{"id":753,"date":"2003-02-20T05:14:00","date_gmt":"2003-02-20T05:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/?p=753"},"modified":"2024-03-28T05:15:21","modified_gmt":"2024-03-28T05:15:21","slug":"its-going-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/?p=753","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s going down"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Formerly local hip-hop duo Blackalicious returns to play the stage above an old basement haunt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Blackalicious\u2019
Blackalicious\u2019 Chief Xcel and the Gift of Gab, back in Davis to recapture that SoleSides vibe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Live!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8 p.m. Wednesday, February 26; at Freeborn Hall on the UC Davis campus; $16 advance and $18 at the door. For more info, call (530) 752-2571. With the Lifesavas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you were hanging around downtown Davis<\/strong> during the early 1990s, you might have heard rumblings about some far-out shows happening on UC Davis\u2019 radio station, KDVS. Those broadcasts, which featured future Blackalicious DJ Xavier Mosley, now known as Chief Xcel, were first-rate. It wasn\u2019t uncommon to see DJ Shadow, the SoleSides crew and the Blackalicious members holding court in the studio, alongside a slew of talented local and regional MCs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two members of the conscious hip-hop duo Blackalicious, Chief Xcel and Gift of Gab (n\u00e9 Tim Parker), remember their local roots, beginning in the late 1980s at Kennedy High here in Sacramento. And, unlike a majority of major-label hip-hop collectives, the two have remained true to their fans and their music. Unhampered by their recording agreement with MCA, they were allowed complete autonomy to record and write their MCA debut full-length, Blazing Arrow<\/em>, which featured a number of guest cameos and sold well more than 300,000 copies. Blazing Arrow<\/em> was a slab of street-smart hip-hop that continued on the momentum of Blackalicious\u2019 early independent releases on Quannum Projects, the Bay Area label that evolved out of the Davis indie label SoleSides, and even on the group\u2019s first EP, Melodica<\/em> (SoleSides, 1997).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blackalicious is about to enter pre-production for its next release; before that, the duo is staging a quick blast of West Coast shows. \u201cI\u2019m really thankful for everything we have, really,\u201d Blackalicious\u2019 MC the Gift of Gab said over a cell phone from Seattle, while nursing a bad cough. \u201cI\u2019m thankful, I\u2019m humble, and we\u2019re still working hard. It\u2019s not like we make a record, and that\u2019s the end of it. I mean we all do work, we put it out, and then we do more work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right now, Gab said, the duo\u2019s energy is focused on getting a new album together. \u201cWe like to make sure our work is done before we put it out,\u201d he said. \u201cThe album\u2019s in the embryo stage at this point, and we plan to record most of it at the Compound\u201d\u2014Blackalicious\u2019 Bay Area studio\u2014\u201cand maybe the East Coast \u2019cause it\u2019s good to get out there and mix it up. We\u2019re more comfortable recording at home, and we keep the work ethic up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, Blackalicious traveled overseas, headlining venues and landing the coveted support slot on last year\u2019s Public Enemy U.S. tour. \u201cI believe we were requested,\u201d Gab said. \u201cIt was almost a blessing in disguise. It\u2019s like playing with our heroes. The last date of the tour in San Francisco was easily the best show of the tour, playing alongside P.E. for our people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blackalicious\u2019 live crew is Gab and Chief Xcel along with Lateef, Omega, Bear and soundman Will Prince. But in the studio, it\u2019s another story. \u201cBecause of the nature of what we do, it\u2019ll always be myself and Chief Xcel,\u201d Gab pointed out. \u201cBlackalicious will always remain a duo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among Gab\u2019s ambitions for this year is landing a new tour. \u201cI\u2019d most like to tour with George Clinton and Parliament,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m a big P-Funk head. I\u2019d also like to go out with the Roots because they have a really intense show. If we went on the road with \u2019em, we\u2019d be forced to take it to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other projects include a Gift of Gab solo album, to be released on Quannum later this year. As for turntablist Chief Xcel, he will collaborate with touring Blackalicious member Lateef on a new project called Maroons. An EP is due later this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wednesday\u2019s show at Freeborn Hall will be a homecoming of sorts for the duo, now based in Oakland, as it plays the venue that still sits above the hallowed KDVS basement studios. Odds are you will be able to find the guys hanging out downstairs before and after the show, mining the record vaults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery now and then, I like to go back to KDVS and hit the listening booth,\u201d Gab said. \u201cIt\u2019s just a part of our history, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(SN&R)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Formerly local hip-hop duo Blackalicious returns to play the stage above an old basement haunt Live! 8 p.m. Wednesday, February 26; at Freeborn Hall on the UC Davis campus; $16 advance and $18 at the door. For more info, call (530) 752-2571. With the Lifesavas. If you were hanging around downtown Davis during the early 1990s, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=753"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":754,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753\/revisions\/754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}