For this segment of Album of the Week we’re brushing the dust off of an underground classic here with Cannibal Ox’s The Cold Vein (2001).  For those that don’t follow the underground scene, Cannibal Ox is a rap duo hailing from Harlem, New York, consisting of Vast Aire and Vordul Mega.  Unfortunately, this is the only full-length studio album from the group, and the solo careers for each were not nearly as potent; however, lightning was definitely trapped in a bottle in this effort.

From top to bottom this album is simply phenomenal, there isn’t a single track deserved of skipping on the play through.  To begin with, the beats were a creative balance of traditional hip-hop versus a trippy electronic vibe; think one part boom-bap, one part sci-fi journey.  This type of creative flair was a breath of fresh air into the stale, simplistic attack of hard-knocking baselines.  As far as control on the mic, the artists are absolutely dominant.  Both Vast and Vordul bring their own type of eccentric presence on the tracks, and the features were chosen wisely, kept to a minimum, and maintained the quality of content.  Vast Aire’s high energy, emphatic style blends top notch wordplay into what feels like a continuous slide show of their New York surroundings; this contrasts nicely with the fluid approach taken by Vordul Mega, who displays a toned down, consistent stream of lyrics as a paintbrush to portray the equivalent of still-life imagery.  The styles complement each other beautifully, much like the way in which Talib Kweli and Mos Def came together for the classic BlackStar two years before.  I would throw out a series of quotable lines, but the album is so dense that it is just laced with them, so here’s one symbolic of the entire album: Vast Aire – “…author with a Paper-Mate, spittin’ paperweights…”

This album is classified as underground hip-hop, and if that’s music to your ears, this album fits the bill and is a definite treat; however, even if you aren’t a hip-hop fan, this album deserves a listen simply for the artistic flair and creativity, and any true music lover should have it in their collection.

The only drawback for this album (if it is considered a drawback at all) is that you have to commit to the journey.  If you throw it on in the background and just let it ride while you spectate, it will not impress; however, if you dive in and journey with Vast Aire and Vordul Mega, it is a great experience.

Track list (with my favorites in bold):

1. Iron Galaxy
2. Ox out the Cage
3. Atom
4. A B-Boys Alpha
5. Raspberry Fields
6. Straight off the D.I.C.
7. Vein
8. The F-Word
9. Stress Rap
10. Battle For Asgard
11. Real Earth
12. Ridiculoid
13. Painkillers
14. Pigeon
15. Scream Phoenix

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