Album Review: OX 2010: A Street Odyssey by Vast Aire

A decade after Cannibal Ox came onto the scene and threatened to take over the rap world with The Cold Vein, lyrical wizard Vast Aire delivers his second official solo album, Ox 2010: A Street Odyssey. The first thing that’s clear is that time has been kind to the rapper, whose flow is still as sharp as ever, though perhaps a shade less enigmatic. Boasting an impressive list of guests, the album finds Aire going toe to toe with rappers like Raekwon, Cappadonna, and Cannibal Ox partner in crime Vordul Mega.

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There’s an inherent nostalgia to Vast Aire’s OX 2010: A Street Odyssey. Not only does the title strategically allude to his seminal debut, The Cold Vein (as part of duo Cannibal OX with Vordul Mega), but the 15-track LP’s aggressive boom-bap backdrop and sinister cypher rhymes harken the days when street records ran the airwaves. At it’s best, it’s refreshing.

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Cannibal Ox's 2001 debut, The Cold Vein, continues to stand as an indie-rap masterpiece. The duo's members, Vast Aire and Vordul Mega, had something to prove. Definitive Jux label head El-P, who produced the album, was fired up to define himself post-Company Flow. And underground hip-hop was at the perfect point to accept a new vanguard for post-Wu-Tang spiritual headknock.

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In 2001, The Cold Vein was law. The methodical soundtrack. Vast Aire and Vordul Mega's maniacal lyricism. Fawning acclaim from some of the industry's toughest music critics. On the surface, Cannibal Ox seemed destined for iconic heights with backpackers and shiny suits alike, as their dark, gritty ….

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