samples into tired beats and dull soundscapes detract greatly from the album.
While I consider his debut album to be his greatest, I was hoping the production would eventually sound better than that found on the aforementioned track. Although I was hoping from this, the poor selection of drum loops, synthesizer and samplings are some of the worst I’ve heard. While artists like Nas can carry an album based on lyrics and subject matter alone, as can Canibus, the poor selection overall remains dull, but ambitious. The utilization is what fails on this LP. With charisma and some fairly good selections (on some occasions) to samples, the minimalistic sound and light-hearted rhythms don’t fit Canibus’ style all that well.
I had high hopes for the production and beats due to the poor use of it on his previous two LP’s. While the saying third times the charm may have worked for artists such as Ja Rule and P. Diddy in their success rate, neither success or the usage of any good samples are the accomplishments of the new producers. Although some of the bass and drum loops are fairly good the island-sounds are more humorous rhetoric than anything I could take seriously. Incredibly, though, I stuck through and hoped for lyrics and subject matter that would overshadow the poor beats as found in previous albums. Considering this, however, the fact that he has left Universal Records and is now on an indie label, the lack of money shows in the beats. Creating cheap imitations that come off as photocopies of watered-down Dr. Dre and even past Wyclef Jean beats. While I still remain to be a Canibus fan, the beats were, undoubtedly, thrown together in a fashion that were supposedly radio-friendly and to be more listenable rather than complex-sounding such as the ones found in his first two albums. Even with this said, not all of it is as bad as I’m making it out to be, but that’s not to say it’s anything listenable. While a few tracks are fairly good in they’re overall utilization of beat selections (most notably Box Cutta, Blade Runna), but many of the other tracks fall into category that are neither original nor are they innovative.
The lyrics weren’t mediocre in any way, which, in itself, was unexpected. But, hanging on to my last hope to give this album four stars, considering the weak production, I was listening to the subject matter when I realized that the whole album was creating a mockery of commercial Hip-Hop mistake and focused more on humorous rhetoric and focused disses, seemingly being close, subject matter-wise and lyrically, to Kool Keith’s Matthew. While the subject matter does focus somewhat on Canibus’ life (as the albums title would tell you), its also an album that includes a few battle rap’s but focuses more on disses to the usual list of whack emcees, producers, ’’pop-rap’’ artists and the like. Hott Tonight. Relying more on uninspired topics to lyrically dismantle this type of subject matter that brags about woman, as well as using a tone of voice that creates the atmosphere of the track(s) that utilizes this form of lyricism. Although not Canibus’ style and incredibly clichéd in the Hip-Hop genre, it was refreshing to see an artist diss such tracks in, while, not vintage fashion, but still in a stylistic approach. Its good to see Canibus hasn’t resorted to rapping about platinum chains, cars, chrome-plated rims and such, but instead, dissing these topics with battle rap’s and valid points that deteriorate them.
Lyrically, this album isn’t Canibus’ worst album due to the fact that the smart wordplay, metaphors and similes are left out, but the subject matter is a step up for a Canibus album. While his two previous LP’s were combined with Old School braggadocio and battle rap’s, this album focuses more on subject matter. While this album could have fallen into the same categories, but avoids that and becomes, arguably, his second past album.
The guest artists, while could have been the saving grace for the poor production, ended up being the worst part of the album. Instead of enlisting guest artists such as Pras, Rakim, KRS-One, Kool Keith and/or Pharoahe Monch to include more atmosphere into the battle rap’s, he enlists his own hired emcees who, along with Canibus, create C-4. While I wouldn’t have a problem with this, and seeing as how white rappers have become a commodity, if they were talented in the least, I wouldn’t have such a problem with them being on the album.
While C True Hollywood Stories could have been the classic Canibus album that fans have been waiting for since Can-I-Bus?, its a fairly good one, however, that could have been classic, but still suffers from poor production. While it isn’t an album that is one of his worst, quite the contrary, is one of his best, compared to Canibus’ two previous LP’s, it seems as though its a completely different emcee due to variety and subject matter which makes the album all the much more listenable. Concentrating on lyrically proficient tracks rather than battle rap’s, it shows the true extent of his song writing talents. As well as lyrical prowess.