Blackalicious
Nia
[Quannum]
Rating: 7.3
Let me tell you something about this "rap" music created and issued solely by hooligans
and miscreants. Not only is it infecting the malleable minds of our youth with its curse
words and butchery of grammar, but it clearly goes against the Lord's gospel ("And upon
hearing Bone Thugs 'N' Harmony, the Lord did proclaim 'What is this? I certainly
didn't create it. It must have been that scoundrel Satan!'" Luke 3:26). I truly wonder
why so many kids can endorse this Ol' Dirty Rascal and Mr. Bursting with Rhymes when
they obviously engage in nefarious behavior. And don't get me started on this Dre person,
who claims to be a doctor of some sort. I wouldn't even trust that man to open my tube of
Preparation H to ease my "chronic" hemorrhoid pain.
Don't get me wrong; not too long ago I was quite the "Boomin' Granny." When visiting with
my grandson Billy, I have been known to beatbox while he lays down Bible verse. During heated
Bingo matches, I have "battled" Vera and Ethel freestyle on a number of occasions. I'm no
"wack mother-bleeper." Thus, I can make exceptions for positive artists like those nice young
Jewish lads, the Beastly Boys. That's why I'm so pleased to have stumbled across
Blackalicious' Nia, a nice little compilation of ditties by a very polite
African-American fellow.
I couldn't possibly stress how relieved I am that a gifted lyricist has taken it upon himself
to resist the fast money, loose women, and other such pernicious bait used by the Devil
himself to tempt the weak. One of the best things about Nia is that it's so unfunky
that I can easily listen to it while knitting without having the urge to "shake my booty," and
possibly miss a stitch in the ensuing melee.
The primary allure of Blackalicious is really their lyricist, Gift of Gab, since the musical
backdrop is not even almost innovative. To be honest, Gift of Gab sounds like Young MC
reincarnated as a white poindexter who cares more about theatrical enunciation than varied
rhythmic delivery. Gift of Gab has incredible diction, though, assembling tongue-twisting
lines as clever as they are humorous. Over the whole five minutes of "Do This My Way" I think
he may only pause to take a breath a total of four times, which takes a considerable talent.
Maybe the Lord wanted him to be a scuba diver! On "A to G," Gab leads us on a fun (and quite
educational!) journey through the first seven letters of the alphabet. Believe me, I'll use
quite a few of those words to battle Vera and Ethel!
Of course, the reason so much attention was paid to Blackalicious in the first place was their
involvement with everyone's favorite DJ savior, DJ Shadow. Well, Shadow has produced "Cliff
Hanger" on Nia, and boy, does he ever make abundant use of an 808. I haven't been this
disappointed since the summer of 1941. "Cliff Hanger" resembles Shadow's previous work very
little and is rather dull, especially behind Gift of Gab's curious science-fiction storytelling.
One unexpected rainbow which appears shortly after the drizzle of "Cliff Hanger" is "Ego Trip
by Nikki Giovanni," an intelligent, self-aggrandizing rant in which Giovanni states, "I am so
hip, even my errors are correct." You go, girl!
Thanks to Blackalicious' Nia, I no longer feel that I have to cross myself constantly
whenever speaking of the "hip-hop." Blackalicious are so prolific and astute that they had to
narrow the 18 songs featured on Nia from the 45 they recorded. Wow! Although the
compositions on this album are often wacky and overproduced, they are always intriguing and--
thank God-- G-rated. While not suited for those who demand a whole lot of soul from their MCs,
this one will certainly be "bumpin'" in the Oldsmobile for at least a little while because of
its lyrical creativity and refusal to communicate a negative message. I just hope this is all
okay with the Lord!
-Taylor M. Clark