auto

The third full-length studio album from Blackalicious, The Craft will be released September 27, 2005.

The first single will be Powers. Rhythm Sticks will be released as a 12" this summer.

Tracklisting:

1 The World of Vibration [ft. Ledisi]
2 Supreme People
3 Rhythm Sticks
4 Powers
5 Lotus Flower [ft. George Clinton]
6 My Pad and Pen
7 Side to Side [ft. Lateef & Pigeon John]
8 Automatique [ft. Floetry]
9 The Fall & Rise Elliot Brown
10 Black Diamonds & Pearls [ft. Ledisi & Larry Saunders]
11 Give It to You [ft. Kween & Lyrics Born]
12 Ego Sonic War Drums [ft. Peace]
13 Your Move [ft. Life Savas]
14 The Craft

whynotsmile

awesome. can't wait. The best rap group around IMO

auto

Bump for release.

This is $9.99 at Best Buy. Haven't heard it yet.

JHosk

Just picked it up along with the new Cage album. Giving them boht a spin right now. I'm slightly let down with the Blackalicious disc. The production isn't as great as I expected. Maybe it will need a few spins to sink but my first impression is a marginal release.

Dan G

I bought it last night. This group never disappoints.

whynotsmile

saw them last night in LA. Fucking great, great show. It was like a huge party, with everyone dancing and chanting. Gift of Gab is simply amazing

auto

First half is pretty solid. It's no Blazing Arrow, though.

El Gray

I tried to pick this up tonight, but BBuy had closed at 9, not 10. Bastards. It will be mine tomorrow at lunch. It's gotten some great reviews on Amazon so far. I'm really looking forward to it.

SPiRAL

It's no NiA either.

SPiRAL

Where was the show ?

ElementZ

What's the Cage album like?

dadaluholla

Yeah I am actually interested in that new Cage too. El-P produced some of it right? That alone is enought for me to buy it, but I wasn't too big of a Movies for the Blind fan though....

JHosk

I really like the Cage album. On the first listen I thought there were only a few stand-out tracks in terms of beats, but after each listen the other beats grow on you.

The EL-P produced tracks are pretty good. Its got his style written all over them. I found his beats are the ones that take a few listens to get used too, but EL-P has been like that for me (I hated fantastic damage at first, but now I find it fantastic).

There are also some great beats from RJD2 and DJ Shadow. The album is definitely worth checking out.

In terms of lyrics and delivery Cage delivers. This is my first exposure to Cage, and he keeps it real. its hard to explain. The guy is raw and hardcore, but he doesn't rap about gangsta stuff.

whynotsmile

at the troubadour. Had a really interesting opening band as well, called APSCI. Really hot abarigine(sp?) from Australia with a beautiful opera voice and some white rapper doing a crazy mix of soul, opera, rap, and funk. It was good. But Blackalicious brought the house down.

Digital Groove

Cage - Hell's Winter is one of the best hip hop albums to come out this year. His best album to date. He finally got introspective and isn't just rapping about drugs and pcp. Production is top notch for the most part. Limited Edition comes with a 2nd disc with all the instrumentals.


Blackalicious - The Craft. Easily their worst album to date. Some of the tracks have an obvious "let's go mainstream aand try to make money with this one" While others still show off Gift Of Gab's amazing flow. Not amazing but solid for the most part. A lot of the choruses ruin some songs that could have been good. I'd recommend any of their older stuff over it but I thought it was still worth a purchase.

JHosk

Digital Groove thats EXACTLY my thoughts on both albums. I thought some of the blackalicious had a bit of a black eyed peas vibe.

El Gray

Well, I picked it up today, and have given it several good listens. I put it behind NIA and Blazing Arrow, as well. There is some greatness on the new disc, but a couple of spots were actually annoying to me. The first track got a "What the?!" out of me when they started out with that crazy-ass high-speed chorus, but I got into it pretty quickly. I really love "Ego Sonic War Drums", and "Rhythm Sticks" is very cool.

Some of it is sillier sounding than I expected. I am fine with levity, but maybe not too much levity.

Maybe I'll listen to NIA and Blazing Arrow tomorrow, and see how I feel about the three of them in comparison.

I've never heard of Cage, but it sounds like I have to pick up the album, on the weight of the guest producers alone!

auto

Good review up at pitchforkmedia:

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record...us/craft.shtml

whynotsmile

While I agree with you guys that its not as up to par with Blazing Arrow and Nia, it's still a damn fine hip hop album.

SPiRAL

My brother went to the Cage, EL-P, Mike Realm show at The Knitting Factory last sunday. He said it was a good show.