Wikipedia

Blade of the Ronin

Blade of the Ronin is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Cannibal Ox.[1] It was released via IGC Records and iHipHop Distribution on March 3, 2015.[2] It is a follow-up to the duo's 2001 album, The Cold Vein.[3]

Blade of the Ronin
Studio album by
Cannibal Ox
ReleasedMarch 3, 2015 (2015-03-03)
GenreHip hop
Length62:12
LabelIGC Records, iHipHop Distribution
ProducerBill Cosmiq, Black Milk
Cannibal Ox chronology
The Cold Vein
(2001) 		Blade of the Ronin
(2015)

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic71/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [5]
Consequence of SoundB−[6]
Exclaim!8/10[7]
The Guardian     [8]
Pitchfork6.7/10[9]
Spin8/10[10]

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Blade of the Ronin received an average score of 71% based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[4]

Spin placed it at number 31 on the "50 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015" list.[11]

Track listing edit

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Cipher Unknown (Intro)"Bill Cosmiq1:59
2."Opposite of Desolate" (featuring Double A.B.)Bill Cosmiq3:32
3."Psalm 82"Bill Cosmiq3:24
4."The Power Cosmiq" (featuring Kenyattah Black)Bill Cosmiq4:54
5."Blade: The Art of Ox" (featuring Artifacts and U-God)Black Milk4:35
6."Pressure of Survival (Skit)"Bill Cosmiq0:23
7."Carnivorous" (featuring Bill Cosmiq and Elzhi)Bill Cosmiq4:30
8."Thunder in July" (featuring Elohem Star, Space, and Swave Sevah)Bill Cosmiq4:34
9."Water"Bill Cosmiq3:59
10."The Horizon (Interlude)"Bill Cosmiq1:43
11."Harlem Knights"Bill Cosmiq3:37
12."Sabertooth" (featuring Bill Cosmiq and Irealz)Bill Cosmiq4:49
13."Iron Rose" (featuring MF Doom)Bill Cosmiq4:02
14."Solar System (Cosmos) (Skit)"Bill Cosmiq0:47
15."The Fire Rises"Bill Cosmiq3:17
16."Gotham (Ox City)"Bill Cosmiq4:34
17."Unison (Skit)"Bill Cosmiq0:24
18."Vision" (featuring The Quantum)Bill Cosmiq3:43
19."Salvation"Bill Cosmiq3:18
Digital deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
20."Silver Hawks" (featuring Kenyattah Black)5:01
21."Moksha"2:16
22."The Eternal Path"3:10
23."Iron Rose (Skylab 3 Remix)" (featuring MF Doom)4:16

Personnel edit

Credits adapted from liner notes.

  • Vast Aire – vocals, art direction
  • Vordul Mega – vocals, art direction
  • Bill Cosmiq – production (except 5), vocals (7, 12)
  • Double A.B. – vocals (2)
  • Kenyattah Black – vocals (4)
  • Artifacts – vocals (5)
  • U-God – vocals (5)
  • Black Milk – production (5)
  • Elzhi – vocals (7)
  • Elohem Star – vocals (8)
  • Space – vocals (8)
  • Swave Sevah – vocals (8)
  • Irealz – vocals (12)
  • MF Doom – vocals (13)
  • The Quantum – vocals (18)
  • DJ Cip One – turntables
  • Brad "Syntax" Theophila – mixing
  • Matty Trump – mastering
  • Djob Jonathan – artwork
  • Salvador – additional art layout

Charts edit

Chart Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[12] 12
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[13] 45
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[14] 45

References edit

  1. ^ Walsh, Peter (February 2, 2015). "Cannibal Ox Featuring MF Doom "Iron Rose"". XXL. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  2. ^ Adams, Gregory (January 20, 2015). "Cannibal Ox Unveil Long-Awaited 'Blade of the Ronin' LP". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  3. ^ Coplan, Chris (February 2, 2015). "Cannibal Ox teams with MF Doom for "Iron Rose" — listen". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Blade of the Ronin by Cannibal Ox". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  5. ^ Jeffries, David (March 3, 2015). "Blade of the Ronin - Cannibal Ox". AllMusic. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  6. ^ Lenzon, Kristofer (March 2, 2015). "Cannibal Ox – Blade of the Ronin". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  7. ^ Mullin, Kyle (March 2, 2015). "Cannibal Ox - Blade of the Ronin". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  8. ^ MacInnes, Paul (March 19, 2015). "Cannibal Ox: Blade of the Ronin review – slighter return". The Guardian. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  9. ^ Cook-Wilson, Winston (March 10, 2015). "Album Reviews – Cannibal Ox: Blade of the Ronin". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  10. ^ Weiss, Dan (March 2, 2015). "SPIN Album of the Week: Cannibal Ox and the Return of Samurai Rap on 'Blade of the Ronin'". Spin. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  11. ^ "The 50 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015 (1/2)". Spin. December 16, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  12. ^ "Cannibal Ox: Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  13. ^ "Cannibal Ox: Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  14. ^ "Cannibal Ox: Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2018.

External links edit

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