JOB II: The Demon of the Eternal Recurrence

This Fringe show arrived with big expectations. JOB: The Hip-Hop Musical was the hit of last year's fringe circuit and won its creators stage gigs in Toronto and New York. JOB II does not disappoint. Eli Batalion (a.k.a. MC Abel) and Jerome Saibil (a.k.a. MC Cain) are back with erudite rhymes so rapid-fire you'll yearn for a pause button.

No panic if you didn't see the original, our two rappers from Montreal do a quick recap. The first story ended with MC Cain shooting MC Abel. There's a lot of plot here--some of it to do with the integrity of the recording industry--but it's really not important. It's just the vehicle that allows Batalion and Saibil to perform their clever songs, do split-second character changes and eviscerate TV news shows with a wicked send-up.

The beat is ever-present, but not overpowering. After all, we have to be able to hear the lyrics. This is rap with a grad school level vocabulary. (Ever heard the word eschew in a rap song?)

Astonishing talent!

— Catherine Lawson