Straight Outta Oakland…Blackalicious pt 1 Studying Their Craft & Running the Game By Davey D In the gritty streets of Oakland otherwise known as ‘The Town’ and ground zero to the Hyphy Movement which is taking the world by storm is one of Hip Hop’s best but underrated groups-Blackalicious. As quiet as kept, because they aren’t regulars on MTV’s TRL or BET’s Rap City, and because they aren’t given any sort of love on local radio station KMEL, one might come to the conclusion that Chief XL and Gift of Gab are either new comers to the scene or non factors to the game. But as Chuck D’s Public Enemy succinctly put it ‘Don’t Believe the Hype’. For starters, they are veterans. The group has been together for almost 18 years. Unlike far too many groups which could not keep it together and broken up, Blackalicious has gotten better age and showed the importance of keeping the lines of communication open and maintaining a strong friendship. The other thing to keep in mind is that Blackalicious is a touring group that stays on the road for more than half a year. Their territory and sphere’s of influence are not limited to the two thousand by three thousand box known as the US. While the group regularly sells out shows and moves an impressive number of units independently (they outsell many of their hyphy brethren) all around the country, they really hit superstar status overseas. From Paris to South Africa to Australia, Blackalicious is a household name and for good reason. There is no denying that they have mastered their craft. Their new album ‘The Craft’ certainly underscores that point. Chief XL’s production has been well a head of the curve for years as he along with fellow Quannum producer DJ Shadow have constantly pushed the musical envelop with good results. His collabs with legends like Gil Scott Heron and more recently George Clinton have earned him major respect as he is constantly sought out by young and old alike all around the world. Recently he was in France laying down tracks for artists. The day we did our interview he was working with the Lifesavas on their new project. This is all in addition to him being a new dad. Lead rapper Gift of Gab has proven time and time again, he’s no joke when it comes to flexing mic skillz. He talked about his upbringing in Southern Cali in a town out in the San Fernando, valley called Pacoima where he sported the name Gabby T and grew up around Hip Hop icons like King T, J-Ro Defari o f the Likwit Crew. He was quick to point out that his part of the Valley was nothing like Sherman Oaks and that he spent many a days honing his skillz until he moved up to Northern Cali where he met Chief XL. During our interview Gab showed off his lyrical prowess by kicking a few freestyles as well as explaining the type of colorful strategies he would employ if he had to battle artists like Mos Def, Casual, Rakaa of Dilated peoples and his Quannum label mate Lyrics Born. During our interview we covered a lot of ground with Blackalicious including their take on working with music icons like Gil Scott Herron and George Clinton, owning their own label and operation, the secret to lasting so long in the game and the current Bay Area Hip Hop scene and the Hyphy Movement. Although the group is not considered hyphy they are certainly big fans and supporters. They are also proud of the fact that the Bay Area is large enough, creative enough and diverse enough to support acts ranging from Keak da Sneak, The Team, San Quinn and E-40 to Hiero, The Coup and Blackalicious. Chief XL spoke extensively about the independent scene and how it forced everyone including fellow Oakland based groups like Heiro and Living Legends to become business savvy and step their grind game up on a global level. They talked about how they applied the hustle formula from ‘The Town’ to a worldwide stage and hence got themselves known and situated around the world. In fact a lot of folks don’t know this, but Blackalicious’ first album was actually released overseas in the UK which gave them keen insight as to how to really work the angles and take things to a whole other level. Peep the interview with Blackalicious as they take you into their world and show you just how good Hip Hop can really be… Be sure to peep pt 2 of this interview Less