"The DVD is ill and the music videos add a nice touch. If you have to choose between this and Hip Hop for Sale, this is the one I would buy."
Good collaboration, but not without its flaws
T. Walsh | New Jeru | 12/05/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This project almost came TOTALLY out of left field, but regardless of the severe lack of promotion, the album is pretty good overall...
Canibus for the most part dropped hot verses, although there's a few moments where he's just spitting some random nonsense. I'm one of those people who wouldn't mind hearing the 2000B.C. era of Canibus, but I welcome his diversity... He shines tremendously on tracks like Def Con Zero, Letter From Head Trauma, and Cloakman... However, he spits some really nonsensical jargon on Titans Clashing, Gold Finger, and Ya'll Can't Ball...
This is the first time I'm hearing Pheonix Orion, but he definately spits less complexing rhymes than Canibus, which is good and bad at times. My favorite verses of him were Majestic Mic Masters and Titans Clashing. His delivery for the most part is energetic, but at times insanely annoying especially on Ya'll Can't Ball. However, he occasionally outshines Canibus on a few tracks, but he's lyrically the weaker of the two. I might look into his solo albums though because he did spark my interest...
Production on this album is all over the place. You occassionally get some REAL HARD BANGERS which are accompanied by some real GARBAGE... Letter From Head Trauma, Cloakman, Gold Finger just to name a few are insanely dope. Then there's random sh** beats like Commandos or HTR which I either found very repetitive or annoying...
GOOD THINGS ON THE CD:
The majority of the rhyming is very hot on this, some very hot Canibus rhymes, Kool G Rap - K Solo - Tyrant - and Free's guest spots, the additional DVD
BAD THINGS ON CD:
Almost NO conceptual tracks found here (except Livin), a few lousy beats, some really annoying hooks, sometimes Pheonix Orion gets redundant (along with one or two Bis verses)
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Overall: 7 out of 10
I wouldn't mind seeing a follow-up as long as C&D fix up these numerous minor inconsistencies... This group definately has major potential --- GET BETTER PROMOTION NEXT TIME!"
Pretty good album from Bis & Phienix Orion
G$ | B-More, MD | 11/28/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"2005 seems to be a busy year for one of the top lyricists, Just 6 months since Canibus released his last album, he is back with Phoenix Orion as Cloak N Dagga, just 1 week before he releases his 3rd album in a 6 month period (I haven't got "Hip Hop 4 Sale" yet). All in all it is a decent album worthy of 4 stars, not his best but not his worst, right in the middle. With 17 songs, Canibus is on all (he has 2 solo's as well) and Phoenix Orion, who I previously never heard of, is on 13 (he is decent himself). It has 1 almost classic, 11 ar egood, and the rest are ok, no bad ones. Guests rap on 3 songs and do the hook on a few so you get to hear a good amount of Rip and Phoenix. Production is ok on some songs and tight on others and is handled form producers I never heard of. Markeyz does 5 songs, Fat Jack, DJ Makie, Jizzm, Simon Sez all do 2 songs, and NIR, DJ Example, Buyyo Beats all do 1 song. The album also has a bonus DVD I haven't got to check out yet, it has some videos and 2 unreleased songs. A good album for his fans to have.
#2 - 8 (Canibus f/ Phoenix Orion)
#3 - 8.5 (Canibus f/ Phoenix Orion)
#4 - 7 (Canibus f/ Free and Tyrant)
#5 - 8.5 (Canibus f/ K Solo, Phoenix Orion & KooL G Rap)
CANIBUS -- Germaine Williams -- b. 12/9/74 - b. Jamiaca moved to Miami, FL - moved to Atlanta, GA moved to New York, NY
PHOENIX ORION -- Marcy, Brooklyn, NY
Check all my reviews"
Great for any Canibus fan
E. Habeck III | Upstate NY | 12/23/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"to me canibus sounds best over harder beats, this cd doesnt seem to skimp out on them, maybe a few times, but over all the beats match the rhymes very well. i got into most of the tracks on here, still got to listen to it more in depth. canibus sounds the same on almost any track, so the standouts are where he can remove himself a bit from battle rap and into story mode or the like."