Cannibal Ox Live

If first you don't succeed try, try again
Step up to the mic and die again
This is the next lifetime and you wanna battle
Either you like reincarnation or the smell of carnations...


The Fox Theater in Boulder hosted the vigorous Cannibal Ox show Thursday, and the kid and former two-time Slushy Gutter winner T-Dub repped hard. The Fox, hands down the best hip-hop venue in the state, was about a third full of an eclectic mix of folks. Backpackers, the hippie element, geeks, a smattering of hotties, thugs, preppy Kayne types, skateboarders, regular Joes, even the rave set were all on hand to see the Def Jux duo rip it up.

After the requisite performance by Can O’s weed carrier 4th Pyramid, Vast Aire and Vordul Mega took the stage. The entrance could’ve been a bit more dramatic, given the engulfing intros to many of their tracks. Immediately we were hit with The Cold Vein’s leadoff track, "Iron Galaxy." Just as sudden was the stature of the two MCs. Vordul was about a buck fiddy soaking wet, while Vast Aire was a mountain of a man. I’d read that Vast was a big cat, but damn, this dude was close to four bills.

Homeboy can still shoot it regardless of his super-size, as he got the crowd amped rocking through "Stress Rap," and the classic "A B-Boy's Alpha." I swigged down BL’s as the show bogged down a bit, but thankfully their DJ rescued the crowd with a mastering of the Technics to an old Wu-Tang track. He slyly dropped "Raspberry Fields" at the end of his work and Vast Aire wrecked the crowd with his verse, by far the highlight of the show. A couple of Aire’s solo joints followed, with a hot new track kicked by the pair. The crowd was hyped as it meant we soon should be blessed with a new Can O joint.

Unfortunately, the show ended awkwardly with a half-ass encore which pretty much consisted of Vordul trying to flow over one of his own tracks- not the instrumental- the regular version. The end notwithstanding, the show moved into my top 5 hiphop shows over the past decade or so. Big ups to the real MCs and hip hop heads holding it down. One love.

Cannibal Ox (My Space)