A fantastic song from a truly horrible album. Before his debut record the underground buzz that surrounded Germaine 'Canibus' Williams was considerable. In lieu of actual, professionally recorded music, hip hop nerds had spent years trading cassette tapes featuring Canibus' fleeting appearances on radio stations. His flow sounded natural like Rakim or Nas, yet it had a violent, abrasive edge like Ghostface. Surely there was a list of competent producers who would have given anything to help deliver rap music's most anticipated baby into the world?
In their extremely finite wisdom record execs decided that Canibus needed none other than Wyclef Jean at the controls. The album was ruined faster than you could say Fugee-la-leprosy. Where there should have been a jagged vortex of rap brutality there were beats so tepid that LL fucking Cool J would dismiss them as gay. This one track is the album's only redeeming feature. It's a stark, relentless battle rap on which Canibus mentions that he wants to "shine", and boasts about running in the sand and "eating a nigga's ass". But somehow it's actually scary! All the while a disembodied choir are warming up over a simple but menacing three-note bass line. Canibus may not have lived up to being the Third Coming of Rakim, but this track makes a great case for what the First Coming of Canabis might have sounded like with the right guidance.
Great songs on forgettable albums #1
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