Blackalicious

Independent, Sept. 26

OF COURSE, I was in the bathroom when it happened: Three loud bass kicks sounded from the DJ decks, and the women's room instantly emptied, the sounds of squealing fans fading as they hit the door. I made it onto the crowded floor just in time to see Gift of Gab, decked out in a waist-length leather jacket and matching hat, approach the mic.

After a dramatic pause he addressed the crowd, shouting out to residents from across the Bay, who responded with equal love.

Blackalicious had arrived at the Independent to play for a sold-out crowd of enthusiastic fans and to promote what they dub, on the cut "World of Vibrations," their "fifth chapter." Their new album, The Craft (Quannum), is at once sophisticated and entertaining, featuring George Clinton, Floetry, Ledisi, Lyrics Born, Lateef the Truth Speaker, Pigeon John, and so many others that it's almost a crime not to list them all. Gab and producer Xavier Mosley, otherwise known as Chief Xcel, haven't underestimated their fans' desire to remain aware and educated about social justice and human rights issues while still needing to groove.

Gab instantly had the crowd moving, opening with "World of Vibrations." The presence of Ledisi's soulful vocals on the recording was missed, but Gab maintained the energy, not to mention the tight keyboard work and a contagious beat that could make even the most rhythmless dance.

The new album showcases how Gab and Xcel have "let the craft evolve" and how "song after song [they] keep on inventing," and perhaps this talent for continually growing comes from the duo's humbleness – they never assume they are greater than the music. As Gab performed the title track, he gave thanks for being able to practice his craft, and he had the crowd's hands in the air when he vowed "to be a vessel" for the art and the responsibilities that come with gaining the audience's ear. "The only way to be a leader – lead by the way you live," he rapped to his fans.

Gab truly had the command of a preacher over his parish, and his fans hung on his every word. As he next quieted the boisterous crowd and led them in a moment of silence for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, it was clear that the Bay Area MC continues to be a relevant rapper – and that sometimes it's about more than just being conscious. That was the only silence anyone would hear for the next hour and a half, as the rest of the show shot through our veins and vibrated through our eardrums, in the words of Blackalicious, making it the perfect cure for a slow Monday night. The crowd and the musicians could have used a little rest for their ears, however, as the sound was uncharacteristically sprinkled with feedback during the entire set. But getting past that annoyance wasn't too much trouble for the throngs of female fans who lost control when Lateef barreled onstage.

All the hip-hop heads in the house were happy to hear Gab and Lateef perform "The Smithzonian Institute of Rhyme," off Blackalicious's third album, Nia (Quannum, 2000). The fans proved to be truly devoted when they sang along to every verse of classic cuts like "First in Flight" and "Green Light: Now Begin" – both off the group's 2002 full-length, Blazing Arrow (Quannum/MCA) – and "A to G" and "Deception," from their 1999 EP, A2G (Quannum).

The show resembled a sampling of the best of Blackalicious's discography, from their much-coveted 1995 debut, Melodica (Solesides/Quannum), with its deep bass and tinny drum beats (which dominated underground hip-hop at that time), to the transitional A2G and the R&B stylings of Nia, to the futuristic rhyming and production of Blazing Arrow and The Craft.

It may sound a little New Agey to say Blackalicious vibrate at higher frequencies, but the truth is, their ability to visualize and concoct rhymes and beats is unmatched. Their willingness to take risks with their music has made them one of the most innovative hip-hop groups to gain worldwide recognition, and they manage to incorporate electronic elements without triggering the sometimes-elitist associations of those genres and without alienating listeners who come for the funk. Watching the enthusiastic audience, I was convinced Blackalicious's experiment in incorporating those sounds amid shifting tempos and diverse backbeats has been a success. And as that same crowd filed out of the former Justice League, the site of so many great rap shows, I left trusting that the band's cutting edge sound and universal appeal – bridging the '90s underground and the '00s up-and-comers – is just what's needed to give new life to hip-hop, here and beyond the Bay. Blackalicious play Thurs/27, Fillmore, SF. (415) 421-TIXS, (415) 346-6000. (Jana Rogers)