Cannibal Ox

Produced entirely by sonic adventurer El-P, Cann Ox's debut album rocks some of the fiercest, weirdest beats ever laid to wax. Densely layered, post-apocalyptic soundscapes lay the foundation for wordy but rowdy mic attacks from Vast and Vordul, exploring the science of life in the city. Unlike any other LP before or since, The Cold Vein is uncompromisingly ill.

At its worst, the brainy hip-hop underground can be clinical, with rhymes as flat as the
production; at its best, the subgenre's lyrical abstractions and rhythmic complexities form
new pathways between the head and heart. Taking cues from the New York underground
avatars Company Flow, Harlem duo Cannibal Ox - produced by CoFlow lead man El-P - mix
their bookishness with equal amounts of soul. MCs Vast and Vordul flow heavenl... More >

More entertaining than Anthony Braxton and Wallace Stevens put together ("Raspberry Fields," "Painkillers") (Grade - **)