Blackalicious Interview

[Scribe]

From sohh.com

So what's up with the album, Blazing Arrows?

Gift of Gab: The album Blazing Arrows is finally finished and out, this is our fourth body of work, our second LP. It was dope making it, we hooked up with a lot of dope people, Gil Scott Heron, ?uestlove, Chali 2na, Rakaa from Dilated Peoples, Saul Williams, plus more. But if I can tell you anything about the record, it's the evolution of Blackalicious up to this point now.

What kind of evolution did the group go through between Nia and Blazing Arrows?

Chief Excel: Well, there was a lot of life that went on between those two records. And as a result we try to make everything reflective in our music. Musically, I think it's a lot more advanced, it much more musical record. Nia was a 100% sample-based. And Blazing Arrows, we were blessed to be able to work with people like ?uestlove, Paul Humphrey and Money Mark and stuff like that. Sampling and digging is always gonna be the core of my sound but we were able to stretch it out a little bit and really expand. I think a lot of the arrangements are a lot more intricate, lyrically its more developed, that's not to say that its better or worse it just the next logical progression for Blackalicious.

When you guys moved from being independent to signing with MCA Records, some fans were kind of worried that your sound would be watered down. Did that concern you?

Chief Excel: For us it was kind of like, when we were out touring behind Nia in Fall of 2000 with Ben Harper, we had a bunch of labels courting us at the time. And the main thing for us was, we go a lot on instinct, so with the other people we talked to were like, 'who's gonna let us be us' and realize that Blackalicious is now a 15-year chemistry. And who was just gonna let us make our records and not get in out mix. And we felt strongest that MCA were just gonna be hands off and let us deliver the record that we're gonna deliver, and that's how it went down. And with a lot of the Collabs on the album and stuff, they really didn't hook up any of them with exception of Keke Wyatt on "It's Going Down". And that was only because Jonell originally sung it but she was signed to Def Jam and there was all types of legal stuff in terms of clearing her, then Keke came in and just killed it. So in that, even the one that the label hooked up, it was still natural and organic. Everyone else was all people and peers we had mutual respect for and we'd see while we were on tour or out at shows and whatnot and we'd be like, "Yo we gotta hook up!" Blazing Arrows gave us the opportunity to hook it up, so it was cool.

One of the standout tracks that's got people talking is "Release" featuring Zach De La Rocha, Saul Williams and Lyrics Born. What's the science behind that joint?

Chief Xcel: "Release" is basically a 10-minute song that happens in three movements. All three movements are based on a breath sequence. So exhaling, inhaling and exhaling again. The first exhale is about letting out aggression and letting out ill energy and Zach ends saying "destroy the beast release." So that's out. Once that energy is out, inhale is just about inhaling, sitting still, listening and letting the Creator's energy fill you. So that what Saul's piece is about, it's just really introspective. Part three is about once that's filled you, you're exhaling again and you're using all that energy you had to motivate. And that's part three with motivation and Lyrics Born.

So is there anything planned for Quannum for the rest of the year besides you and Shadow's albums?

Gift of Gab: Yeah, definitely. Quannum is the umbrella; Quannum is like where we all come from as a crew and as a unit. But we got a lot of stuff in the works like Lateef and Chief Excel have a group called Maroons and they're working on their record right now. Lyrics Born is working on a solo record. Joyo Velarde is working on her album and also we have a group called the Lifesavas out of Portland, and they have a single out right now. And I'm working with some live musicians on a solo record and at the same time we're all like different pieces that come together like Voltron. So we'll definitely come back together. So Quannum projects is in full E.F.F.E.C.T.!

As far as production, you mostly stay in the crew, do you plan on doing more outside production for other artists?

Chief Excel: I will be more in the future. Right now it's kind of like we have a musical vision that we're trying to set forth first. I've always been a fan of people like Dr. Dre because they've sort of built their careers on their terms and the collabs they did were always collabs that they wanted to do, not collabs just to get paid. But a lot times, cats in this industry can become like beat hoes. But now I got Blackalicious, Maroons, Lifesavas, Erinn Annova, I mean my plate is full as it is. But one of the blessings of Blazing Arrows is that I got to share so much energy with people outside my crew, so you know, just three days, Ahmir and I were talking about the next concept we wanna do. So we're gonna continue to expand on our terms.

Is there anyone you would want to work with though?

Chief Excel: I'm dying to work with Erykah Badu. I just heard some stuff off of Ray Hargrove's upcoming record, it's amazing. There's a song with her and Q-Tip called "Poetry" and its just dope. So Erykah, D'Angelo, and I'd like to work with Snoop, I think Snoop is dope. It's always been one of dreams to work with MC Eiht because he's always been one of the sickest to me. I'm a fan of music, man, so you know, I'd like to work with Teena Marie, there's tons of people out there.

Since you've been down with Hip-Hop for so many years, is there anything that you miss? Or is it missing something?

Gift of Gab: I think that Hip-Hop just evolves, ya know? Sometimes I'll go through periods where it don't feel like it felt in a certain period. But the thing is, it's our duty as emcees and producers and songwriters to make that feeling come back. So if I ever felt like anything is missing in Hip-Hop, I try to create. Because to me it's all about a feeling, it's about making you feel almost like a high, or taking you out of yourself. So really, that's what music is supposed to do.