Vast Aire – Ox 2010: A Street Odyssey

Vast Aire’s latest solo album features cameos from his Cannibal Ox partner Vordul Mega, alongside familiar names like Wu-Tang’s Raekwon and Cappadonna, and less well-known artists like Guilty Simpson (of Stone’s Throw), and Kenyattah Black. “These are dark words, deep as the deepest black hole,” rhymes Double A.B. on 2090, but the mood is less dark and claustrophobic than fans might expect.

Bumping 808s and horn stabs back the rapper’s dismissal of others in the game as “...so 90s,” but it's an accusation that could be levelled at the rest of the album. Highlights Almighty Jose, with its John Carpenter-esque piano riffs, the cut-up soul of I Don’t Care, and the rolling beats of Spy Vs. Spy are satisfying, and Vast’s lyrics are generally enlightened and intelligent throughout. Standout track The Canon of Samus indulges in some fairly impressive double-time rhyming, but overall there’s little innovation on display. Can Ox fans will snap this up, casual listeners may be underwhelmed. [Bram Gieben]