Blade of the Ronin

{{Music ratings

| ADM = 7.1/10{{Cite web |title=Blade of the Ronin by Cannibal Ox reviews {{!}} Any Decent Music |url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/7050/Cannibal-Ox-Blade-of-the-Ronin.aspx |access-date=February 12, 2025 |website=AnyDecentMusic?}}

| MC = 71/100{{Cite web |title=Critic Reviews for Blade of the Ronin - Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/blade-of-the-ronin/cannibal-ox/critic-reviews |access-date=February 12, 2025 |website=Metacritic |language=en}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite web |last=Jeffries |first=David |title=Blade of the Ronin - Cannibal Ox {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/blade-of-the-ronin-mw0002809396 |access-date=February 12, 2025 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}

| rev2 = Consequence of Sound

| rev2score = B-{{Cite web |last=Lenz |first=Kristofer |date=March 2, 2015 |title=Album Review: Cannibal Ox - Blade of the Ronin |url=https://consequence.net/2015/03/album-review-cannibal-ox-blade-of-the-ronin/ |access-date=February 12, 2025 |website=Consequence Of Sound |language=en-US}}

| rev3 = Exclaim!

| rev3score = 8/10{{Cite web |last=Mullin |first=Kyle |date=March 2, 2015 |title=Cannibal Ox │ Blade of the Ronin |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/cannibal_ox-blade_of_ronin |access-date=February 12, 2025 |website=Exclaim! |language=en}}

| rev4 = HipHopDX

| rev4score = 3.5/5{{Cite web |last=Johnsen |first=Homer |date=March 7, 2015 |title=Cannibal Ox - Blade Of The Ronin |url=https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.2438/title.cannibal-ox-blade-of-the-ronin |access-date=February 12, 2025 |website=HipHopDX |language=en}}

| rev5 = Pitchfork

| rev5score = 6.7/10{{Cite web |last=Cook-Wilson |first=Winston |date=March 10, 2015 |title=Cannibal Ox: Blade of the Ronin |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20327-blade-of-the-ronin/ |access-date=February 12, 2025 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}

| rev6 = PopMatters

| rev6score = 6/10{{Cite web |last=Fitzgerald |first=Colin |date=May 8, 2015 |title=Cannibal Ox: Blade of the Ronin {{!}} PopMatters |url=https://www.popmatters.com/192743-cannibal-ox-blade-of-the-ronin-2495538082.html |access-date=February 12, 2025 |website=PopMatters |language=en-US}}

| rev7 = Record Collector

| rev7score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Bowler |first=Paul |date=April 22, 2015 |title=Blade Of The Ronin - Record Collector Magazine |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/album/blade-ronin |access-date=February 12, 2025 |magazine=Record Collector |language=en |issue=440}}

| rev8 = Spin

| rev8score = 8/10{{Cite web |last=Weiss |first=Dan |date=March 2, 2015 |title=Review: Cannibal Ox, 'Blade of the Ronin' |url=https://www.spin.com/2015/03/cannibal-ox-blade-of-the-ronin/ |access-date=February 12, 2025 |website=SPIN |language=en-US}}

| rev9 = The Guardian

| rev9score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{Cite news |last=MacInnes |first=Paul |date=March 19, 2015 |title=Cannibal Ox: Blade of the Ronin review – slighter return |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/mar/19/cannibal-ox-blade-of-the-ronin-review |access-date=February 12, 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

| rev10 = Tiny Mix Tapes

| rev10score = {{Rating|4|5|full=TMT full.svg|half=TMT half.svg|empty=TMT empty.svg|rating=mark}}{{Cite web |date=March 19, 2015 |title=Music Review: Cannibal Ox - Blade of the Ronin |url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/cannibal-ox-blade-of-the-ronin |access-date=February 12, 2025 |website=Tiny Mix Tapes |language=en}}

}}

Blade of the Ronin was met with universal acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 71 based on sixteen reviews. The aggregator AnyDecentMusic? has the critical consensus of the album at a 7.1 out of 10, based on ten reviews.

Kyle Mullin of Exclaim! called the album "an early contender for 2015's top rap album". Dan Weiss of Spin found the album "isn't quite that esoteric or ambitious, just an adept, hour-long reminder of how 14 years ago these guys turned your average boom bap into elaborate fantasies of iron galaxies and screamed phoenixes". Tiny Mix Tapes writer stated: "there's a purity to Blade of the Ronin, which provides a welcome alternative to the macho self-aggrandizement that constitutes most contemporary rap music".

AllMusic's David Jeffries saw the album "comes shockingly close to the sound and the excitement of their 2001 effort The Cold Vein, and offers the same kind of combination of street knowledge and sweet punch lines, all delivered over rickety yet compelling beats". Homer Johnsen of HipHopDX called it "a dense collection of music", resuming: "fans of lyricism will appreciate the wordplay, as well as the contributions from artists like Elzhi and DOOM, among many others".

Kristofer Lenz of Consequence concluded: "while Blade of the Ronin doesn't double down on the trail-blazing vision of its predecessor, it is a more than capable sequel to a genre classic". Winston Cook-Wilson of Pitchfork wrote: "even those who decided years ago that this album was going to be great will be hard-pressed to find a great rap record here, only a sporadically enjoyable one".

In mixed reviews, Colin Fitzgerald of PopMatters called the album "a modest, dignified return for one of underground hip-hop fans' long lost favorites. It won't be a memorable record, but for fans who have waited this long for something new, it provides". Paul Bowler of Record Collector claimed: "while Vast Aire and Vordul Mega rarely hit the heights of their former lyrical ingenuity, their stream-of-consciousness rapping style remains one of the most potent forces in hip-hop". Paul MacInnes of The Guardian wrote: "while the sound has lost its edge, the MCs--Vast Aire in particular--still possess great verbal imagination".

Spin ranked the album at number 31 on their 'The 50 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015' list.{{Cite web |last=Unterberger |first=Andrew |date=December 16, 2015 |title=The 50 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015 |url=https://www.spin.com/2015/12/the-50-best-hip-hop-albums-of-2015/ |access-date=February 12, 2025 |website=SPIN |language=en-US}}

{{Track listing

| all_writing =

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| title1 = Cipher Unknown

| note1 = Intro

| writer1 = {{hlist|Theodore Arrington II|Shamar Gardner}}

| extra1 = Bill Cosmiq

| length1 = 1:59

| title2 = Opposite of Desolate

| note2 = featuring Double A.B

| writer2 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner|Dylan Tucker|Berles Désiré}}

| extra2 = Bill Cosmiq

| length2 = 3:33

| title3 = Psalm 82

| writer3 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner}}

| extra3 = Bill Cosmiq

| length3 = 3:24

| title4 = The Power Cosmiq

| note4 = featuring Kenyattah Black

| writer4 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner|Benny Wise|Désiré}}

| extra4 = Bill Cosmiq

| length4 = 4:54

| title5 = Blade: The Art of OX

| note5 = featuring Artifacts and U-God

| writer5 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner|Rahem Ross Brown|William E. Williams|Lamont Hawkins}}

| extra5 = Black Milk

| length5 = 4:35

| title6 = Pressure of Survival

| note6 = Skit

| writer6 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner}}

| extra6 = Bill Cosmiq

| length6 = 0:23

| title7 = Carnivorous

| note7 = featuring Elzhi and Bill Cosmiq

| writer7 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner|Jason Powers|Désiré}}

| extra7 = Bill Cosmiq

| length7 = 4:32

| title8 = Thunder in July

| note8 = featuring Space, Swave Sevah and Elohem Star

| writer8 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner|D. Helms|Tion Sutton|Kyle Walker|Désiré}}

| extra8 = Bill Cosmiq

| length8 = 4:34

| title9 = Water

| writer9 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner|Désiré}}

| extra9 = Bill Cosmiq

| length9 = 4:00

| title10 = The Horizon

| note10 = Interlude

| writer10 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner}}

| extra10 = Bill Cosmiq

| length10 = 1:43

| title11 = Harlem Knights

| writer11 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner|Désiré}}

| extra11 = Bill Cosmiq

| length11 = 3:37

| title12 = Sabertooth

| note12 = featuring Irealz and Bill Cosmiq

| writer12 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner|El Ireality|Désiré}}

| extra12 = Bill Cosmiq

| length12 = 4:50

| title13 = Iron Rose

| note13 = featuring MF Doom

| writer13 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner|Daniel Dumile|Désiré}}

| extra13 = Bill Cosmiq

| length13 = 4:03

| title14 = Solar System (Cosmos)

| note14 = Skit

| writer14 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner}}

| extra14 = Bill Cosmiq

| length14 = 0:47

| title15 = The Fire Rises

| writer15 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner|Désiré}}

| extra15 = Bill Cosmiq

| length15 = 3:17

| title16 = Gotham (Ox City)

| writer16 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner}}

| extra16 = Bill Cosmiq

| length16 = 4:35

| title17 = Unison

| note17 = Skit

| writer17 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner}}

| extra17 = Bill Cosmiq

| length17 = 0:24

| title18 = Vision

| note18 = featuring The Quantum

| writer18 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner|Gregory Maher|Désiré}}

| extra18 = Bill Cosmiq

| length18 = 3:43

| title19 = Salvation

| writer19 = {{hlist|Arrington II|Gardner|Désiré}}

| extra19 = Bill Cosmiq

| length19 = 3:18

| total_length = 1:02:11

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Digital deluxe edition bonus tracks

| title20 = Silver Hawks

| note20 = featuring Kenyattah Black

| length20 = 5:01

| title21 = Moksha

| length21 = 2:16

| title22 = The Eternal Path

| length22 = 3:10

| title23 = Iron Rose (Skylab 3 Remix)

| note23 = featuring MF Doom

| length23 = 4:16

}}

{{div col}}

• Theodore "Vast Aire" Arrington II – vocals, arranger, executive producer, art direction, A&R
• Shamar "Vordul Mega" Gardner – vocals, art direction
• Dylan "Double A.B" Tucker – vocals (track 2)
• Benny "Kenyattah Black" Wise – vocals (track 4)
• Rahem Ross "Tame One" Brown – vocals (track 5)
• William E. "El Da Sensei" Williams – vocals (track 5)
• Lamont "U-God" Hawkins – vocals (track 5)
• Jason "Elzhi" Powers – vocals (track 7)
• Berles "Bill Cosmiq" Désiré – vocals (tracks: 7, 12, 18), producer (tracks: 1-4, 6-19), arranger, executive producer
• D. "Space" Helms – vocals (track 8)
• Tion "Swave Sevah" Sutton – vocals (track 8)
• Kyle "Elohem S.T.A.R." Walker – vocals (track 8)
• El "Irealz" Ireality – vocals (track 12)
• Daniel "MF Doom" Dumile – vocals (track 13)
• Gregory "Salvador" Maher – vocals (track 18), additional art layout
• DJ Cip One – scratches
• Curtis "Black Milk" Cross – producer (track 5)
• Brad "Syntax" Theophila – mixing
• Matty Trump – mastering
• Chuck Wilson – executive producer
• Djob Nkondo Jonathan – artwork
• Eric Bayruns – A&R
• Jeremy Gerson – A&R

{{div col end}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Discogs master|1175628|Blade of the Ronin|type=album}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2015 albums

Category:Cannibal Ox albums

Category:Albums produced by Black Milk