Rip the Jacker

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Rip the Jacker
Rip the Jacker cover
Studio album by Canibus
Released July 22, 2003
Recorded 2002–2003
Genre East Coast hip hop, hardcore hip hop
Length 44:56
Label Mic Club/Babygrande
Producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind
Professional reviews
Canibus chronology
Mic Club: The Curriculum
(2002)		 Rip the Jacker
(2003)		 Mind Control
(2005)
Singles from Rip the Jacker
  1. "Spartibus"
    Released: June 24, 2003
  2. "Indibisible"
    Released: December 2003

Rip the Jacker is the fifth studio album by rapper Canibus, released on July 22, 2003 through Babygrande Records.

Contents

[edit] Conception

After producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind (of the group Jedi Mind Tricks) produced the track "Liberal Arts" from Canibus' fourth album Mic Club: The Curriculum (2002), Babygrande Records CEO Chuck Wilson raised the possibility of Stoupe producing an album. Before enlisting in the U.S. Army, Canibus recorded his vocals before any production, and then sent the a cappellas to Stoupe.[11][12] He claimed that he wrote the lyrics on a "stained dinner table in Hell's Kitchen".[13] In 2003, Canibus stated the album consisted of his most complex rhymes to date[14] and it "describes our civilization through the eyes of a modern day lyricist/poet".[15] Due to his military obligations, he did not hear the songs in the final format until a week after the album's release when he purchased a copy at Best Buy.[11] Although he released future albums, Rip the Jacker was intended to be his last.[13] As a concept album, the record represents the third "personality" of the rapper: "Prof. Emeritus Rip The Jacker", the others being "Dr. PhD Canibus" and "Germaine Williams" (his real name).[11][16] Canibus explained the alter-egos:

Germaine created Canibus and Canibus had to deal with things in the industry that he had no idea existed. I didn't know that the competition was unfair, that the competitive nature of the music was cut-throat. Then when I had the chance to experience that, Canibus had to create another level. Rip the Jacker is like a foot side of Jack the Ripper".[17]

[edit] Music

Produced by Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind, the album frequently samples golden age hip hop tracks.[2] Canibus is characterized for his "deep vocabulary, scientific concepts, battle rhymes and descriptive imagery" throughout the album.[1] Stylus Magazine's Kilian Murphy writes that:

The entire English language is seemingly contained in [Canibus'] mind: the sheer volume and variety on each track is astounding. He has word after word lined up in his head, bursting to be articulated. So he deletes and re-arranges until they are moulded into a savage, scholarly verbal assault... He consistently spits rhymes out with manic fury, but rarely alters the texture of his voice, takes care to emphasize individual words or alter pronunciations for effect.[7]

[edit] Reception

The album received generally favorable reviews. C. Brown of AllHipHop.com wrote that Canibus provides "incredibly sharp lyricism" and has adopted a more technical approach to his rhyming since the 1990s.[1] Allmusic's Andy Kellman considers the album to have the "best set of productions Canibus has had to work with". However, Kellman stated that the rapper's voice—described as a "grimacing monotone"—to be a "drone with extended exposure".[2] HipHopDX called Rip the Jacker Canibus' best album and praised the "lyrical dexterity" which can be "matched by very few".[5] Entertainment Weekly's Jonah Weiner describes the rhymes as "high-flown and delivered with gruff scorn -- but inane".[4] URB magazine writer Steve Juon of RapReviews.com ranked it the best album of 2003[18] and said it may be Canibus' "first album of perfection".[6]

Kilian Murphy of Stylus Magazine praised the record for its "pleasing level of instrumental detail and liquidity", but stated that Canibus "lacks the elements of showmanship and subtlety that would make him palatable to a wider audience".[7] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club wrote that Canibus "sounds like a kid who spends his free time reading the dictionary" and that the album is his "strongest, most consistent work to date. A shameless name-dropper, he references Noam Chomsky, Joseph Heller, Niels Bohr, and David Hume in his dense, challenging rhymes".[3] Samuel Chesneau of The Stranger called it "easily his best album" which "incorporates a much different sound and a real gothic feel".[19]

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Canibus and produced by Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind.

# Title Sample(s) Time
1 "Intro" 0:32
2 "Genabis"
  • "Music Box" by Philip Glass
  • "The Demise of Candyman" by Philip Glass
  • "Reverend's Walk" by Philip Glass
 4:12
3 "Levitibus" 4:00
4 "M-Sea-Cresy" 3:50
5 "No Return"
  • "Adon Olam" by David Gould
 4:53
6 "Spartibus" 4:00
7 "Indibisible" 3:59
8 "Showtime at the Gallow"
  • "Sabroso Como El Guarapo" by Pupi Legarreta
  • "Symphony 2000" by EPMD
 4:41
9 "Psych Evaluation" 3:51
10 "Cemantics"
  • "Fate's Lieutenant" by Christopher Gordon
  • "Daytona 500" by Ghostface Killah
  • "Leather Face" by Big Pun
  • "Cold as Ice" by M.O.P.
  • "Take It Personal" by Gang Starr
  • "Assassination Day" by Ghostface Killah
 3:40
11 "Poet Laureate II" 4:41

[edit] Singles

Single information
"Spartibus"[20]
"Indibisible"[21]
  • Released: December 2003
  • B-side: "No Return"

[edit] Charts

Charts (2003)[22] Peak
position
U.S. Billboard 200 194
U.S. Top Independent Albums 11
U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 33

[edit] Personnel

Information taken from Allmusic.[23]

  • Executive producer – Louis Lombard III, Chuck Wilson
  • Design – Jeff Chenault
  • Mixing – Chris Conway
  • Photography – Steve Gilbert
  • Production coordination – Charles "Chase" Jones
  • Mastering – Emily Lazar, Sarah Register
  • Art direction – Luminati
  • Marketing – Jesse Stone
  • Vocal engineer – Todd Watson

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Brown, C. (August 14, 2003). Reviews : Rip The Jacker. AllHipHop. Accessed February 24, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c Kellman, Andy. allmusic ((( Rip the Jacker > Overview ))). Allmusic. Accessed February 21, 2008.
  3. ^ a b Rabin, Nathan (September 16, 2003). Visions Of Gandhi | The A.V. Club. The A.V. Club. Accessed February 24, 2008.
  4. ^ a b Weiner, Jonah (August 8, 2003). Rip the Jacker (2003). Entertainment Weekly. Accessed April 14, 2008.
  5. ^ a b J-23 (August 23, 2003). Canibus - Rip The Jacker. HipHopDX. Accessed February 24, 2008.
  6. ^ a b Juon, Steve (September 2, 2003). Canibus :: Rip the Jacker. RapReviews. Accessed February 24, 2008.
  7. ^ a b c Murphy, Kilian (April 5, 2004). Canibus - Rip the Jacker - Review - Stylus Magazine. Stylus magazine. Accessed February 24, 2008.
  8. ^ Spyce. Canibus Review. The Situation. Accessed February 24, 2008.
  9. ^ Cornerstone (December 22, 2003). Rip The Jacker. Urban Smarts. Accessed February 24, 2008.
  10. ^ Leroy, Dan (July 15, 2003). Rip The Jacker. Yahoo! Music. Accessed February 24, 2008.
  11. ^ a b c Joel & Andy. Art of Rhyme - Canibus Interview. Art of Rhyme. Accessed February 6, 2008.
  12. ^ Canibus' Rip the Jacker in Stores Now!. Babygrande Records. Accessed February 21, 2008.
  13. ^ a b Jean, Angelo (April 8, 2005). Canibus: The Invisible Man. AllHipHop. Accessed March 2, 2008.
  14. ^ Paine (July 15, 2003). Canibus: A Soldier's Story. AllHipHop. Accessed March 2, 2008.
  15. ^ Wagenius, Emil (September 23, 2003). Canibus Interview. TrueBallers.net. Accessed April 12, 2008.
  16. ^ Brown, Chris (November 19, 2002). Canibus: Fire Starter. AllHipHop. Accessed February 24, 2008.
  17. ^ Rivera, Zayda (December 2, 2005). SOHH Where Have You Been?: Canibus. SOHH. Accessed April 3, 2008.
  18. ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (December 31, 2003). RapReviews.com Year 2003 in Review. RapReviews. Accessed February 28, 2008.
  19. ^ Chesneau, Samuel L. (August 14–August 20, 2003). The Hiphop Tip. The Stranger. Accessed April 14, 2008.
  20. ^ Stream Spartibus Now!!. Babygrande Records. Accessed February 21, 2008.
  21. ^ Canibus Second 12" Single Indibisible in Stores December 2003. Babygrande Records. Accessed February 21, 2008.
  22. ^ allmusic ((( Rip the Jacker > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums ))). Allmusic. Accessed February 21, 2008.
  23. ^ allmusic ((( Rip the Jacker > Credits ))). Allmusic. Accessed February 21, 2008.

[edit] External links