How do you like Blackalicious?
Olski
355 Posts
I'm doing an interview with the guys tomorrow in Amsterdam and was wondering about their status on Soul Strut.
Their new album "The Craft" will be released in late September. I have listened to it five times know and still not feeling it. One could hate on it as an alternative BEP. Not that it is overall "commercial" and cheesy but all the way musical and with some more "experimental" tracks that could appeal to Radiohead fans. I've never been a big Quannum fan record-wise but always had a lot of respect for them in terms of how they do their thing. I was also wondering why the label and most groups on it have such a low profile. They've doing their thing for more than 10 years, have stayed independent and releasing quality music all the time. But they are not half as hip as Stones Throw and i still have to meet an hardcore Quannum fan.
Tracklist "The Craft"
1. The World Of Vibration (featuring Ledisi)
2. Supreme People
3. Rhythm Sticks
4. Powers
5. Side to Side (featuring Lateef & Pigeon John)
6. Lotus Flower (featuring George Clinton)
7. Automatique (featuring Floetry)
8. The Fall & Rise Elliot Brown Parts 1 & 2
9. The Fall & Rise of Elliot Brown Part 3 (Black Diamonds & Pearls) [featuring Ledisi & Larry Saunders]
10. Cry
11. Your Move (featuring Life Savas)
12. Give It To You (featuring Kween & Lyrics Born)
13. In The Days To Come
14. Egosonic War Drums (featuring Peace)
15. Dance of Firefly
Their new album "The Craft" will be released in late September. I have listened to it five times know and still not feeling it. One could hate on it as an alternative BEP. Not that it is overall "commercial" and cheesy but all the way musical and with some more "experimental" tracks that could appeal to Radiohead fans. I've never been a big Quannum fan record-wise but always had a lot of respect for them in terms of how they do their thing. I was also wondering why the label and most groups on it have such a low profile. They've doing their thing for more than 10 years, have stayed independent and releasing quality music all the time. But they are not half as hip as Stones Throw and i still have to meet an hardcore Quannum fan.
Tracklist "The Craft"
1. The World Of Vibration (featuring Ledisi)
2. Supreme People
3. Rhythm Sticks
4. Powers
5. Side to Side (featuring Lateef & Pigeon John)
6. Lotus Flower (featuring George Clinton)
7. Automatique (featuring Floetry)
8. The Fall & Rise Elliot Brown Parts 1 & 2
9. The Fall & Rise of Elliot Brown Part 3 (Black Diamonds & Pearls) [featuring Ledisi & Larry Saunders]
10. Cry
11. Your Move (featuring Life Savas)
12. Give It To You (featuring Kween & Lyrics Born)
13. In The Days To Come
14. Egosonic War Drums (featuring Peace)
15. Dance of Firefly
Comments
Blackalicious circa Melodica =
Blackalicious circa Quannum =
Although I'm told the Maroons & Gift of Gab solos are dope.
h
Melodica = best hip-hop EP of all time. They could've retired after that one. All the dopeness since then (and admittedly it has not all been dope) is just icing on the cake.
After that though,kinda downhill.
Amazingly though, I did feel NIA. It hasnt stood the test of time, but there are a few tracks from it I still listen to.
Everything else is bland and boring, but people seem to like it so more power to them. Oh and by the way, my friends girlfriend loves BEP's and Blackalicious, and that is all the "rap" she likes.
WHAT??? i gotta hear this on the strength.
I still like the A to G EP
"Reanimation" for Sunkist.
Gab's "Way of the Light" and Lyrics Born's "Callin Out" for Diet Coke.
no floetry for me, thanks.
real speak!
did Quannum sell their catalogue to Coca Cola or something? Talk bout selling out.
I forgot this one - quality
don't front anna i happen to know you loooove diet coke.
Not that it wasn't a good record but wow! What about NWA "100 Miles and Runnin"? I'm sure there are many others.
I haven't really listened since it came out but I enjoyed that one at the time (but it seemed like no one else did!)... the instrumental version was cool cuz they had all that live band stuff on there...
I like the Gab solo record...
Never got into Nia... obviously the EPs are cool...
That's an over-statement kinda.
Truth be told, I've felt some of their shit here and there, but I feel like as they've tried to make more and more "soulful" sounding shit they just wind up sounding more and more "soul-less." And the gimmicky word play crap like "A to the G" and that awful, embarassing "Chemical Calisthetics" thing are just the cheesiest fucking things in the world.
I definitely don't check for 'em, but "Melodica" is close to flawless.
-e
They're ok. I was thinking recently listening to World Ultimate that The Nonce was proto-Blackalicious. Downside of Blackalicious is dude's nerdflow. Big example is their "chemistry themed song" on Blazing Arrow. Shit can be grating/annoying.
1
T.N.
The strange thing is, that I can't definitely tell why I don't like them that much. The beats are cool and the lyrics are nice! Maybe it's the production overall. Don't know for sure.
The Quannum label is rad! I met Quannum fans! But they weren't as hardcore as Stonesthrow or Anticon fans (I've sold an Anticon LP for 90 US Dollars last week!!!).
OLSKI, ARE YOU GOING TO BE AT THE "JUICY BEATS" FESTIVAL IN DORTMUND ON JULY,30th? I'd like to talk to you!
I'm feeling a certain way too ;-)
Thanks for all of your comments so far!!!
...and yeah, Melodica and A2G are the only ones worth having. The remixes of Reanimation are dope though.
i still listen to this end to end on the regular. i'm a fan of just about everything they've done. the collabs on the new one don't look to exciting to me, but i am still eager to hear it all.
Don't the label owners release their stuff on Capitol?
I can't comment on their artistic merit, but it seems natural to me that if you have musical talent you are going to want to move away from rap to something more soulful. (Which is what I think they have been doing in recent years.) I would discuss their love of soul, psych and jazz and see what old stuff they are listening too these days.
X is always searching and listening for young talent so I would ask him who he hears that is unknown but coming up.
Dan
2).Lifesavas anyone? I'm feelin' those dudes more than anyone else.
3). I would sell my music to soda commercials, who gives a fuck.
Co-sign on Lifesavas, they are the only thing good coming out of Quannum now.
you just did. I personally really dig all the quannum stuff - minus some of the tracks off the "Spectrum" compilation. But Lyrics Born kills it, the Maroons LP is banging, Lifesavas grew on me after a couple of listens, and the Gift of Gab solo was a grower too. I feel like they are 'grown man' hip hop, and their live shows are off the hook, hands down.
Do you mean the EP or am I sleeping?
FILE UNDER
People that don't even like rap music...
not too crazy about their direction as people have said, but i was a little scared after NIA -which i loved. i thought blazing arrow was just gunna suck when looking at all the collabs and such, but i really thought they did a good job of encorporating everybody's styles. plus "Make You Feel That Way" is a really really tight track. see also: Brain Washers
Excel came off to me as one of the biggest assholes ever. it sucks cause i was a fan of alot of their shit previous.