For over a decade, the name Canibus has meant one thing–pure, unabashed, lyrical power. Indeed, since the mid-nineties, the West Indian-born, East Coast-bred MC has spit enough fire to make him one of the premiere rappers ever to grab a microphone. Teaming up again with Babygrande Records for the follow-up to his most commercially and critically well-received independent release to date, 2003’s Rip The Jacker, this articulate, raspy voiced poet who has already earned his place in the consciousness of every hip-hop aficionado brings more of his infamous lyrics of mass destruction with the release of Hip-Hop For Sale.

By now, the history of Germaine Williams is legendary. ‘Bis earned his stripes in the mid-nineties earning a fearsome reputation by rocking streetcorner ciphers, open microphones and battles before gracing collaborations with the Lost Boyz, Rakim, Redman and Nas and garnering a classic appearance on Wyclef Jean’s “Gone ‘Till November.” Then, of course there was the battle.

After responding to a perceived attack on his skills by LL Cool J also featuring Canibus along with DMX, Redman, Method Man and Master P on the infamous New York all-star anthem “4-3-2-1,” the perceived dis led up to “Second Round K.O.,” a viscous track that stunned the hip-hop community and paved the way for one of the illest verbal conflicts of all time. The track featured a guest appearance from Mike Tyson and both the single and the album it appeared on went gold.

1998’s Wyclef-produced Can-I-Bus, released on Universal Records solidified the MC’s status as the battle rapper nobody wanted a piece of. 2000 B.C. followed in 2000. After parting ways with Wyclef and Universal, ‘Bis set out on his own, determined to prove he didn’t need a battle or a mentor. Canibus’ Independent Alter-Ego Trilogy followed with “C” True Hollywood Stories featuring Canibus as Germaine Williams in 2001 and Mic Club: The Curriculum featuring Canibus as himself in 2002. Rip The Jacker, which featured ‘Bis as the ‘Ego-Rip’ was the third installment. Produced entirely by Stoupe The Enemy of Mankind (of Jedi Mind Tricks fame), this album is widely regarded as an underground classic and proved to be ‘Bis’ most commercially successful independent release to date. The Alter-Ego Trilogy releases were created as unabashedly raw albums for hip-hop purists and for the throngs of Canibus’ loyal followers who demanded more from one of the few rappers who still pays attention to the power of the written and delivered word.

Inspired by the success of Rip The Jacker, Canibus has tapped producer Nottz (B.I.G., G-Unit, Busta Rhymes, Ghostface Killah and more) and co. to handle the entirety of production duties for his latest opus, Hip-Hop For Sale.

The more polished “ying” to Rip The Jacker’s underground “yang,” Hip-Hop For Sale is a further testament to Canibus’ lyrical prowess and stylistic versatility. Few artists demonstrate the capacity to alternate between the intellectual complexity of a Rip The Jacker and the polished production and lyrical structure of a Hip-Hop For Sale. It is this rare duality that further substantiates Canibus’ continual dominance as one of today’s most compellingly resilient hip-hop artists. As ‘Bis himself states “…my style is amorphous. Sometimes I adjust and adapt, other times I refuse to.”