Late East Orange, New Jersey emcee Chino XL’s new extended collaboration with The Bronx, New York features Kingston, Jamaica lyricist Canibus. The two had previously collaborated on songs including Rakim’s “Cypher of 5 Mics” and “Pendulum Swing,” the latter of which was the last song Chino released before his tragic death a few summers ago. However, they worked together to create a complete Necksnapper.
Title track Johnny Slash’s beautifully prepared Bap intro breaks down that door in an effort to humanize all competitors, while “Abu La-Haab” continues with a five-minute Canibus solo explaining that a work of art is actually a world of labor. Chino took the mic from the grave on “Always There” to talk about his mental health struggles that took over his life before “God’z Wrath,” which featured the rock band, found all three of them right.
“Basquiat 2” kicks off the second half with another Chino XL solo track that surpasses its predecessor on “Mantis Prelude,” while Canibus’ “Celebration” attempts rap over an EDM beat that’s still relevant a quarter of a century later. “Bulletproof Metals”, starring Eto and Planet Asia, returns with a call to arms to bow to them, while “Sick Mind”, starring Block McCloud, Jokker and Poison Pen, ends with them making corpses disappear in an instant.
Putting all the previously released material aside (like the “Pendulum Swing” and “Champion” remixes and “Cypher of 5 Mics”), I think Necksnapper is the best of the 2 posthumous releases we’re getting from Chino XL in 2026, and it’s not far off from SLICC (Self-Licking Cone) as one of the most enjoyable releases from Canibus in the most enjoyable time period. When they’re not testing their chemistry half the time, they’re squelching it with the other part of the EP.
Score: 8/10
