Blade of the Ronin

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)

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]

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

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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.
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