Blazing Arrow

Performer: Blackalicious
Artist: Gil Scott-Heron; Ben Harper; Paul Humphrey; Jaguar Wright; Money Mark; Karl Denson; Anthony Coleman; Saul Williams; Lateef The Truth Speaker; Chali 2NA; KeKe Wyatt; Cut Chemist; Rakaa; Babu; Lyrics Born
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Blackalicious: Chief Xcel, Gift Of Gab (rap vocals). Additional personnel includes: Ben Harper (vocals, guitar); Gil Scott-Heron, Jaguar Wright (vocals); Chali 2NA, Lateff The Truth Speaker, Keke Wyatt, Rakaa, Babu, Saul Williams, Lyrics Born (rap vocals); Karl Denson (flute); Anthony Coleman (trumpet); Money Mark (piano, organ); Paul Humphrey, Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson (drums); Cut Chemist. Producers include: Chief Xcel, ?uestlove, Hi-Tek, Ben Harper, The Innocent Criminals. Engineers include: Chief Xcel, Mario Cldato, Robert Caranza. Composer: Chief Xcel. Personnel: Ben Harper (vocals, guitar); Gift of Gab, Tracey Moore, Linda Parker , Erinn Anova, Gil Scott-Heron, Syble Scovell, Gil Scott, Joyo Velarde, KeKe Wyatt, Lateef the Truth Speaker, Lyrics Born, Rakaa-Iriscience, Saul Williams, Zack de la Rocha, Jaguar Wright, Chali 2na (vocals); Vincent Segal (cello, electric cello, strings, percussion); Karl Denson (flute); Oliver Charles (clarinet, Fender Rhodes piano); Jose Espinoza (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Seth "Slim" Zwerling, Anthony Coleman (trumpet); Money Mark (piano, organ); Harley White, James Poyser, Omar Edwards (keyboards); Ahmir Khalib Thompson, Paul Humphrey (drums); Alfred Ortiz, Leon Mobley (percussion); Cut Chemist (scratches). Audio Mixers: Chief Xcel; DJ Shadow; Russell Elevado. Recording information: Accompong Compound, Sacramento, CA; Conway Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY; Green Street Studios, New York, NY; MCJ Studio, Los Angeles, CA; Sound City Studio, Los Angeles, CA; The Studio, Philadelphia, PA; Toast Studios, San Francisco, CA; Wannabattle Studios, Cincinatti, OH; WEstlake Studios, Los Angeles, CA. Photographer: Brian Cross. Arranger: Chief Xcel. For progressive hip-hop acts, aesthetic and commercial success seem to rarely walk hand in hand. Blackalicious proves to be an exception to that rule with BLAZING ARROW. Pessimists might suggest that the album's chart placing is due to the impressive array of guest stars, from old-school rap poet Gil Scott-Heron to R&B siren Jaguar Wright and rock-pop fave Ben Harper. While these guests do give an indication of the breadth of influences and styles present here, they are only the tip of the iceberg. "I'll build my heaven on what is here" Blackalicious offers on "Nowhere Fast," giving both an example of their positive lyrical outlook and indication of the sonic riches so abundant on BLAZING ARROW. An impressive array of sophisticated sonic collage elements, hard-grooving funk rhythms, strings, and free-flowing, intelligent raps are at the heart of this complex-yet-organic recording. You'll hear none of the soundalike synth riffs and jeep beats that plague so much cookie-cutter hip-hop. These guys are blazing a new path.

Rolling Stone (7/11/02, p.112) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...Lazy and lovely...made all the more mellow by the gently bumping lines of bassist Harley White Jr....ARROW is erudite and ambitious..." Spin (6/02, p.111) - 6 out of 10 - "...Their new direction goes down smoother than a cup of chamomile tea..." Q (8/02, p.120) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Thoroughly entertaining..." NME (Magazine) (6/15/02, p.29) - 6 out of 10 - "...Mystical spiritual journeys and intricate wordplay....A cohesive whole..."

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