LL Cool J finally reveals why he had an issue with Canibus original verse for the song 4,3,2,1.

[The Intergalactic Koala]

I wonder if Canibus in a air duct smirking at the fact that he took LL's mic off the arm

That giddy feeling of knowing that you were once the "illest alive" and folks still say that you won, but on what grounds:

• Being a obsessed relic of the 90s
• Going from rapping with some of hip hop elites to fixing a fuse to a AC unit
• Bringing a notepad to a battle rap
• Spitting about nuclear molecules and fusions while only dozens including the marsupial await a new Poet Laureate
• Fumbling so many chances to redeem while showing up to a hospital facility 10 minutes early to fixed a thermostat
• Listening to "The Ripper Strikes Back" from the ceiling, as you fix the issues with the ducts

Man...luck needs to be appreciated and held onto, because you never know when you are going to lose it.

 

[En Sabah Nur]

in hindsight, it kind of ruined Canibus's career, LL was well connected and anyone that was on LL's side kind of shunned Canibus from any opportunities as a new artist. At the same time, Canibus kind of did it to himself by going the battle rapping route on most of his music, not developing as an artist and dropping the hits required in order to stay relevant. LL is right though, EGO at an all time high in hip hop will block a GREAT AMOUNT OF YOUR BLESSINGS. Those that let their ego go a bit and actually played the game by doing a few commercial joints, basked in their fruits of their labor. The difference between Pun and Bis is that Pun LISTENED and got himself a "Still not a player". All those "Nah i ain't selling out" type rappers never lasted. Looking back, it ain't sh*t to have 1 or 2 commercial joints on your album, you stilll had 85% full control of the rest of your project to spit whatever hard sh you thought would get you your respect. Biggie showed you the blueprint.

Canibus career was ruined because of wack music. If anything LL helped him. Name another track from his debut that would have generated the huge amount of buzz for people to buy it...

 

[Awesome Wells]

Canibus career was ruined because of wack music. If anything LL helped him. Name another track from his debut that would have generated the huge amount of buzz for people to buy it...

This right here.

Canibus was signed to the same label that LL was. But directly. He inked with Universal directly to get a bigger check, and they spent millions marketing and promoting him, but the music was trash. The LL situation is what got him out there away from the mixtape sh*t. Most people didn't even know who he was, until the LL thing.

That's why he lost the battle. Because it was never about him not making commercial records, dude just couldn't make good records. Even underground MC's thought he was trash and would clown him. Jerry and Wyclef said he was "a weirdo" who thought he knew everything, but didn't know how to make songs. So they stopped f*cking with him right after they got him his deal. Universal threw him mad money again for a second album, and he flopped so badly, they had to drop him. He got gassed off his freestyle run on the mixtapes and thought because labels wanted to sign him, that he was about to be one of the GOAT's. And like Redman said, it's never okay to come in the game off the street and go at a legend. So he did all that and still couldn't make dope sh*t. That's what killed his "career". He was wack. And his so-called fans online have always been wild delusional.

 

[bordeaux]

corny af.

 

[Turbulent]

Canibus should’ve just dropped subliminals on random records at LL in the late 90’s while he was still hot instead of an outright diss record before he was established.

I see what you are saying and in theory, that would have been the safest route. However, i remember back then, Canibus was considered the second coming and the 2nd round KO track was very well received. In fact I would argue it was looking shaky for LL back then. And people were rooting for Canibus to win so he had the momentum. To me it really comes down to the direction of the first album. Both production wise as well as content wise it's not what people expected. He went a little bit too left with it. Had he delivered on that first album, i think we might be having a different convo today. Hell his second album is what the first one should have been.

All respect to LL and i might be wrong but i remember people not really fukking with Ls response like that in real time.

 

[Turbulent]

One thing i would like to add. Back then and through out his career he (Canibus) came off like an a$$hole and egotistical in his general aura. But he seemed cool on the Math podcast.

 

[The Minister Of Culture]

Mansay what you want about some of the content of the song but that the ripper strikes back song had so much energy to it mainly cause LL was pissed off


Soldier, nikka! Thought I told ya, nikka!
Crossover, slam dunk! Game over, nikka!

 

[Awesome Wells]

All respect to LL and i might be wrong but i remember people not really fukking with Ls response like that in real time.

Hot 97 put the two tracks up against each other for the battle.

The listeners picked LL overwhelmingly. The only people who f*cked with the 'Bis joint were people who already hated LL, lol. The city wasn't f*cking with Canibus. People were literally calling in and saying Canibus was corny. NY wasn't with it.

 

[Bigblackted4]

Aye I fukk with Negronometry

 

[Turbulent]

You're most certainly right. Maybe I'm remembering wrong. I was on a messageboard but it was more catered to "underground hip hop" so there was probably a bias. Also my friends were and i would argue this battle and most of us thought Canibus got him but maybe that was just us.

 

[Turbulent]

Aye I fukk with Negronometry

Always thought the opening lines were suspect...

Now if a bytch sucks yo dikk, for $5 per square inch
And gets $40, including a $5 tip
How big was the dikk she just sucked? (say what?)
Said how big was the dikk she just sucked? (wha...?)

 

[Regular_P]

Canibus career was ruined because of wack music. If anything LL helped him. Name another track from his debut that would have generated the huge amount of buzz for people to buy it...

His debut album was so ass. I remember XXL gave it an M (basically 2/5) but I bought a lot of CDs back then and decided fukk it, there's gotta be something on here. It was nothing but duds besides 2nd Round KO.

 

[SAJ!!]

This right here.

Canibus was signed to the same label that LL was. But directly. He inked with Universal directly to get a bigger check, and they spent millions marketing and promoting him, but the music was trash. The LL situation is what got him out there away from the mixtape sh*t. Most people didn't even know who he was, until the LL thing.

That's why he lost the battle. Because it was never about him not making commercial records, dude just couldn't make good records. Even underground MC's thought he was trash and would clown him. Jerry and Wyclef said he was "a weirdo" who thought he knew everything, but didn't know how to make songs. So they stopped f*cking with him right after they got him his deal. Universal threw him mad money again for a second album, and he flopped so badly, they had to drop him. He got gassed off his freestyle run on the mixtapes and thought because labels wanted to sign him, that he was about to be one of the GOAT's. And like Redman said, it's never okay to come in the game off the street and go at a legend. So he did all that and still couldn't make dope sh*t. That's what killed his "career". He was wack. And his so-called fans online have always been wild delusional.

I remembered saying the same thing to some dudes back in college, but they didn't want to hear it. Canibus had a change to be a legend in the game, but he blew it.

 

[threattonature]

His debut album was so ass. I remember XXL gave it an M (basically 2/5) but I bought a lot of CDs back then and decided fukk it, there's gotta be something on here. It was nothing but duds besides 2nd Round KO.

I thought giving it a 2 was going too far but it was weak overall. I fukked with Buckingham Palace heavy when it came out. The main thing to me is the album just sounds cheaply made. Sounds like some mixtape shyt for real, even the sounds aren't crisp on top of the songs being weak.

 

[drederick tatum]