James Shaw, known to R&B aficionados as The Mighty Hannibal, starting earning success with his hard-hitting brand of soul in the mid-1960s, on tunes like "Jerkin' the Dog." Not long after that, he began to adopt both a funkier and a more socially conscious approach with such songs as "Hymn No. 5." Through the '80s and '90s, Hannibal kept working but remained under the radar. It wasn't until the release of the 2001 compilation HANNIBALISM! that his career began to enjoy a revival, and he gained new fans among both the classic-R&B and alt-rock crowds.