The Craft

• Artist: Blackalicious
• Rating:
• Release Date: September 27, 2005
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Rap

Review

OutKast was only one of many rap artists to gain a profile among music fans of all stripes, even as they sold millions of records, but it must have been difficult for those in the hip-hop underground to greet their general commercial breakout with equanimity rather than jealousy. Big Boi and Andre 3000 became paragons of cool among teenagers and 30-somethings, owned the ears and wallets of generalist listeners as well as the critical cognoscenti, and earned glowing features in The Source and Rolling Stone. No doubt the San Francisco duo Blackalicious were watching OutKast as first Stankonia and then Speakerboxxx/The Love Below began crossing over, and though Blackalicious already commanded respect from thousands of hip-hop fans, their third full LP found them seeking out new audiences with a slightly greater emphasis on radio-ready pop (courtesy of soon-to-be single "Powers," a dead ringer for "Hey Ya"). For several tracks, producer Chief Xcel recruited the elements of a funk band to shoulder the weight usually carried by his unerring sampling sense, and the guitars-and-beats formula works very well (not least because Xcel and rapper Gift of Gab feel free to desert the formula periodically). Although Gift of Gab reveals a slight lack of material one year on from his first solo record, the band format helps Gab find different ways to deliver his vocals -- avoiding the crutch of his flashy speed raps from previous records. While the first half of the album may sound like a watered-down Blazing Arrow, everything picks up when the duo unveil two of the grooviest message tracks since Stevie Wonder's "Livin' for the City" in "The Fall and Rise of Elliot Brown" and "Black Diamonds and Pearls." As on Blazing Arrow, they make the most of an influences track by recruiting an elderly, potentially unstable performer -- here George Clinton, there Gil Scott-Heron -- by minimizing their contributions (but not their impact). ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
World of Vibrations (Lyrics)	Gift of Gab, T.J. Parker	Blackalicious, Ledisi	(5:02)
Supreme People (Lyrics)	T.J. Parker, Gift of Gab, S. Martel	Blackalicious	(4:03)
Rhythm Sticks (Lyrics)	Gift of Gab, T.J. Parker	Blackalicious	(4:36)
Powers (Lyrics)	S. Martel, T.J. Parker, Gift of Gab	Blackalicious	(3:47)
Your Move (Lyrics)	T.J. Parker, Gift of Gab	Blackalicious	(3:55)
Lotus Flower (Lyrics)	T.J. Parker, Gift of Gab	Blackalicious	(4:12)
My Pen and Pad	Gift of Gab, T.J. Parker	Blackalicious	(2:02)
Side to Side (Lyrics)	T.J. Parker, Gift of Gab	Blackalicious	(4:36)
Automatique (Lyrics)	Gift of Gab, T.J. Parker	Blackalicious	(4:07)
The Fall and Rise of Elliot Brown	Gift of Gab, T.J. Parker	Blackalicious	(3:55)
Black Diamonds and Pearls	Gift of Gab, T.J. Parker	Blackalicious	(4:22)
Give It to You (Lyrics)	T. Shimura, Gift of Gab, T.J. Parker	Blackalicious	(3:51)
Ego Sonic War Drums	M. Davis, Gift of Gab, T.J. Parker, S. Martel	Blackalicious	(5:57)
The Craft	T.J. Parker, Gift of Gab	Blackalicious	(3:46)

Credits

George Clinton (Vocals), RV Salters (Synthesizer), Syble Scovell (Vocals), Alfredo Rolando Ortiz (Percussion), Will Quinnell (Assistant Engineer), Mike Cresswell (Mixing), Eugene Smith (Assistant Engineer), Vincent Segal (Cello), Chief Xcel (Rap), Larry Saunders (Vocals), Peace (MC), Gift of Gab (Rap), Nyra Dynyese (Vocals), Lyrics Born (MC), Mike Cresswell (Audio Engineer), Chief Xcel (Engineer), Lifesavas (Rap), Xavier Mosley (Executive Producer), Lateef the Truth Speaker (Rap), Karl Young (Bass), Vincent Segal (Guitar (Electric)), Elisa Rivera (Assistant), Ledisi (Vocals), Robert Russell Bennett (Project Coordinator), Olivier Lude (String Engineer), Pigeon John (Rap), Brad Kobylczak (Vocals), Timothy Parker (Executive Producer), RV Salters (Piano), Vincent Segal (Bass), Noa Schnall (Vocals), Justin Lieberman (Mixing Assistant), Floetry (Rap), Vincent Segal (Piano), David Walke (Mixing Assistant), Robert Collins (Vocals), RV Salters (Organ), Chief Xcel (Audio Engineer), Sébastien Martel (Guitar (Electric)), Chris Gehringer (Mastering), Rachel Allgood (Mixing Assistant), Teke Underduze (Bass), Jean-Marc Apap (Violin), Liz Colabraro (Project Coordinator), Herve Cavelier (Viola), Vincent Segal (Electric Cello), Ben Kane (Mixing Assistant), Teke Underduze (Synthesizer), Chief Xcel (Producer), Sébastien Martel (Guitar (Acoustic)), Russell Elevado (Mixing), Marsha Ambrosius (Vocals), Mike Cresswell (Engineer), Natalie Stewart (MC)

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