Canibus

小簡介
Canbius本名Germaine Williams，1974年出生在牙買加，很小就跟隨母親般到了美國，受到美國黑人區(qū)周圍孩子的影響，他也慢慢加入了玩rap的隊伍，而他與生俱來的rhetorical abilities讓他慢慢受到注目，先是加入了一個叫T.H.E.M. (The Heralds of Extreme Metaphors)說唱組合，然后在1996年左右開始個人的饒舌生涯，在Lost Boyz的Music make me high remix中的獻聲也正式宣告Canibus進入了主流說唱圈。
by Jason Birchmeier
Though heralded as a prospective talent at the time of his major-label debut in 1998, Canibus nonetheless became little more than a momentary phenomenon as his subsequent work failed to match the hype surrounding him. Following some underground work and cameo appearances, most notably on Wyclef Jeans Gone Till November remix in 1997, Canibus feuded famously with LL Cool J. The resulting exchanges — Canibus Second Round K.O. and LLs The Ripper Strikes Back, both spirited battle tracks — garnered significant attention and, of course, promotion as well. Expectations were therefore high when Canibus unleashed his Wyclef-produced debut full-length, Can-I-Bus (1998), shortly afterward on Universal. Critics unfortunately panned the album and listeners did so as well, so Canibus receded from the spotlight quickly. He returned two years later with his follow-up for Universal, 2000 B.C., but it too found little embrace, and Canibus soon found himself returning to the underground circuit from which he came. He interestingly sought to battle his way back into the spotlight as he originally had, ultimately confronting Eminem of all rappers. The tactic proved fruitless, though, and alienated Canibus even further from the mass market. Even so, he retained a cultish following and continued to release albums independently of the majors, occasionally firing off more of the battle raps he remains most known for.
Born Germaine Williams in 1974 in Jamaica, Canibus moved to the United States with his mother at a young age. Because his mothers career required constant relocation, the family moved frequently and the soon-to-be rapper found solace within himself. His rhetorical abilities blossomed later, once hip-hop became the guiding force in his life. He began rhyming and in the mid-90s joined a group called T.H.E.M. (The Heralds of Extreme Metaphors), which consisted also of his partner Webb. Following a fallout with his partner, Canibus pursued a solo career and began infiltrating the mix-tape circuit. By 1997, he had approached the brink of the major-label rap game, guesting regularly on high-profile releases: He contributed to Uni-4-orm, an inclusion on the Rhyme & Reason soundtrack also featuring Heltah Skeltah and Rass Kass; Love, Peace & Nappiness, an inclusion on the Lost Boyzs Love, Peace & Nappiness also featuring Redman and A+; Making a Name for Ourselves, an inclusion on Commons One Day Itll All Make Sense; the non-album remix of Wyclef Jeans Gone Till November; and most famously, 4, 3, 2, 1, an inclusion on LL Cool Js Phenomenon also featuring Redman, DMX, and Method Man.
Of the several guest appearances, 4, 3, 2, 1 certainly meant the most, as it brought together many of New Yorks preeminent hardcore rappers and thus ushered Canibus into that same elite class. At the same time, however, Canibus lashed out shortly afterward with the Mike Tyson-featuring Second Round K.O., where he rhymed, So Ima let the world know the truth, you dont want me to shine/You studied my rhyme, then you laid your vocals after mine. In fact, the entirety of the song directed barbed rhymes at LL: You walk around showin off your body cause it sells/Plus to avoid the fact that you aint got skills/Mad at me cause I kick that sh*t real niggaz feel/While 99 percent of your fans wear high heels, and so on. Shortly thereafter, LL sought his revenge, releasing The Ripper Strikes Back on the Survival of the Illest soundtrack (1998) and thus channeling even more attention toward Canibus. From the tracks chorus (Can-I-bus? Yes you can!) to practically every line of the verses (You soft as a newborn baby takin a nap/Make my dick hard with that bitch-ass track/Where you at? smokin in some one-room flat/Suckin on Clefs dick hopin to come back), LL unleashed a fury of insults and threats. The media, of course, elevated the battle to grand heights, as even MTV gave the story headlines. In the aftermath of 2Pacs and Biggies deaths, such confrontations fascinated the rap community, and Canibus certainly capitalized on his newfound publicity.
As for his debut full-length, Can-i-bus (1998), though, the response was sobering. Critics expressed little support, and sales quickly dropped as listeners also felt genuinely disappointed. Executive produced by Wyclef, the album suffered on many levels, both production-wise and rhetorically as well (critics targeting Canibus delivery more than his lyrics or themes). The momentum that Second Round K.O. had generated simmered almost immediately, and it didnt help that LLs Ripper Strikes Back found substantial acceptance at the time as well. In the two years following the release of Can-i-bus, the rapper maintained an extremely low profile, much in contrast to the regular guest appearances he had made leading up to his debut. As a result, when he finally did return with his follow-up album, 2000 B.C. (2000), few noticed, it came and went generally unheard, and Canibus returned to the underground after parting ways with Universal. He continued to record albums and release them on the independent circuit (including 2002s Mic Club, 2003s Rip the Jacker, and 2005s Mind Control); furthermore, he retained a small base of fans as well, yet his days as the next-big-thing had clearly come and gone, as they similarly had for so many other talented rappers.