He's all talk, all game
Lyricist and MC Gift of Gab is best known as one half of the legendary hip-hop duo Blackalicious. But tonight, he loses partner Chief Xcel, bringing his solo tour to the Paradise to promote his first solo album “Fourth Dimensional Rocketships Going Up.”
The disc is a hip-hop history lesson told in a modern narrative - refreshingly unique. Where some rappers litter their tracks with brags about the bling, Gab talks about the stress he feels every month when it’s time to pay rent. He says this was not a conscious decision to set himself apart from other players though.
"It's just real"
“It’s just real,” he says. “I know that even ‘real’ has become a cliché now, but it’s where my thoughts were.”
Elsewhere on the disc he raps honestly about a conversation with an immigrant cabbie, about trying to quit smoking and about growing up. He reminisces about African medallions and going to a Fat Boys record-signing as a kid. But what are the fourth dimensional rocketships?
“It means being rocketed into the fourth dimension of thought and being present in the moment,” he says. “You don’t need anything in the past or the future. Sometimes thinking can be your worst enemy. If you keep focusing on the light at the end of the tunnel you could miss the ride.”
Gab insists that the disc was not made to rocket so far away from Blackalicious that he won’t come back. Quite the contrary, in fact, Gab says he and Chief Xcel are “knee-deep into the next record,” which will be out next spring.
Blackalicious stronger
“To be able to get out and work with other people and vibe with other producers’ chemistry is great,” he says. “It’s healthy and makes the group stronger as well.”
Gab says fans can expect a heavy sampling of “Rocketships” as well as a good chunk of Blackalicious material at the show tonight.
“There’ll be a lot of crowd participation,” he says. “We’re gonna have a party, and leave the audience feeling like they’ve had an experience.”
Pat Healy
Gift of Gab plays tonight at 8 at the Paradise (967 Commonwealth Ave.) MBTA: Green Line to Pleasant. For info, call (617) 562-8800 Back |  Gift of Gab (left) ditches best bud Chief Xcel (right) for tonight's solo show at the Paradise. | 