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Gift of Gab

Various Artists – Quannum Presents SoleSides Greatest Bumps (2000)

May 26, 2011
*Quannum Projects, Blackalicious, Gift of Gab, Lateef, Latyrx, Lyrics Born, Mack B. Dog, ^Chief Xcel, ^DJ Shadow
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Some record labels have just done things right and don’t have a weak link in their entire arsenal.  Quannum Projects happens to be one of those lovely examples where you can randomly pick an album from their collective and you can be pretty confident that good music is en route to your eardrums.  This album is sprinkled with the talents of Gift of Gab, Lateef The Truth Speaker, Latyrx, Blackalicious, DJ Shadow and etc.  It satisfies your need for both variety as well as an underlying cohesion of sound as all these artists cater to head bobbing beats and smooth deliveries.  I recommend busting this album out when you are in the mood for shuffling your playlist but want to be sure that every track hits the spot.  PS: Latyrx’s track ‘Latyrx (Last Chance To Comprehend) might in fact drive you crazy BUT it is a track that should be experienced at least once just for it’s sheer unorthadox delivery.

Production: Chief Xcel, DJ Shadow, Lyrics Born

Features: Blackalicious, Chief Xcel, Gift of Gab, DJ Shadow, Lateef The Truth Speaker, Latyrx, Lyrics Born, Mack B. Dog

Label: Quannum Projects

Lateef The Truth Speaker – ‘The Wreckoning’

 Blackalicious – ‘Swan Lake’

Zion I – True & Livin’ (2005)

August 29, 2010
*LiveUp Records, Aesop Rock, Del The Funky Homosapien, Fred Hampton Jr., Gift of Gab, Talib Kweli, Zion I, Zumbi, ^Amp Live
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This album is the absolute most pure essence of hip hop.  Its crazy to me that Zion I aren’t super famous by now but in a way I’m secretly glad that the  mainstream hasn’t caught wind of them yet and ruined their amazing vibe.  One of the best things about this album is that you can straight up listen to every track without wanting to skip anything.  From beginning to end it is packed with sublime cuts.  There aren’t any Zion I albums that I don’t like but I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that this album personifies their overall feel better than any other.  It’s inspiring, uplifting and only gets better with time.

Production:  Amp Live

Features:  Aesop Rock, Del The Funky Homosapien, Fred Hampton Jr., Gift of Gab, Talib Kweli

Label:  LiveUp Records

Website:  http://www.zionicrew.com

Zion I – ‘ Bird’s Eye View’

The Grouch & Eligh – Say G & E (2009)

August 28, 2010
*Legendary Music, Blu, Eligh, Gift of Gab, Living Legends, Mark Bell, Mike Marshall, Mistah Fab, Mystic, Paris Hayes, Pigeon John, Sage Francis, Slug, The Grouch, The Grouch & Eligh, ^Amp Live, ^DJ Fresh, ^Flying Lotus, ^Rick Rock
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Wow this album has grown on me so damn much.  There is just so much lyrical substance on this album its ridiculous.  The Grouch & Eligh are such good souls and really are for a big improvement of humanity in general.  I love how they are not afraid to call people out for the bullshit they are contributing to the world and they certainly aren’t afraid of taking a different path in life.  But the best thing about it is that you don’t get the sense that they are preaching at you, you just feel like you are sitting there listening to one of your homies kick some real deep shit.  This is an album that may just make you a better person by listening to it and on top of that it can provide some strong support for getting through some hard times.

Production:  Amp Live, DJ Fresh, Eligh, Flying Lotus, Rick Rock

Features:  Blu, DJ Fresh, Gift of Gab, Mark Bell, Mike Marshall, Mistah Fab, Mystic, Paris Hayes, Pigeon John, Sage Francis, Slug

Label:  Legendary Music

Website:  http://www.myspace.com/thegrouchandeligh

The Grouch & Eligh – ‘ Worried About the World ft. Mike Marshall & Sage Francis)

The Grouch & Eligh – ‘ Old Souls ft. Blu’

Tor / Sufjan Stevens – Illinoize (2010)

May 6, 2010
Aesop Rock, Big Daddy Kane, Brother Ali, C.L. Smooth, Gift of Gab, Grand Puba, Outkast, ^Tor / Sufjan Stevens
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This is a cool lil ep that takes instrumentals from Sufjan Stevens and remixes them with some classic hip hop songs from the likes of Aesop Rock, Big Daddy Kane, Gift of Gab, C.L. Smooth, Outkast, Brother Ali, and Grand Puba.  Its just something fresh and different if your sick of the same ol same ol.  I actually really like this.

Production: Tor

Features: Aesop Rock, Big Daddy Kane, Brother Ali, C.L. Smooth, Gift of Gab, Grand Puba , Outkast

Free Download/Preview: Illinoize

Tor / Sufjan Stevens – Star of Wonder / None Shall Pass (ft. Aesop Rock) remix’

Gift of Gab – Escape 2 Mars (2009)

November 8, 2009
*Cornerstone R.A.S., Brother Ali, Del The Funky Homosapien, Gift of Gab, ^DNAEBEATS, ^Headnodic
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Oh my god the lyrics on this album freakin OWN!  This is easily one of my favorite albums of the year.  Gift of Gab gets pretty eclectic here with beat selection, throwing some electronica inspired beats into the mix among other influences.  I love his spiritual approach.  He pretty much conveys exactly what I’m thinking only he does it way better than I ever could.  His kind nature and wild imagination are seen throughout these tracks.  I would listen to one track and be like awww damn that was good…then the next track would come on and I would be like damn thats even better.  There are a few tracks that I could have done without but overall I like the creative nature of this album.  Speaking as someone who is not always into Blackalicious, I am totally into this album.

Production:  DNAEBEATS, Headnodic

Features:  Brother Ali, Del The Funky Homosapien

Label:  Cornerstone RAS

Full Preview: Escape 2 Mars

Website:  http://www.myspace.com/theofficialgiftofgab

Gift of Gab – ‘Lightyears’

 

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