Gift of Gab is a real rapper. With over 20 years in the game, the Blackalicious emcee has continued to bless the booth with raw lyricism, an unparalleled cadence, and precise rhymes your favorite rapper could only wish they wrote. And in April, he’ll do it again with his aptly-titled Rejoice! Rappers Are Rapping Again! project.
“The new batch of songs I’m working on is all about lyricism for heads who love it,” Gift of Gab told hhdx. “I’m in a place in my career right now where I’m hearing a lot of talk that Hip-Hop isn’t as lyrical as it once was. I come from the school of Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and rappers that are really intensely rhyming. With this new slew of music I am doing, it’s almost like I’m rhyming for other rappers. The music is not literally for other rappers only, but people who are really into the art of rhyming will appreciate it. That’s just where I am as a writer and an MC. This is where my mind is and I should say it.”
Yes. Yes. Yes! I’m stoked. You should be, too. But in case you need a little more to get hype, Gift of Gab has released a three-minute lyrical exercise in the form of “It’s Just Practice.”
Check out a quick preview below and get the full track (which won’t live on Rejoice!) over at GiftOfGab.com.
If you’re smart, you’ll also make it a point to witness Gift of Gab do his thing live alongside Chief XL as Blackalicious.
JAN 10 TUE @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Kalamazoo, MI
JAN 12 THU @ Magic Bag Ferndale, MI
JAN 13 FRI @ Skully’s Music-Diner Columbus, OH
JAN 14 SAT @ The Grog Shop Cleveland, OH
JAN 15 SUN @ Basement Transmissions Erie, PA
JAN 17 TUE @ Iron Works Buffalo, NY
JAN 19 THU @ Rum Runners London, ON
JAN 20 FRI @ Lee’s Palace Toronto, Canada
JAN 21 SAT @ Zaphod Beeblebrox Ottawa, Canada
FEB 10 FRI @ Manning Bar Camperdown, Australia
FEB 11 SAT @ Perth International Arts Festival Swanbourne, Australia
FEB 12 SUN @ The Gov Adelaide, Australia
FEB 17 FRI @ Splore Festival Auckland, New Zealand
FEB 18 SAT @ Belleville Melbourne, Australia RSVP
FEB 24 FRI @ Quannum MC’s Lyrics Born Victoria, Canada
FEB 25 SAT @ Quannum MC’s Lyrics Born Vancouver, Canada
MAR 7 TUE @ Constellation Room Santa Ana, CA
MAR 8 WED @ The Casbah San Diego, CA
MAR 10 FRI @ Hotel Congress Tucson, AZ
MAR 22 WED @ The Grey Eagle Asheville, NC
MAR 23 THU @ Vinyl At Center Stage Atlanta, GA
MAR 25 SAT @ Motorco Music Hall Durham, NC
