Description

2LP Vinyl – MOVLP3013

This is one of those classic summer albums that crams in so much sound and so much life that listening to it is like going to a block party, all-day concert and a family reunion all at the same time. Blazing Arrow is the major-label debut of underground hip-hop act Blackalicious, and if it sounds like they had more money to work with than ever before, at least they spent it well. The layered production, the mess of styles, and the three-ring circus of guest stars turn this into a breakthrough record. But what makes it a masterpiece is that Gift of Gab and Chief Xcel can hold it together with the directness of their vision of strength and hope: this is unstoppably joyous, a complicated album that feels as natural as sunshine on your forehead.