Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein [2001]

Had Cannibal Ox continued making records as incredible as The Cold Vein, they could have ended up being the underground experimental version of Mobb Deep. Two New York City-based emcees telling stories of the dangerous reality of their neighborhood backed by transformative production. El-P's beats are perfect for Vast Aire and Vordul Mega's street tales and battle raps. They put the listener right in the emcees' grim and unforgiving concrete world. The instrumentals could be used in the soundtrack for a gritty post-apocalyptic urban film. El-P's dark, aggressive, and futuristic soundscapes are idiosyncratic. Nothing sounds close to it, not even El-P's own Fantastic Damage released the next year. El-P has proven to be quite versatile in his long career, and The Cold Vein is definitely one of his peaks.

Vast Aire and Vordul Mega were clearly inspired by these instrumentals. "Iron Galaxy" is a lyrical barrage - one of the most impressive hip-hop album openers. The duo has great chemistry despite the fact that their styles are very different. Vordul Mega is more fluid, laid back, and complex, while Vast Aire's flow is jagged with more direct rhyme schemes. It's hard to choose between the two because both emcees are extremely impressive. "Pigeon" is a standout track that likens the struggle of Cannibal Ox's environment to the scrounging life of pigeons. Vast Aire provides downtrodden imagery with a shade of optimism:

"Birds of the same feather flock togetherCongested on a majestic street cornerThat's a short time goal for most of 'emCuz most of 'emWould rather expand their wings and hover over greater thingsThat's what we call inspired flightBy the pigeons that gotta eat pizza crust every night"

Vordul Mega uses his verse to depict the inevitable result of a lack of resources:

"He caught you alone fuse blownUnemployed screaming 'That’s why I robbed you!'Tired of the Medicaid, debted by the carNovocains filled with lemonade 'You better get a job!'Mother talked, just another hawk"

The guest rappers also contribute quality verses. The most notable is El-P himself, who delivers short chaotic verses on "Ridiculoid" and "Ox Out The Cage".

Vast Aire and Vordul Mega never did manage to put together a project as immense as The Cold Vein again. Of course, this standard is a bit unfair, because this album is arguably the crown jewel of underground hip-hop of the 2000s. The inimitable sound of The Cold Vein may catch the uninitiated off guard at first, but this is an undeniable hip-hop classic.