"Patriots" features a woman named Free kicking a rhyme and Pras doing some talking. (Thank God Pras doesn't rhyme!). This is a cool song with a orchestral melody and pumping beat. Though the beats are a little thin, it's still a cool song since it does flow. The chorus is mainly Pras and Canibus talking to each other like Officer to soldier, Pras: "Is that all soldier?", Canibus: "Yes, sir!" - Pras: "Is there anything you need?" - Canibus: "No, sir!" - Pras: "Reeport back to me before the briefing.  At ease!"  Free has a very wild line in her verse: "Kick your intestines in -Sell your testicles to Mexicans..." This is a cool way to open up the album. The energy is there and it's not corny..

"Get Retarded" is a weird song which uses a Marvin Gaye sample along with a Roxanne Shante sample scratched in a very cool way rapping "Get Retarded"  This is definetely a different song that the typical hip-hop stuff out there: "Aiyyo, nine out of ten of these rap artists is garbage- (G-G-G-G-G-G Get retarted) - You spineless, rhymeless, niggas is hearttless - (Get G-Get Get retarted)- Aiyyo, I came to see that hiphop is never tarnished - (G-G-G-G-G-G Get retarted)- So I - (G-G-G-G-G-G Get retarted).."  The beat's cool and Canibus basically raps about emcees and the industry.

"Niggonometry" is another cool song basically because of the scracthing.  Canibus kicks some mathmatics on this joint. It's very original. The chorus uses the scratching and Canibus together as the "N-I-G-G-A" is scratched all from different places, Canibus fills in the word.: "N-I-G-G-A-nometry, N-I-G-G-A-nometry, N-I-G-G-A-nometry - Nigganometry, Nigga-no-no-nometry..." The rhymes are very cool on this though gritty and blatent toward the record industry. Towards the end he tries to blow our minds with  rhymes about the planet being 3/4  water: "Now if you take a glass of water then add 2 cubes of ice - You should see the cup's water level slightly rise, right?- You need to watch what I'mma show you - You need to look closely at what I'mma show you- If you remove every living animal out of the sea- Then wouldn't the world's ocean water level decrease?- This means the planet wasn't 3-quarters water ..."

The next song is his most popular since it's about the anger and rage he has toward L.L.. Mike Tyson talks his way through "Second Round K.O." as Wyclef produces the beat. Now, I dug this song but I never loved it. I thought it was much better than L.L.'s "Ripper Strikes Back" but the beat in "K.O." is not amazing. The song basicaly focuses on Canibus's lyrical skills. He rips the mic on this song and takes L.L. through the mud... Come on, no one will ever look at L.L. the same again after this...Canibus's skills as a rhymer are displayed on this joint which is a battle that he clearly wins: ".. Watch me rip the tat from your arm- Kick you in the groin, stick you for your Vanguard award - In front of your mom your 1st, 2nd and 3rd born- Make your wife get on the horn call Minister Farrakhan - So he could persuade me to squash it, I ssaw naw he started it - He forgot what a hardcore artist is- A hardcore artist is a dangerous man, such as myself -trained to run 20 miles in soft sand- On or off land, programmed to kick hundreds of bars off hand - from a lost and forgotten land, you done did it man..." 

The next song is just alright since it's his social commentary song called "What's Going On" which uses an Isley Brothers sample. The chorus has the Isley's singing and then, Canibus raps.. "What's Going on? What's going on? What's going on these days?  Can't do no hip hop shows without the gunplay.What's Going on? What's going on?  What's going on why ain't everybody packing?... " Then, a Havoc sample is used (slowed): "While you rapping, I'm busy trying to sneak the gat in" In the second half of the chorus there's a Biggie sample where he raps, "Ya got a gun in your waist, please don't shoot up the place.." It's cool that Canibus mentions Pharoah Monch from Organized Konfusion... but it's not nearly as good as some of the earlier jams on the LP. Still, the samples are cool. After that song, the album kind of goes downhill. I'm not saying that it is bad but it's just not as good since the next two songs have R&B singers.

"I Honer U" has a great beat but the R&B hook is terrible.  The sentiments of the song are pleasent since he talks about being a sperm and being born and honoring his mother. The chorus, sung by a woman with a bad voice, goes like this: "In the middle of the night - I heard you cryin' in your sleep I held you tight- I'll be there for you....If you tell me all your secrets..." I'm sorry but the hook just sucks...

"Hype-Nitis" is a cooler song because the beat is more mysterious and the female hook is more etherial. This song is his version of Biz Markie's "The Vapors". The beat is cool and groovy with a stoned out feel but the chorus is repeated too many times: "Hypnytis is in your eyes, that look, that smile in disguise..." The final song is just alright... It sounds cool and different but the hook is over sung..

"How We Roll" is a much harder song that the album desperately needed. The hook is sung by a rough thug-like guy which reminds me of the hook on Dmx's "Bring Your Whole Crew". Here's the hook: "I roll with the wildest niggaz, yes indeed the highest niggaz - Unemployed jobless niggaz, and foul niggaz -Don't never smilin niggaz, my style's wildin -Chemically imbalanced niggaz..." It's a cool song but not amazing.

"Channel Zero" is Canibus' weird song about aliens and goverment cover-ups.. He raps about some spacey stuff that is refreshing to hear. Luckily, he only does it on this song.. The hook sounds like it's sung by Mr.Cheeks of The Lost Boyz: "Tune into to channel zero - Tune into to channel zero- Tune into to channel zero- Tune into to channel zeeeeeroooo..." The beat and the spacey moog-melody is very cool without being too annoying. It is a very original song though it is not for everybody.

"Let's Ride" sounds corny at first but the old skool beat is kind of cool. It's one of those driving songs with an 80's feel due to the keyboards. The R&B hook singer's voice is so high that it's annoying and you can't figure out what she or he is singing. Wyclef keeps on saying "Let's ride, let's ride" and Canibus keeps on saying "Ol school -ol school!" .. It's not a bad song but it does not hit hard.

"Buckingham Palace" is typical Canibus song. There's a line in it where Canibus says that he sells weed in front of Buckingham Palace. Other than that, I don't know why it has that title. The beat does not change. The lyrics are good and he handles the chorus which is a call-response hip-hop joint: "When I say Can -I, You say Bus- Can - I - Bus!, Can- I - Bus!"  It's pretty cool.

"Rip Rock" features Wyclef on guitar. This is a horrible song which attempts to fuse rock music and hip-hop. The beat's alright and Wyclef's snake-chant guitar work is cool but the chorus is horrible. : "You want rock and roll, we got it! You want hip-hop, we got it! Rip Rock, rip rock , rip rock!"  Ugggh!

Overall, the album is somewhat tight. Each song has a specific theme and they do not sound the same. The beats are weak. Wyclef makes good music but Canibus is very hardcore and should be on much more rugged beats instead of these somewhat glossy, shiny beats. The production is alright due to the scratching and samples which are used correctly. Wyclef is an excellent producer but he just does not fit as good as he should with Canibus.. Canibus, like Wyclef, is very original and innovative. Songs like "Nigganometry", "Get Retarded",  and "Channel Zero" are unlike any other songs around. Canibus has the talent to hold his own but songs like "I Honor U" and "Rip Rock"  screw it up.   Lyrically, Canibus is a true emcee. He can battle but stick to a theme or tell a story at the same time. Not many emcees  can do that today. The album's flow is only good because each song has a seperate subject or theme but the poor songs like "Rip Rock" and "I Honor U" break the flow due to their wannabe commercial feel. Canibus is a hardcore artist who does not hold back when it comes to expression. The problem is, he has more potential than he shows on his songs. Hardcore joints like "Nigganometry" and "Get Retarded" are dope while the corny "I Honor U" messes his hardcore  feel up. Canibus could become a great emcee. He has the skills and the guts but he should keep his beats more hardcore along with his production.  So when the question is asked, "Can I Bus?" , well, rhymes, yes...you can... but a whole album?, Sort of... Canibus may have been a victim of his own hype-nitis...

Beats: 5/10.
Production: 6/10.
Lyrics: 8.5/10.
Creativity/Originality: 8.5/10.
Album Flow: 7/10.
Hardcore Rating: 7/10.
[ Overall Rating: 7 / 10 ]