Rewind to 1998, a mostly unknown rapper by the name of Canibus drops a track called “Second Round Knockout” directed at legend LL COOL J. The world is caught off guard-where did this kid come from because he fucking killed it! AND he’s backed by Wyclef Jean? And for that matter, WHAT has Mike Tyson got to do with anything?

Back in 1998, Canibus’ rap career was at its peak. Here came this kid out of nowhere, single-handedly decimating one of the most prolific battle rappers in the game. Sure, LL dropped a response that was decent, but it paled in comparison to the marvel that is “Second Round Knockout.”

But the public was hungry for more. What about the album, the masses wondered. They wouldn’t have to wait for long.

In 1998, Canibus had ENORMOUS pressure behind him to succeed. His debut album would have be a tomahawk slam in the fourth quarter over Patrick Ewing in order to meet the expectations the public had for him . Instead, it was more like a Allen Iverson crossover in the second quarter that got called for travelling, “meh.”

Still, I think Canibus’ debut album, Can-I-Bus, is a good album. The man can flow, for sure. Joints like “Patriots” or “Buckingham Palace” still bang as hard as they ever did. Songs like “Niggonometry” and “I Honor U” are entertaining and original. Maybe it’s the nostalgia talking, but songs I used to think were booty (“Hype-nitis”) have replay value now. Just don’t ask me about “Rip Rock” because that song just sucks.

As expected, a lot of formerly “diehard” fans of Canibus jumped off the bandwagon once Can-I-Bus dropped. Some stuck around, hoping that he’d do better with his sophomore effort. The reasoning was that he would do better without Wyclef-which Canibus himself boldly proclaimed on a song from said album. The sad truth was that 2000 B.C. wasn’t better than Can-I-Bus, nor was C: True Hollywood Stories (haha), nor was Mic Club.

The man who had stepped onto the rap scene like a father’s first born war hero son is now more like the weird uncle who sits in the corner at reunions.

But he did have that debut album, and it’s worth a listen.

Extended listening: Episode 16 – All Beef #1 (chronicling the LL COOL J/Canibus beef).

Bonus episode one of two before the Tupac Man of the Hour episode. Here is the second Jerome-centric J. Pitts episode.  Actually, you might call it the J. Fitz Show, shout to Lydia for coining that term!

Download (right click and save as):

Murs’ latest album, Murs for President dropped awhile ago. Judging from the non-existent reception this album got, I am assuming he will be dropped from Warner Bros. sometime in the near future. Murs for President was a trash album, by the way.

This is more for Nice Rec than anyone else, here is the video for Stones Throw signee Mayer Hawthorne’s Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out.

Spotted @ Stones Throw

Good news, my computer is fixed! That means we can get this show back on course and deliver you hot podcasts with dope music ever week.

We recorded ANOTHER bonus episode this past weekend where Nice Rec played jams, but the levels on the mics were pretty bad. It’s doubtful whether that episode will ever see the light of day.

Be on the lookout for the Tupac Man of the Hour. Yes, it IS going to come ou I promise! We also have our yearly R&B showcase, our spring BBQ, and the return of DJ Phinesse coming soon.

I made my grand return to New York City this past weekend after 2 years only to come back and find my computer has malware on it. Yes, my friends, my computer has been afflicted with the logon/logoff loop, and none of the suggested remedies have been able to fix it.

I am going to have to format the computer this weekend, but until then I am out of commission. We have Jeromisode #2 still yet to be uploaded, and as well as another bonus of Nice Rec spinning the jams coming, too. And then, of course, the long awaited Tupac Man of the Hour.

But yeah, that is the reason for the delay. Bear with me.

I am only part way through Blame One’s Days Chasing Days and I can tell already-this one is a heater. It’s hard to miss when you have Blu and Exile littered throughout the album.

I am also peeping DJ Stoupe’s Decalogue. Stoupe, aka the Enemy of Mankind aka the beatmaker behind Jedi Mind Tricks, excels at crafting nod your head, rowdy production that makes you feel like punching the person next to you in the face. Fans of JMT are going to be feeling this one. Guest appearances from Vinnie Paz, Saigon, M.O.P. and more.

Here goes one half of the final cover of King Magazing aka the Black Maxim. I subscribed to this magazine when it first came out but then I realized I could probably find the pictures online for free. I liked the magazine-I can’t be mad at any publication that features fine ladies on its cover. Nope, can’t be mad at all.

The cover is of Tahiry, girlfriend of Joe Budden and blossiming internet starlet. We live in different times when a girl can make it big off of her boyfriend’s homemade youtube videos.

Eighty-four episodes in you know the routine, we play the hot jams, we talk a little, you listen. Peep game.

Murs – The Pain

Saigon – My Crew
The Kid Daytona – Lonely f/ Amanda Diva
Bishop Lamont – Friends
Bow Wow – Roc the Mic f/ Jermaine Dupri

Doom – Gazillion Ear
88 Keys – Ho’ is Short for Honey f/ Kid Cudi
Steele (of Smif and Wessun) – Toast to Brooklyn f/ Buckshot
Blu – LoveLine(s),DedicatedToLastFe’vrier

Show Notes

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What’s good?

This weekend went by like a blur. Big shoutout to Slim Wilkins, Sidekick Josh, and Angry Dan for coming through. Let me also give the big fuck you to all three of you because I didn’t get anything I wanted to get done. What did I want to get done?

- Watch season 2.0 of Battlestar Gallactica
- Prepare the next episode of the podcast.

Instead here I am on Monday putting in boku work. Thanks for being assholes, and going hard with me this weekend. Pause.

Before the links and videos an update about the podcast: Episode 84 will be out Wednesday or Thursday. Next week we will have a bonus episode with Jerome playing the selections (Jeromisode #2). Before taking a week off and finally knocking out that Tupac episode.

Without further ado:

Here goes a previously unreleased tape of Biggie’s last party before he died. From all accounts, it looks like heads were getting down. Spotted at Nah Right.

- Did I ever tell you that I love this woman?

For everyone dropping her down a notch because her pics are photoshopped… I am willing to look past a little cellulite. Reggie Bush, I applaud you.

- Prodigy sounds like an idiot 95% of the time, but manages to say something thought provoking the other 5%. His latest blog post is in that 95%.

A snippet:

LISTEN UP, FUCK THE TIGHT EUROPEAN CUT (THEY SELL THAT SAME EXACT OUTFIT IN A XXL OR XXXL), FUCK MASSA, FUCK A BLACKBALL AND A BLACKLIST, FUCK GUCCI, FUCK “SWAGGER,” FUCK ALL YOU SAFE FLAMINGO ASS NIGGAS THAT’S SCARED TO ROCK THE BOAT AND FUCK THAT BOAT TOO. I’LL FLIP THAT BITCH OVER.

Yes, he writes in all caps.

- Max B (formerly of Dipset) sucks as a rapper and will probably go to jail for a very very long time. Still, the dude manages to be entertaining in interviews, and for that reason he gets mention on this blog. Here he is talking on Jim Jones, coming at him about his Christmas album amongst other things (I peeped it, it sucked).

- Ignorance aside, let’s end with a little education from the man known as Chuck D.