Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Blackalicious: Blazing Arrow

153

Blackalicious: Blazing Arrow

By

Sign in to view read count
Blackalicious: Blazing Arrow
Blackalicious’ career is now hitting the decade mark, and hopefully, now that MCA have won the bidding war to give them major label status (and hopefully the equivalent in marketing dollars), their career will be less sporadic than previously. Blazing Arrow represents a truly long awaited full length for the Bay Area duo Chief Xcel and Gift of Gab, following up 2000’s NIA. Blackalicious are on an elevated hip-hop path that is now showing signs of coming to full fruition. Blackalicious have always done things their own way and while NIA and other albums showed signs of genius, Blazing Arrow simply takes it to the next level. Xcel’s beats and musical canvases are like no other. Infused with funk, tempered with incisive grooves and fertilized with rich melodic sensibility, they reverberate with their own life. Add to that the superior lyrical skills of Gift of Gab and you have match made in hip-hop heaven. “Make You Feel That Way” should be one of the year’s anthems as Gab flicks brisk couplets around Xcel’s beautifully jazzy and soulful track. There’s a host of guests on the album such as Gil Scott Heron, Jaguar Wright, Chali 2Na, Ben Harper and others but they complement rather than clutter the album. “Release” is a three-part, nine-minute verbal and mental workout laced by Saul Williams, Zach De La Rocha and Lyrics Born. Blazing Arrow sets a benchmark for hip-hop – let’s hope others at least try and measure up.

Personnel

Blackalicious
band / ensemble / orchestra

Album information

Title: Blazing Arrow | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: MCA

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Fiesta at Caroga
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Fellowship
David Gibson
Immense Blue
Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.