CD Reviews
Issue date: 10/4/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Blackalicious
The Craft
Two of Bay area's finest, rapper Gift of Gab and producer Chief Xcel, aka Blackalicious, come together again for their long-awaited third full-length release, this time on the very unhip-hop record label Anti. As the follow up to 2002's spectacular Blazing Arrow, The Craft isn't a better album, it's just a more cohesive and straightforward one.
On "Lotus Flower" Gab claims that he "didn't come to rhyme about using a Smith and Wesson." So what did he come to rhyme about then? Well, I'm not too sure.
He's constantly rapping about something positive. Or just rapping about rapping, the epitome of conscience hip hop posturing. There's even a track called "My Pen and Pad." How boring and cliché is that?
However, that's beside the point. On a Blackalicious album, content is second to style. While Gab may bore us with claims that he'll "raise the bar with another level of rhymin'" and "show you all how funky a record has to be," at the very least, he keeps his promises; his flow and Xcel's funky production are consistently engaging. Almost every track is whole and complete. Take the powerful "Black Diamonds and Pearls," for instance, a sonic and lyrical reference to Kurtis Blow, Prince and Nas, all at the same time.
But for one of Cali's most innovative groups, Blackalicious comes close to being boring with their self-referencing. Fortunately, their sound is anything but. Now if Gab put more substance behind his style, the Bay area duo might finally make that masterpiece we've been waiting for. (Anti)
-Zak Bronson
Tommy Lee
TommyLand the Ride
Tommy has probably been more known for his relationship with Pamela Lee than for his music, but on his new album, his music detaches him from his previous Hollywood image.
Tommy makes this detachment clear on the back of the album by thanking the major recording companies for not being involved in the production of the CD.
TommyLand the Ride, as stated by the title, is the idea of Tommy Lee letting us in and showing us who he is. We see this with songs like "Tryin' to Be Me," showing his struggle to be himself while dealing with the paparazzi. Then you have the song entitled "Tired," in which he jokingly talks about his past relationship with Pamela and other celebrity relationships which have failed. Also, we see a more personal Tommy when he sings of love and relationships in songs like "I Need You" and "Hello, Again".
The Craft
Two of Bay area's finest, rapper Gift of Gab and producer Chief Xcel, aka Blackalicious, come together again for their long-awaited third full-length release, this time on the very unhip-hop record label Anti. As the follow up to 2002's spectacular Blazing Arrow, The Craft isn't a better album, it's just a more cohesive and straightforward one.
On "Lotus Flower" Gab claims that he "didn't come to rhyme about using a Smith and Wesson." So what did he come to rhyme about then? Well, I'm not too sure.
He's constantly rapping about something positive. Or just rapping about rapping, the epitome of conscience hip hop posturing. There's even a track called "My Pen and Pad." How boring and cliché is that?
However, that's beside the point. On a Blackalicious album, content is second to style. While Gab may bore us with claims that he'll "raise the bar with another level of rhymin'" and "show you all how funky a record has to be," at the very least, he keeps his promises; his flow and Xcel's funky production are consistently engaging. Almost every track is whole and complete. Take the powerful "Black Diamonds and Pearls," for instance, a sonic and lyrical reference to Kurtis Blow, Prince and Nas, all at the same time.
But for one of Cali's most innovative groups, Blackalicious comes close to being boring with their self-referencing. Fortunately, their sound is anything but. Now if Gab put more substance behind his style, the Bay area duo might finally make that masterpiece we've been waiting for. (Anti)
-Zak Bronson
Tommy Lee
TommyLand the Ride
Tommy has probably been more known for his relationship with Pamela Lee than for his music, but on his new album, his music detaches him from his previous Hollywood image.
Tommy makes this detachment clear on the back of the album by thanking the major recording companies for not being involved in the production of the CD.
TommyLand the Ride, as stated by the title, is the idea of Tommy Lee letting us in and showing us who he is. We see this with songs like "Tryin' to Be Me," showing his struggle to be himself while dealing with the paparazzi. Then you have the song entitled "Tired," in which he jokingly talks about his past relationship with Pamela and other celebrity relationships which have failed. Also, we see a more personal Tommy when he sings of love and relationships in songs like "I Need You" and "Hello, Again".
