On Cannibal Ox’s underground classic Cold Vein, producer El-P brought the dense verbal illustrations of Vordul Mega and the off-kilter declarations of Vast Aire to a wider audience as one of the flagship acts on his influential Def Jux label. Fourteen years later, an eternity in which rap styles changed many times over, Can Ox returned with Blade Of The Ronin, building on their otherworldly chemistry and cinematic soundscapes to produce an excellent follow-up. Though it will never be as heralded as its predecessor, Ronin is well worth listening to. As of this writing it’s the last full length collaboration between Vast and Vordul, and a good reminder of what made us fall in love with underground rap to begin with; intensely charismatic MCs flowing hard over knocking beats tuned for headphones, not the radio.

– Nate LeBlanc