Blackalicious Guilt C/D

The "Jay-Z basket". Man, that is SOOOO cute.

I guess that'll teach me to open my big fat mouth.

And, Alex in SF, I'm intrigued by the idea that Blackalicious is "anachronistic." What does being "up to date" have to do with quality? I liked the Anti-Pop Consortium and El-P records, both of which are extremely "current" with all their squiggles and glitches, but I didn't hear much soul or heart or feeling in either one of them. Which is, I guess, part of the point. But that feeling is something I need in hip-hop records I love, and I think Blazing Arrow delivers. (Of course, I also loved Cannibal Ox's The Cold Vein, a chilly album indeed, but full of some of the best goth lyrics I've ever heard.

Okay, whatever. Just felt like I needed to share.

?!?!!!

All I was saying was that I think that Blazing Arrow is a record that will last over time, as opposed to a lot of other major-label hip-hop releases that seem to exist simply as periodicals, installments in a proven franchise.

hah, have we finished the faq entry on rockism yet?

An interesting question, worthy of its own thread. In my mind, it has something to do with it. Or is it the other way round. You know what? I'll start a new thread.

ps if someone sent me a copy of this record I would even try earnestly to like it.

But I'll concede the point, because otherwise I'd have to get rid of my Sweet and L'Trimm albums. Which would suck, and make me cry.

(if it does it for you good but difft people might have difft emotional connections!)

Who defines this and how, though? Do you mean that it was created simply to cash in on a trend (which I gather you don't mind -- I sure don't!), or...?

I'm not having a very hip-hop year really, so I can't really gauge how it stands up against the rest of the year's releases.

Matt C - what makes you think you can't connect with people's hearts, ears, asses and for that matter their brains and loins ALL AT THE SAME TIME? That's what truly great pop is about.

grr if you keep this up I am going to have to buy it

I'd tell you more, but I'm too busy pouting.

And I'm surprised no one's mentioned the sort of "indie guilt" related issue here: surely there's a subgroup of fans of Blazing Arrow who don't enjoy a lot of other hip-hop because of what they perceive as the active bad feeling of other MCs. Such people can enjoy Blazing Arrow and by extension enjoy hip-hop as a form, but that puts them in violation of any "it's about the music" doctrines they might subscribe to: on some level they'll realize that this music resonates powerfully with them largely because this time they can stomach and endorse everything the MC has to say. That's another source of -- well, if not outright "guilt" at least some cognitive dissonance. It's bound to make you feel like either your grandmother or a Christian rock fan, sort of like saying "I suppose that movie was funny but why do they have to use such bad language all the time?"

Personally I don't think there's anything wrong with enjoying the fact that something is fundamentally sappy, feel-good, sentimental, or earnest, and I don't think those qualities necessarily imply that something can't have plenty of depth as well. Blazing Arrow is well-made, enjoyable, plus all that stuff: it's just really, really pleasant and positive, which is an okay reason to like it without worrying about attendant guilt issues. But those qualities do sometimes keep it from surprising or amazing me.

That said, I think it really is a good record, solidly crafted and frequently quite clever and with a decent amount of emotional depth. If it were a guy and not a record I'd just say "he's good people."

And fuck all this macho nonsense about not wanting to admit to liking it because it isn't all hard and aggressive. I like much softer stuff than this! And Nabisco is OTM (thanks to Graham's 'while you were writing...' feature).

Not that I'm one for lyrics per se ;-) but I suspect you'll stop seeing this as a subject for something in a song when people stop killing each other with guns -- aka, the Twelfth of Never.

I'm not so sure that "challenging" equals "good" all the time, and I certainly hear moments on Blazing Arrow that are very challenging (if just technically, or emotionally out-there), but I agree that some people are into this album because it's not all materialistic or thugged-out; that's a good observation. However, I'm not them. I like it because it resonates with me. No one wants an album their grandmother likes...but my grandmother's not into this record.

She's down with Scarface. Bitch is hardcore.

sterl I hope it wasn't the one where they pick on the raver kid's 'plur' sticker. that one made me so mad!!

see here sterl

Damn!

That said, I agree with what Nitsuh's saying... the thing is, I have no qualms whatsoever about listening to unchallenging, uplifting party music (which is what a lot of Blazing Arrow is - although not all of it).

To be perfectly honest, I feel MORE guilty about listening to what is pigeonholed as gangsta rap, because I can never get the idea of people making a lot of money selling an incredibly negative stereotype of black people. Any thoughts?

isn't kool keith a big fan of lsd?

Here

I like it. A lot. I could write 10,000 words on it, but let's just say it's the hip hop equivalent of indie songs with recorded solos.

>:)

Yeah, but didn't he just rip that off of Tom Lehrer?

ha so daniel radcliffe

like sorry to get all Facebook on you guys but https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKdV5FvXLuI

I found lots of copies of the extended Melodica e.p. Cd going for £2ir in a sale in the mid 90s. Loved the copy I bought and played it a couple of times a day. Shame I can't find it now.
Don't think I followed what Blackalicious were at for years afterward until they turned up playing in Galway which I thought was a great gig. Followed them over to the Dublin date and only bought the then current Blazing Arrow in the wake of that.
I've always loved Gab's mellifluous cadence, not heard much else that sounds like that. I'm not massively up on hip hop though. Do have bits I love but they're pretty well known stuff like early Public Enemy, first wave Wu Tang, Epmd, Schoolly D, New Kingdom and the Goats first lp.
I do have Blazing Arrow on my walkman where tracks pop up at random intervals and sound great. But I haven't followed what they've done since.

What's with this wave of nice dude actors demonstrating good memories and speed rapping?

Blackalicious' "Shallow Days" is awesome

otm