Canibus

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Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Short description Template:Infobox musical artist

Germaine Williams (born December 9, 1974), better known by his stage name Canibus, is a Jamaican-American rapper. First having gained recognition for his freestyling abilities, he signed with Universal Records to release his debut studio album, Can-I-Bus (1998). He has since released 13 solo studio albums, and several collaborative projects with other rappers as a member of the Four Horsemen, Refugee Camp All-Stars, Sharpshooterz, Cloak N Dagga, the Undergods and one-half of T.H.E.M.

About.com placed him at number 32 on their list of the "Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007)",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while in 2012 The Source placed him number 44 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Early life

Williams was born on December 9, 1974, in Kingston, Jamaica. He is of Jamaican descent.<ref name=amg>[[[:Template:AllMusic]] allmusic ((( Canibus > Biography )))]. Allmusic. Accessed February 22, 2008.</ref><ref>Parker, Lyndsey (August 7, 2000). Exclusive LAUNCH Artist Chat. Yahoo! Music. Accessed February 22, 2008. Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> His father, Basil Williams, was a Jamaican and West Indian cricketer.<ref>Canibus : Rap, Hip-Hop Interview Template:Webarchive. Riot Sound. Accessed February 22, 2008.</ref> The family moved frequently, living in The Bronx; Newark, New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Miami; Buffalo; and London<ref name=daily>Millner, Denene (September 18, 1998). The Canndy Canibus Rapper's No Dope, As Rep Goes From Bad To Verser With Release of his First Solo Album Template:Webarchive. The Daily News. Accessed February 22, 2008.</ref> due to his mother's career requiring constant relocation.<ref name=amg /> Canibus stated that he was an introverted child growing up.<ref name=phenomenon>Johnson Jr, Billy (February 16, 1999). A World Wide PhenomenonTemplate:Dead link. Yahoo! Music. Accessed February 22, 2008.</ref>

After completing high school in 1992, he spent a year working for AT&T Corporation and another year as a data analyst for the U.S. Department of Justice.<ref name=phenomenon /> He studied computer science at DeKalb College in Atlanta.<ref name=daily /><ref name=nyt1998>Strauss, Neil (May 10, 1998). POP/JAZZ; A Rising Rap Star Puts Content Ahead of Style. The New York Times. Accessed February 22, 2008.</ref>

Career

Debut album (1997–1998)

Canibus' debut album Can-I-Bus was released on September 8, 1998. The song "Second Round K.O.", produced by Wyclef Jean, was a success, with the video featuring Wyclef and a cameo appearance by boxer Mike Tyson. This song formed part of Canibus' famous beef with LL Cool J.

The album contained a lot of socially-conscious material, such as corruption within the U.S. government, AIDS, and violence in modern America.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Canibus had a feud with LL Cool J over a verse that Canibus gave on LL's track "4,3,2,1" from his album Phenomenon. The track featured Canibus, Method Man, Redman, and DMX. Canibus's verse began with the line "Yo LL, is that a mic on your arm? Let me borrow that," referring to the microphone tattoo on LL Cool J's arm which LL Cool J interpreted as Canibus insulting him. When the final cut of the song came out it featured LL Cool J's verse after Canibus's, mocking an unspecified person believed to be Canibus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Leaked Eminem Diss (2003)

In 2003, a bootleg album known as "Straight from the Lab" was released, containing several at the time unreleased tracks by rap artist Eminem. Among the contents of the album was a diss track called "Can-I-Bitch", which is a word play on Canibus' debut album "Can-I-Bus" targeting mainly Canibus and partly the Pet Shop Boys.<ref>Template:Cite web Accessed September 1, 2025 </ref><ref>Template:Cite web Accessed September 1, 2025 </ref>

For Whom the Beat Tolls (2007)

Canibus performing in 2007

When the record was originally announced in March, there was only one confirmed track – the third installment in Canibus' "Poet Laureate" series, "Poet Laureate Infinity". The track has 1,000 bars, in the form of five 200 bar verses, and is layered in such a way that "when you mix it and spread it throughout five channels, [you have the ability] to mix the track differently every time".<ref>Heinzelman, Bill (March 19, 2007). Canibus My Life Template:Webarchive. XXL magazine. Accessed March 24, 2008.</ref>

Melatonin Magik (2010)

In December 2009, it was announced that Canibus was in the process of releasing his 9th studio album Melatonin Magik.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>

C of Tranquility (2010)

C of Tranquility was released on October 5, 2010. Producers include DJ Premier, Jake One, Scram Jones, Tha Bizness and J-Zone.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Canibus vs Dizaster (2012)

Canibus completed his first rap battle for King of the Dot on June 9, 2012. Canibus participated in the first two rounds before pulling out a notepad to read his bars during the third round, after admitting defeat and wishing to recite what he said were "30 pages of rhymes" that he had failed to memorize.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="horowitz1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="youtube1">[1] Template:Webarchive</ref> The battle was part of King of the Dot's Fresh Coast division in L.A.<ref name="horowitz1" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A fake open letter, attributed to Canibus appeared on Tumblr,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> though it was later debunked by his manager.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Canibus later released an official statement on his Facebook page. About the battle itself, Canibus commented that "Sometimes people need laughter and entertainment at the expense of others embarrassment but hip hop means so much to me I don't care."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Army service

In 2002, Canibus signed up for the United States Army. In a 2005 interview, Canibus stated "I enlisted because I wanted to get away from the music... I wanted to do something that gave me a separate definition from what I had done all through my teens and twenties. I was 28 when I enlisted." In 2004, he was caught smoking cannabis and was subsequently discharged.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Discography

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Albums

Solo

Collaborations

EPs

  • Canibus & Keith Murray Are The Undergods (2009) (with Keith Murray, as The Undergods)
  • Historic EP (2014) (with Killah Priest, Kurupt & Ras Kass, as HRSMN)
  • Full Spectrum Dominance (2018)
  • Full Spectrum Dominance 2 (2018)
  • Matrix Theory I (2018) (with Marty McKay)
  • Full Spectrum Dominance 3 (2019)
  • Matrix Theory II (2019) (with Marty McKay)
  • Full Spectrum Dominance: Repolarization (2019)
  • Matrix Theory III (2019) (with Marty McKay)
  • Matrix Theory IV (2020) (with Marty McKay)
  • Matrix Theory V (2021) (with Marty McKay)
  • C (2022) (with Pete Rock)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filmography

  • Eyes on Hip Hop (1995) – self
  • Bamboozled (2000) – Mo Blak
  • Beef II (2004) – self
  • The MC: Why We Do It (2005) – self

References

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