Blackalicious is just one of those groups that make you glad that you listen to hip-hop. So when I’m asked what artists come to mind when someone says “Hip-Hop Appreciation Week”, it’s not a surprise that Blackalicious is among the handful on the list. Blackalicious also ties in well with this year’s theme, responsibility, in many ways.

So why Blackalicious instead of any ol’ rapper with a positive message in his rhymes? Their classic debut LP Nia shows that this hip-hop duo does it with a flair of brilliance. Nia, named after the African word for “purpose”, skates elegantly on the balance of fun and serious, fast and slow, random and thematically precise. The MC of the group, Gift of Gab, warns against the dark path of materialism in “Deception”, which would seem to make him stick out like a sore thumb amongst the commercial rap tunes of today. But as he proves he can weave musical tales with morals, he’s ready to flip the script on you a few minutes later by teaming up with DJ Shadow for “Cliff Hanger”, an adventure of Indiana Jones proportions narrated with immense detail and style. It is one of my favorite storytelling raps ever because even though it’s over six minutes long, at the end of it you’re left hanging and still hungry for more.

In “Shallow Days” a hypothetical observer suggests that the Gift of Gab should “keep it real” by rapping in the violent manner of the streets. Your mind soaks up the irony as the Gift of Gab paints the ghetto environment realer than any gangsta rapper without resorting to boasts of conquests and threats of violence. Really, how does he manage to make music with messages while also being a master at other styles of lyricism? His voice may lack some of the fire, but he spits a lyrically blistering battle rap in “Trouble (Eve of Destruction)”. He can take you to other worlds with creative imagery and his melodic rapping, whose foundation rests on assonance and multi-syllabic rhymes. Like any MC worth his salt, he is fond of wordplay, with the best example being “A to G”, the song that totally re-popularized alliteration (numerous songs such as Tha Liks “L-I-K-S” and J-Live’s “MCee” followed). Gab’s precise diction and amazing rhymes are fortunate enough to be paired with Chief XCel’s excellent production. The lyrics and musical backgrounds blend very well, making the entire album a far-reaching and enjoyable experience whether your ear is racing along with Gab’s gab or just listening passively.

The main reason why I picked Blackalicious for my shining beacon of responsibility, before the positive messages of Nia came to mind, is because they remember. They remember and respect the people that helped nurture hip-hop way back when no one even knew it was hip-hop. They remember and they take on responsibility of keeping memories of them alive and exposing them to the younger generation. Track 8 is “Ego Trip by Nikki Giovanni”, an intelligent and elegant boast by Nikki Giovanni in the vein of her phenomenal spoken word piece “Ego Trippin’” more than three decades ago. On their latest album Blazing Arrow, Blackalicious teams up with Gil Scott-Heron (“First in Flight”), who was a major influence in rap’s earliest days with political songs such as “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”. Both Giovanni and Scott-Heron were major artists in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and early 70s. Without this movement, whose purpose was to create original art and music that was uniquely Black rather than mainstream American, hip-hop would not exist as we know it today. So I tip my hat off to Blackalicious for helping others discover the people responsible for the music we love. Now that’s a form of responsibility in itself.

Price Paid: $13.95 (Penny Lane)
Special Features: none

Musical Meter: ****½
Lyrical Meter: *****
Overall Rating: *****

If you liked this album, be sure to check out: Blazing Arrow - Blackalicious

This was an entry to the 3rd Annual Hip-Hop Appreciation Week Write-Off hosted by one of Epinion's finest, madtheory. Be sure to read the entries of these other wonderful participants:

andrewtarr, anthony06511, bigd99999, Boffie, brotherman, cletta1201, ekidd911, heirograffiti, madtheory, matthos, mrjulius, PacManY2J, paulyoungotti, roheblius, sadgit, speeddemon531, sun_tzu, youngchinq

Recommended: Yes