Blackalicious

Last updated
Blackalicious
Blackalicious at Paid Dues 4.jpg
Blackalicious duo Chief Xcel (left) and Gift of Gab performing at the Paid Dues hip hop festival in 2008
Background information
Origin Sacramento, California, U.S.
Genres Alternative hip hop, West Coast hip hop, indie hip hop
Years active1994–2021
Labels Quannum Projects, MCA/Universal Records, Solesides, Anti-
Past members
Website blackalicious.com

Blackalicious was an American hip-hop duo from Sacramento, California, [1] made up of rapper Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Chief Xcel. [2] They are noted for Gift of Gab's often tongue-twisting, multisyllabic, complex rhymes and Chief Xcel's soulful production. [3] The duo released four full-length albums: Nia in 1999, Blazing Arrow in 2002, The Craft in 2005, and Imani Vol. 1 in 2015. Gift of Gab died in June 2021.

Contents

Career

1992–1999: Early years, Quannum Projects, Nia album

While Tim Parker (Gift of Gab) and Xavier Mosley (Chief Xcel) spent their early childhood years in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area respectively, the two first met while attending John F. Kennedy High School in Sacramento, California. [4] At the time, Gift of Gab was known as Gabby T, while Chief Xcel went by the stage name of DJ IceSki. After graduating from Kennedy High in 1989, the two went their separate ways.

In 1992, during a time when Xcel was attending the University of California, Davis, Gift of Gab joined him in Davis, California to form Blackalicious. At UC Davis, Xcel had been working with a hip-hop group named SoleSides, whose members included DJ Shadow, Lateef the Truthspeaker, and Lyrics Born. Solesides Records was the name of the collective's Northern California record company, and in 1994 the label released Blackalicious' debut single "Swan Lake", which garnered acclaim within the independent music scene. [5] In 1995, Blackalicious released an EP titled Melodica under Solesides Records. [6] By 1997, Solesides Records had transformed into the now acclaimed Quannum Projects, and under this label, the group released a 1999 EP titled A2G , featuring the hyper-accelerated song "Alphabet Aerobics". [7] Later that year, the group released its debut full-length debut album Nia . [8] The album was released in Europe by Mo' Wax on August 30, 1999, and later re-released in the United States by Quannum Projects on February 29, 2000, with a slightly altered track list.

2000–2004: MCA Records, Blazing Arrow album

In 2000, the group signed a major label deal with MCA Records. [9] In 2002, MCA/Universal released Blazing Arrow , which boasted guest appearances including Zack de la Rocha (of Rage Against the Machine), Questlove (of The Roots), and legendary soul and jazz musician Gil Scott-Heron. Blazing Arrow contains the song "Make You Feel That Way", which became a fixture on radio stations. Following a promotional tour, both Xcel and Gab began working on separate projects. In 2004, Gift of Gab released his first solo album, 4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up . [10]

2005–2013: The Craft album, additional solo projects

The pair returned in 2005 for their third album The Craft, released under Anti- and Quannum Projects. [11] For this album, the group worked with Grammy Award-winning engineer Russell Elevado. The album contained more live instrumentation compared to previous Blackalicious albums, and was met with positive acclaim. Following the release of The Craft, Gift of Gab joined a supergroup called The Mighty Underdogs, which released an album Droppin' Science Fiction in 2008. [12] Gift of Gab then went on to release two additional solo albums, Escape 2 Mars in 2009 and The Next Logical Progression in 2012. [13] [14]

2014–present: "Alphabet Aerobics" in pop culture, Imani album, Gift of Gab's death, and future releases

On October 28, 2014, actor Daniel Radcliffe recited the full lyrics to the Blackalicious song "Alphabet Aerobics" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon . [15] Since then, the lyrics to "Alphabet Aerobics" have been recited throughout media outlets in various contexts. [16] [17] Blackalicious also reworked the song with sports-themed lyrics for Bleacher Report. [18]

In 2015, after ten years since releasing a project together, Gift of Gab and Chief Xcel announced the fourth Blackalicious album Imani Vol. 1 . The group partnered up with PledgeMusic to give dedicated fans the opportunity to purchase the album and other special items, with over 120% of the project's goal funds being met. [19] Imani Vol. 1 was released on September 18, 2015, and was well received by critics. [20] [21] In January 2015, Gift of Gab stated that Imani Vol. 1 would be the first in a three-volume series to be released over a two-year period. [22] In February 2019, Gift of Gab stated that the group had over 70 recordings in progress and was in the process of selecting and polishing 14 tracks for Imani Volume 2. [23] In October 2019, the duo was reportedly putting the "finishing touches" on the album. [24]

Gift of Gab suffered from kidney failure, and spent a period of several years regularly undergoing dialysis. He received a kidney transplant in January 2020. He died on June 18, 2021, of natural causes at the age of 50. [25] [26]

In 2022, Lateef the Truthspeaker confirmed that there is a final Blackalicious album still to be released [27] (possibly no longer to be titled Imani Vol. 2 [28] ), and that he was working with Chief Xcel to complete it. [29]

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsSales
US
[30] 		US
R&B
/HH
[31] 		US
Rap
[32] 		US
Indie
[33] 		AUS
[34]
Nia —————
Blazing Arrow 4933——84
The Craft 10279—5—
US: 67,000 [35]
Imani Vol. 1
  • Released: September 18, 2015
  • Label: OGM Recordings
—282139—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.
EPs
Singles
DVDs

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gift of Gab (rapper)</span> American rapper (1970-2021)

Timothy Jerome Parker, better known by his stage name Gift of Gab, was an American rapper best known for performing in the Bay Area hip hop duo Blackalicious along with DJ Chief Xcel. He was also a member of Quannum Projects, a Bay Area hip hop crew and record label, and performed and recorded as a solo artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quannum Projects</span> American hip hop collective

Quannum Projects is an American hip hop collective based in the San Francisco Bay Area. It has been active since 1992, when it was formed at UC Davis under the moniker Solesides Records. It is also the name of the independent record label that releases their records, as well as those of a number of other artists. The label continues to be 100% independently owned and operated.

<i>Blazing Arrow</i> 2002 studio album by Blackalicious

Blazing Arrow is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Blackalicious. It was released on MCA Records on April 30, 2002. It peaked at number 49 on the Billboard 200 chart.

<i>A2G</i> 1999 EP by Blackalicious

A2G is an EP by American hip hop duo Blackalicious. It was originally released on Quannum Projects in 1999. It peaked at number 21 on the UK Independent Albums Chart.

Lateef Kenneth Daumont, better known by his stage name Lateef the Truthspeaker, or mononymously as Lateef, is an American hip hop artist from Oakland, California. He is a member of several hip hop groups such as Latyrx, Lateef and the Chief, and The Mighty Underdogs. He was a member of the SoleSides collective, and is a founding member of SoleSides' successor crew Quannum Projects.

<i>Nia</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Blackalicious

Nia is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Blackalicious. It was released in Europe by Mo' Wax on August 30, 1999, and re-released in the United States by Quannum Projects on February 29, 2000, with a slightly altered track listing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latyrx</span> American hip hop group

Latyrx is an American alternative hip-hop duo consisting of Lateef the Truthspeaker and Lyrics Born. The partnership grew from the Solesides collective at the University of California, Davis.

Lifesavas is a hip hop group from Portland, Oregon. Their style exhibits tag-team rhymes, matter-of-fact storytelling and a soulful production. The emcee's styles and song writing skills are showcased in the arrangements of a funky collection of subject matter and concepts.

<i>4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up</i> 2004 studio album by The Gift of Gab

4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up is the first solo studio album by American rapper The Gift of Gab. It was released on Quannum Projects and Epitaph Records on May 11, 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curumin</span> Brazilian singer

Curumin is a Brazilian singer whose style incorporates elements of samba, funk, jazz, bossa nova, and hip hop. He sings in Portuguese and speaks fluent English. His first album, Achados E Perdidos, was released on September 20, 2005, on the Quannum Projects label.

SoleSides was an American underground hip hop label based in Northern California, founded in 1991. It comprised various DJs and MCs, the most notable being DJ Shadow, MC–producer Lyrics Born and duo Blackalicious. The members of Solesides all met via the radio station, KDVS, the 5000-watt community radio station of the University of California at Davis. During high school, Davis-natives DJ Shadow and The 8th Wonder used to frequent the station to support Orus Washington's hip hop show. In college, journalist and then-grad student Jeff "DJ Zen" Chang, broadcast a weekly hip hop radio show that got the attention of DJ Shadow and The 8th Wonder, freshmen Xavier Mosely, Tom Shimura and Joseph Patel (Jazzbo). They all shared a like-minded passion for hip hop that pushed beyond the sounds of mainstream commercial music.

Lateef and the Chief is an American hip hop group from California. Originally known as Maroons, it consists of rapper Lateef the Truthspeaker and producer Chief Xcel. In 2004, the duo released their debut album, Maroons: Ambush.

<i>The Album</i> (Latyrx album) 1997 studio album by Latyrx

The Album is the first studio album by Latyrx, an American hip hop duo consisting of Lateef the Truthspeaker and Lyrics Born. It was released on Solesides in 1997, and it was re-released on Quannum Projects in 2002.

ApSci is an Australian video-centric avant pop duo with origins in indie hip hop. As individuals, their roots go back to punk rock and opera. The duo consists of Bronx born, New Jersey-bred Ra Lamotta and his Filipino-Australian wife Dana Diaz-Tutaan. The duo, which has been performing together since meeting in 1998, has received added attention after being signed to underground hip hop label Quannum Projects in 2004. The band name is a portmanteau of "applied science."

The Mighty Underdogs was an American hip hop supergroup from the San Francisco Bay Area. It consists of rappers Gift of Gab and Lateef the Truthspeaker and producer Headnodic.

<i>How to Rap</i> Book by Paul A. Edwards

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"Alphabet Aerobics" is a song by American hip hop duo Blackalicious from their EP A2G (1999). It is performed by Gift of Gab and produced by Cut Chemist.

<i>Imani Vol. 1</i> 2015 studio album by Blackalicious

Imani Vol. 1 is the fourth and final studio album by American hip hop duo Blackalicious. It was released on September 18, 2015, after a decade-long hiatus since their previous album, The Craft. The title of the album means "faith" in Swahili, and it is the first part of what was a planned trilogy of albums before Timothy Parker died of kidney failure in 2021. Work began on the album in 2012, with the making of the album being crowdfunded via the website Pledgemusic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyrics Born</span> Japanese-American rapper (born 1972)

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References

  1. ↑ Piazza, Paul (February 28, 2013). "Sat., March 02, Blackalicious: Harlow's Restaurant & Nightclub". Sacramento News & Review. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  2. ↑ Alex Henderson. "Blackalicious | Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  3. ↑ Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap : The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 322.
  4. ↑ "Blackalicious - Biography & History". allmusic.com.
  5. ↑ "Blackalicious - Swan Lake at Discogs". discogs.com. 1994.
  6. ↑ "Blackalicious - Melodica (MoWax)". discogs. 1994. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
  7. ↑ Swihart, Stanton. "A2G - Blackalicious". AllMusic . Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Blackalicious - Nia". allmusic.com. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow". Music.ign.com. 2005-07-15. Archived from the original on 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  10. ↑ Bush, John. "4th Dimension Rocketships Going Up". All Music. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  11. ↑ Jack Booty (2005-09-27). "Blackalicious: The Craft". Prefixmag.com. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
  12. ↑ Bush, John. "Droppin' Science Fiction - The Mighty Underdogs". AllMusic . Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  13. ↑ Brown, Marisa. "Escape 2 Mars - Gift of Gab". AllMusic . Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  14. ↑ Jeffries, David. "The Next Logical Progression - Gift of Gab". AllMusic . Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Daniel Radcliffe Raps Blackalicious' "Alphabet Aerobics" on The Tonight Show". eonline.com. 2014-10-28.
  16. ↑ "Local News Reporter Warms Up By Rapping "Alphabet Aerobics"". gawker.com. 2014-12-19. Archived from the original on 2015-11-02.
  17. ↑ "YouTube Music's Latest Ad Campaign Is an Infectious Ode to the Diversity of Music Lovers". adweek.com. 2016-07-18.
  18. ↑ "Blackalicious Reworks 'Alphabet Aerobics' To Make It All About Sports". billboard.com. 2015-12-03.
  19. ↑ "Blackalicious: 'Imani Vol. 1' on PledgeMusic". pledgemusic.com.
  20. ↑ "Blackalicious: Imani, Vol. 1 | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  21. ↑ Mincher, Chris (18 September 2015). "Imani, Vol. 1 · Blackalicious · Music Review · The A.V. Club". Avclub.com. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  22. ↑ Carlick, Stephen (2015-01-14). "Gift of Gab Reveals Plans for Three-Volume Album Series from Blackalicious". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  23. ↑ Huntington, Tom (2019-02-16). "Blackalicious Brings 'The Mothership' Back to Burlington". Rutland Herald. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  24. ↑ "Interview: Blackalicious' Gift of Gab & Chief Xcel on Hip Hop's True Form: "It Never Dies"". 4 October 2019.
  25. ↑ Breihan, Tom (2021-06-25). "Blackalicious Rapper Gift Of Gab Dead At 50". Stereogum. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  26. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (2021-06-25). "Blackalicious Rapper Gift of Gab Dead at 50". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  27. ↑ https://x.com/TruthspeakerHQ/status/1515170265969283075
  28. ↑ https://x.com/TruthspeakerHQ/status/1486049063971680256
  29. ↑ https://x.com/TruthspeakerHQ/status/1517584376837541888
  30. ↑ "Blackalicious Album & Song Chart History: "Billboard 200"". Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
  31. ↑ "Blackalicious Album & Song Chart History: "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums"". Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Archived from the original on 2016-03-27. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  32. ↑ "Blackalicious Album & Song Chart History: "Rap Albums"". Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
  33. ↑ "Blackalicious Album & Song Chart History: "Independent Albums"". Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
  34. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 32.
  35. ↑ "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015.
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