Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein: 10 Years Later

2011 marks the 10 year anniversary of one of my favorite hip hop records of all time: Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein. The first major album of producer El-P's label Definitive Jux, The Cold Vein takes some of El-P's best work combined with the incredible talent of 2 unknown New York emcees Vast Aire and Vordul Mega.

The 2 emcees have entirely different styles that work flawlessly together. Vast Aire is deathly methodical and precise with his word play, while Vordul Mega rummages through the cluttered basement of his vocabulary for lines that paint dark emotions rather than a crisp picture. While Vast is the standout lyricist on The Cold Vein, it's hard to imagine this album without both sides of the duo. El-P, who got his start with Company Flow, provides lyrics on only one track (Ridiculoid), but creates the beats which truly power the album. El-P's production is truly unique and the 15 tracks he used for The Cold Vein are some of his best ever. The collective whole still sounds futuristic and fresh a full decade later.

Aside from Battle for Asgard (the weak link), it's really impossible to say one track is better than the others but here are some notables:

• Iron Galaxy - a fitting intro. Throws you into a futuristic NYC slum in outer space that will be your home for the next 15 tracks. "You were a still-born baby, mother didn't want you but you were still born" "What you figure? that chalky outline on the ground is a father figure?"

• The F-Word - a genuine hip hop love story. "She was in a love triangle, but it wasn't like my feelings weren't there to make it a square"

• A B-Boy's Alpha - the beat is the highlight on this one.

• Scream Phoenix - This track lifts the album out of the grimy NY sewers in search of something better "I'm not made of organics not even wires, just saw my body light up and heard the choir"