| Canibus | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Birth name |
Germaine Williams |
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Born |
December 9, 1974 |
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Origin |
The Bronx, New York City, U.S. |
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Genre(s) |
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Occupation(s) |
Rapper, actor |
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Years active |
1996-present |
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Labels |
Universal, Archives, Babygrande, Gladiator, War Lab, RBC |
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Associated acts |
The Hrsmn, Wyclef Jean, Jedi Mind Tricks, K-Rino, Kool G Rap, Keith Murray |
Germaine Williams (born 9 December 1974), better known by his stage name Canibus, is an American rapper and actor from New York City, New York. He is a member of the groups The Hrsmn, The Undergods and Cloak n Digga. Canibus had a seventeen year long feud with LL Cool J that originated from the 1997 song "4, 3, 2, 1" from LL's album Phenomenon.
His debut album, Can-I-Bus, was released in 1998, with its single "Second Round K.O.", which dissed LL, becoming a success. Despite eventually being certified Gold, critics panned the album for Canibus' subject matter and producer Wyclef Jean's beats. Canibus subsequently severed ties with Wyclef for his second album after blaming him for the general dissatisfaction with his debut album. Canibus' sophomore album 2000 B.C. (Before Can-I-Bus) was also released to mixed reviews, but featured the first collaboration between Canibus, Kurupt, Ras Kass and Killah Priest, who would later form the group The Hrsmn. In 2001, he released his third album, C! True Hollywood Stories, which became a controversial release due to an unclear concept. After the critical failure of C!, Canibus regained his respect after the release of his 2002 album Mic Club: The Curriculum, which saw him return to a more scientific and complex rapping style.
Canibus enlisted in the United States Army after the release of Mic Club and having recorded a number of new songs. The songs were assembled together for the 2003 album Rip the Jacker, which received rave reviews from the majority of critics, with the general opinion that Canibus had finally found producers who could equal the quality of his lyrics. Rip the Jacker was the final Canibus album to receive real critical acclaim, as the artist released a string of albums that were poorly received. His 2005 album, Mind Control, would receive no acclaim whatsoever, and would be the start of what is considered to be a downward slope for him.
2007 would see Canibus make a comeback with the album For Whom the Beat Tolls.
Followed by the Album C of Tranquility in 2010 and then the critically acclaimed Album Melatonin Magik. In 2011 Canibus would continue critical success with the Allbum Lyrical Law.
Although having a commercially and critically unsuccessful career, Canibus is often referred to as one of the best lyricists of all time. He has sold over one million records.
Discography[]
- 1998: Can-I-Bus
- 2000: 2000 B.C. (Before Can-I-Bus)
- 2001: C! True Hollywood Stories
- 2002: Mic Club: The Curriculum
- 2003: Rip the Jacker
- 2005: Mind Control
- 2005: Hip-Hop for $ale
- 2007: For Whom the Beat Tolls
- 2010: C of Tranquility
- 2010: Melatonin Magik
- 2011: Lyrical Law
- 2014: Fait Accompli LP
- 2015: Time Flys, Life Dies... Phoenix Rise
- 2018: Full Spectrum Dominance
- 2018: Full Spectrum Dominance 2
- 2019: Full Spectrum Dominance 3
- 2019: Full Spectrum Dominance: Repolarization