Keepin' It Blackalicious

In 1987, in an economics class in Sacramento, Calif. a hip-hop group was formed.\nXavier Mosley and Tim Parker were just two kids sitting in class arguing about hip-hop -- and they didn't like each other one bit. The feud was based on geographic differences: Mosley was from the Bay Area and Parker was from the San Fernando Valley area, which caused a musical rift.\n"We really didn't like each other at first," Parker said. "I was from Southern California and he was from Northern California, so we'd always argue about who was better: Ice-T or Too Short."\nBut the two were eventually able to bond over similar tastes. They both heard a New York rapper called Audio Two and his song "Top Billin'" and they thought it was "the dopest song" they've ever heard. Their friendship was ignited and so was their musical careers.\n"From then on, we began building," Parker said.\nAt John F. Kennedy High School, Parker was revered for his rap skills -- even at a young age.\n"I started rhyming just to battle other cats. I'm really a battle emcee at my core," Parker said. "People at school loved it. I don't meant to brag, but I was the best rapper in every school I went to, which was definitely good for my confidence."\nEighteen years later, Parker, now rapper Gift of Gab, and Mosley, now producer Chief Xcel are still the best of friends. Their group, Blackalicious, has had a fierce underground following for years with critically acclaimed albums Nia and Blazing Arrow. Their music is best defined by their beat and lyrics melding together seamlessly. Their newest album, The Craft, will hit stores Sept. 27.\nTheir concert tour promoting The Craft kicked off last week with a stop scheduled at the Bluebird on Monday, Sept. 12. Bluebird general manager Dave Kubiak said bringing Blackalicious to their venue was a no-brainer.\n"We do a lot of underground hip-hop shows and we've never done Blackalicious," Kubiak said. "The response (in ticket sales) has been pretty strong. I've never seen them, but I hear that it's a fantastic live show. But most of the underground hip-hop shows at Bluebird are very entertaining and good shows."\nSo, how is The Craft different from your first two albums?\nGift of Gab: We definitely wanted to make a record that's more cinematic. There's more storytelling going on. There's not a lot of songs where I'm straight up busting in there, because I can pretty much do it in my sleep. It's bigger musically than Nia or Blazing Arrow. We are always trying to grow. We'll never do the same album twice. We'll never do another Nia. We'll never do another Blazing Arrow. We always try to push ourselves. \nWhen did you first start rapping and how was your style developed?\nWhen I was 12 years old. It's definitely something that has developed over time and continues to develop. I think art is a never-ending process. I think when I set out to make a song, I always try to do something new.\nWhat's your songwriting process like? Do the beats come first or the lyrics? Can you write a song without a beat in mind?\nWell, X will get the band together to play and he'll start working on a beat. Then, I'll hear the meat of the track and I'll try to write lyrics that go along with the flow of the beat. I don't necessarily have to hear the beat, but it makes for a better song. I like the beat and the rhymes to be seamless. I think we have good chemistry. I think I see lyrics like he sees music. He can play me a track and he knows me. He knows what I like and what I don't like before I even hear it.\nWhat was it like working on your solo album, 4th Dimension Rocketships Going Up? Was it weird to be working without Chief Xcel?\nIt was good. It definitely was healthy. Whenever you work with other cats, it helps you grow and helps you musically. We still was working on the new Blackalicious album, so it wasn't like we broke up or anything.\nWhat has been the biggest obstacle in your musical career?\nMy own mind. Sometimes, I can have expectations that are hard to meet.\nWhat do you like best about performing? Do you prefer small venues or large ampitheaters?\nI enjoy just being out and the traveling aspect. I really like small places. They're more intimate. Kind of like that house party vibe. Still, there's nothing like thousands and thousands of people ready to hear you perform. They both can be good.\nWhat do you guys do to make your shows stand out beyond just what's on the album?\nWe look at our live show as half of the package. We really focus on the way that it's structured, the way it flows. We really look at where you make the show interactive, where you make it chill. It's definitely strategic.\nDo you have a favorite venue?\nI like the places here in California. I like the DNA Lounge in San Francisco. But the best is the House of Blues in L.A. It's my favorite venue of all time.\nYou collaborated with so many artists on Blazing Arrow. Is there a top-of-list dream artist to work with?\nStevie Wonder. Really, he's the best.\nWhat's your opinion on the state of hip-hop today?\nAh, the infamous question. Honestly, I think it's dope. It's good to be an independent artist right now. I think there's a movement of artists doing their own thing.\nCan you remember the first song you worked on with Chief Xcel?\nHmmm, that's a tough one. Let me think. I think the first thing we did was actually "Paragraph President" from Blazing Arrow. We did an original version of that in the studio a long time ago. That's why it has that old-school feel.\nHow did your family react when you told them you wanted to be a rapper?\nAt first, they said get a career, get a job. I informed them that this is what I wanted to do with my life and they weren't too happy. Once they saw a little bit of money come in, they changed their minds. \nSo, what's in your future?\nI don't really now, Right now, we are promoting this record hard. We'll be on the road for a while. We shot a video for "Your Move." We'll probably do a video for "Powers." After that, we'll just work on another Blackalicious record.