Hip-hop Bible thumpers put Job through pop-cult blender

Shout out to my peeps that da boyz be back and the 411 on their new groove is dat it's da bomb.

Or to put it in more typical critical jargon: It's my pleasant duty to report to all of you that Eli Batalion and Jerome Saibil have returned with a sequel to last year's Fringe hit JOB: The Hip-Hop Musical, and their latest work called JOB II: The Demon Of The Eternal Recurrence is every bit as successful as its predecessor.

I have to admit I was worried when I heard that this dynamic duo was attempting to top themselves. True, they may be the only hip-hop artists around who graduated magna cum laude in philosophy from Brown University, but it takes more than brains to make showbusiness lightning strike twice.

Last year, we were all taken off guard by the sheer outrageous brilliance of two nice Jewish guys rapping their way through the book of Job.

It had edge, it had wit, it had skill.

So how could they top it?

Well, JOB II is not just a repeat of JOB I. It's more complex, more sophisticated and more slickly theatrical. The music is more inventive, the narrative more roomy and there's even quite an underlying philosophical kick. (But don't worry, it won't hurt you.)

I won't waste space telling you the plot, because it's really only there to allow Batalion and Saibil the chance to riff in their unique and amazing fashion on dozens of aspects of pop culture.

Television news, Sesame Street, self-help and — of course — the whole hip-hop world get dragged into the verbal Cuisinart these guys keep processing at full speed for a deliriously hilarious hour.

They rhyme "dig you later" with "defibrillator" and — my personal favourite — "Schopenhauer's" with "grope in showers."

This time around their individual personalities shine through more clearly: Batalion is the grinning optimist, Saibil the growling pessimist. Together, they create magic.

It's tight, it's fly. If you're a Fringe playa, then check it out.

JOB II: The Demon Of the Eternal Recurrence plays until July 12 at the George Ignatieff Theatre; 15 Devonshire Place. For info, visit http://www.fringetoronto.com or call 416-966-1062.

— Richard Ouzounian