For the following reasons I'm a firm believer that every CD collection should contain a few albums that confuse people when they are slipped into rotation. These albums a) give us credibility amongst different groups of people; b) make our knowledge of music superior amongst people within our own groups; and c) gives us chance to experiment with different types of body movements, like bobbing our heads rather than banging them.
In case you didn't know, the Gift of Gab is the swift-tongues front man from the Bay Area hip-hop trio Blackalicous, and on 4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up he offers listeners a smooth transition into the world of beats and rhymes from whatever genre they previously paid homage to. The first Blackalicious track I ever heard was "Alphabet Aerobics" on a mix tape loaned to me by a friend. After listening for about thirty seconds I was convinced that Gift of Gab was hands down the most talented emcee I had ever heard. Four years, and three albums later I am even more convinced.
Although 4th Dimensional... is officially listed as a solo effort by Gift of Gab, I would unofficially classify it as the fourth Blackalicous record. It has the same sound, the same feel, and the same degree of excellence of anything put out by the group as a whole. But like every album there are a few tracks on the album that standout amongst the rest. I can assure you that on this album you will find no talk of cars, money, or "ice"... just heartfelt views on different aspects of the world. The song "Up" is a cleverly crafted poem about a conversation with a cab driver that had just recently arrived from a third world country. Within the story, Gab delivers a strong political message; this is a fundamental tactic used by emcees from the old school that has slowly been forgotten as hip-hop has evolved into the rap we hear today. However, not all the content on the album is this heavy. There are few lighthearted tracks, such as "Flashback", a song about growing up, and "To Know You", the track where Gift of Gab confesses his desire to "come home to a woman", rather than going home with a woman.
So next time you're setting up your equipment for band practice, slide 4th Dimensional... into the ghetto blaster and watch your rocker friends' jaws drop with awe and a new found respect for the hipity-hop.
