Blazing Arrow - Blackalicious (2002)

Ideated from: Fall music, things that make me think of the autumn for one reason or another

RIP Gift Of Gab (d. 2021), the hyper-verbal MC for Blackalicicous. He could fill a bar with more syllables than you could count and have it all make sense once you parsed it out. He never got particularly famous, but he and Blackalicious deserved more recognition.

This is my favorite of their records. Thumping grooves, some spacy samples, conscious lyrics looking for the good even in difficult situations.

Tracks I Liked

Sky Is Falling - a terrifying narrative that washes over you, but still manages to show a ray of light.

First In Flight - a nice idyll

Paragraph President - rapping about being good at rapping. gotta love it.

2000s music hip hop conscious hip hop

Forward / Return
The Album Leaf
v. chill but interesting on a deep listen

Imaginary Day
Pat Metheny Group