Blackalicious - Imani Vol. 1

Blackalicious
Imani Vol: 1
2015
Spotify

You know Blackalicious, even if you think you don't. Blackalicious produced one of the most amazing lyrical performances ever with 1999's "Alphabet Aerobics". I still listen to that track every now and again to marvel and the amazingness that is Gift of Gab's vocal skills. Oh and never forget that it was paired with a great little beat from Chief Xcel. But, that was 16 years ago and the release of Imani Vol: 1 comes ten years after their last album The Craft. The duo have not been silent however, working on projects outside of Blackalicious. Their is something undeniable about classic sounding hip hop, it's never dated and it's always impressive when done well and Imani Vol: 1 is done very well. There is so much verbiage flying your way it is almost impossible to keep up, but then the hook brings you right back around. What is the true greatness of Blackalicious is Gab's ability to drop bars on bars on bars while still maintaining a narrative and song structure that just works. It is also not lost on the listener that in this time of Black Lives Matter Blackalicious' afrocentric message is top of mind. But the nuance in their storytelling and political discussions is so incredible. If Blackalicious came out 15 years after they did they would be where Run The Jewels are today, no question. When Gift of Gab gets in to one of his vocal twist and turns on a verse Blackalicious are simply unstoppable, and it is a pleasure to listen to.

If you think all you are getting is record scratches and a few 808s when it comes to production you would be seriously wrong. "That Night" feels modern yet it still has this four on the floor that keeps it grounded in the classics. The hook on "That Night" is definitely it's weak spot, but Gab more than makes up for it with a stellar group of verses. That really can be said for the entire album, there are no hooks that are going to keep you coming back, but the all out lyricism is simply incredible. What is really incredible however is that this record was crowd sourced, yet still feels like a very personal work of art. Each new corner you turn around with this album you find something new and exciting. the music keeps going, trying to cram 10 years of layoff into one 16 track record. The chemistry between Gab and Xcel is so palpable, and when a feature does come in it is almost annoying because you just want more of these two doing their thing. The tracks with a bit more edge like "I Like The Way You Talk" are the ones where the duo's organic connection are most on display. While Gab's voice may have aged a bit due to some illness when the two of them come together something special happens and both become better because of it. Imani Vol: 1 is less of a return to form and more of a we never left sort of vibe. This album deserves more praise and so does this group, get out there and correct this.

8.1 out of 10