At one time, Canibus was the next coming of the lyrical messiah. In the mid ’90s, he was the guest that everyone wanted on their tracks. He scored classic verses for Common, Lost Boyz and of course the infamous LL Cool J appearance. The expectations for his first album was extremely high, perhaps too high. While Can-I-Bus had some moments, it was viewed as a disappointment by the masses. The knock on that album was the lyrics didn’t make up for the lackluster beats. This has been the common perception on Canibus throughout his career, even though he does enjoy a cult-like following. Going on studio album number nine, Canibus releases Melatonin Magik. While Canibus has the potential to drop a classic, he always seems to come up short. Will Melatonin Magik change that?

The album kicks off with the title track, which finds ‘Bis coming in his patented aggressive style on the mic. Over a triumphant sounding beat, he lets it all loose. Canibus shines the best on tracks where things get switched up a bit. On “Kriminal Kidness” Canibus flows over a driving piano sample and a rolling bass line. It’s a track that shows what Canibus is capable of. “Ripperland” might just be the standout track on the album. Again, it features a different beat than found on the majority album and is one of the few times that Canibus switches things up on the mic. He adapts his flow and tone to accompany the mellow and somber beat. The song also features Chi-town female emcee, Psalm One, who almost steals the show.

What Melatonin Magik lacks is simple: balance. It doesn’t matter how “legendary” Canibus is on the mic, the album lacks the versatility to make it very interesting. It can be a hard album to listen to in one sitting.  The beats are often overly dramatic, sounding like the samples come from the scores of Indiana Jones movies with loud strings, horns and booming drums (not in a hip-hop sense). For much of the album, there is only one gear for Canibus. There is no change on the tone, flow, or delivery. Love it or hate it, it can get tedious. A lot of the lesser-known guest appearances do not add anything to the album. Meltonin Magik has it’s moments and does get easier to digest after multiple listens, but Canibus still misses the mark on making an album that lives up to the potential.

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