Artist: Blackalicious
Album: The Craft
Bitrate: 194kbps avg
Label: Anti
Genre: Hip-Hop
Size: 85 megs
Playtime: 0h 58min 11sec total
Rip date: 2005-09-01
Store date: 2005-09-27

Track List:
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01. World of Vibrations              5:02
02. Supreme People                   4:03
03. Rhythm Sticks                    4:36
04. Powers                           3:47
05. Your Move                        3:55
06. Lotus Flower                     4:12
07. My Pen and Pad                   2:02
08. Side To Side                     4:36
09. Automatique                      4:07
10. The Fall and Rise of Elliot      3:55
    Brown
11. Black Diamonds and Pearls        4:22
12. Give It To You                   3:51
13. Ego Sonic Wardrums               5:57
14. The Craft                        3:46

Release Notes:
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Like a few other West Coast rap acts, including the Pharcyde and Jurassic 5,
Blackalicious has generally favored what hip-hoppers call the "positive tip"; in
other words, its lyrics have often been spiritual and uplifting rather than
violent or misogynous. Like a lot of experimental alternative rappers,
Blackalicious can be quirky and eccentric; nonetheless, spirituality is a big
part of the group's music. Although Blackalicious wasn't formed until the early
'90s, some of its members had known each other since the late '80s. Founding
members Gift of Gab (T.J. Parker) and Chief Xcel (Xavier Mosley) first met in
Sacramento, CA, in 1987 when they were students at John F. Kennedy High School.
Neither of them was originally from Sacramento; DJ/producer Xcel (who was going
by DJ IceSki at the time) was a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, while
rapper Gift of Gab was from Los Angeles' suburban San Fernando Valley. They went
their separate ways after the Gift of Gab (also known as Gabby T) graduated from
Kennedy High in 1989, but were reunited in Davis, CA, in 1992. By that time,
Xcel had become a student at the University of California at Davis and the Gift
of Gab moved to Davis to form Blackalicious with him. U.C. Davis was where Xcel
had started working with a hip-hop outfit called the SoleSides Crew, whose
members included DJ Shadow, Lateef the Truth Speaker, and Lyrics Born, and in
1992, the SoleSides Crew became part of Blackalicious. SoleSides Records was the
name of the SoleSides Crew's Northern California record company and in 1994,
that label released Blackalicious' debut single "Swan Lake." Although not a
triple-platinum smash, the single was a small underground hit that fared well
among alternative rap audiences. The following year, SoleSides Records released
a Blackalicious EP titled Melodica. By late 1997, SoleSides Records had gone out
of business; however, it soon re-emerged as Quannum Records. In 1999, Quannum
put out a Blackalicious EP, titled A2G, and in 2000, Quannum released the
group's full-length album Nia (whose title is the Swahili word for purpose).
After being together eight years, Blackalicious finally signed with a major
label when, in late 2000, the Californians were signed by MCA. In April 2002,
MCA released Blackalicious' full-length album Blazing Arrow, which boasts guest
appearances by artists who range from vocalist Zack de la Rocha (of Rage Against
the Machine fame) to the Roots' ?uestlove to veteran soul singer Gil
Scott-Heron.