CANIBUS
Can-I-Bus (Universal)
Rating: 5 out of 7
By Billy Johnson Jr.

   Anticipation.
   Well, let's see. Having his verse from the Lost Boyz' "Beasts From The East"--his first professional recording--listed as a "Hip-Hop Quotable" in the Source helped spark a pretty impressionable campaign for this vicious young MC from New Jersey. Soon to follow were collabs with hip-hop's elite: Common, LL Cool J (who Canibus later demolished lyrically), and Wyclef. Some would argue that we've already heard the best of Canibus, but the artist did manage to save enough of his poignant lyrics for his own solo disc. 
   While every song on Can-I-Bus does not live up to the hype, most do. Perfect scores go to the soothing and jazzy "Hype-nitis," street savvy "Niggonometry," and the already classic LL Cool J dis "Second Round K.O." The rapper with "more lines than an African herd of zebras" illustrates his potency throughout, additionally proving that he can develop concepts. "What's Going On" addresses violence at night clubs, "I Honor U" pays respect to his mother, "Hype-nitis" criticizes fake friends, and "Channel Zero" warns listeners to "fear science, not Satan." Though Canibus's previous works conditioned us to expect an album full of battle rhymes, he sought a more universal approach that should prevent him from being pigeonholed.