Vast Aire

Vast Aire is the first Can-Oxer out of the block with a solo release. For Look Mom… No Hands, Vast Aire expands beyond Definitive Jux with more varied guest appearances and producers, as well as releasing the album through Chocolate Industries. Look Mom is pretty much a one-sided continuation of The Cold Vein, Cannibal Ox’s debut, but it is more often upbeat and interesting. It’s also less likely to be a classic, held back by cheesy, boring beats like "Viewtiful Flow,” "Poverty Lane 16128” and "Could You Be?,” as well as Vast’s tendency to rhyme homonyms, which sometimes sounds corny. At other times it works to great effect. On "9 Lashes,” Vast backs up his Weathermen brethren and takes it to 7L & Esoteric, and hooks up with a solid bunch of rappers for two posse cuts: "Posse Slash” with Carnage, Breez Evahflowin’, Poison Pen and Aesop Rock, and "Life’s Ill Pt 2” with Breezly Brewin and Vordul Megilah (Vast’s Cannibal Ox rhyme partner). But most impressive is his work with rap vets MF Doom and Sadat X on "Da Supafriendz” and "Elixir,” respectively. It’s on the latter that Vast sums up Look Mom best: "It’s sort of eclectic / it ain’t Mozart’s best work but you gotta respect it.” Ain’t that the truth.