Blazing Arrow

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2007)

Blazing Arrow
Studio album by Blackalicious
Released	April 30, 2002
Genre	Hip hop
Length	74:24
Label	MCA Records
Producer	Chief Xcel ?uestlove DJ Shadow Hi-Tek Ben Harper Cut Chemist
Professional reviews
All Music Guide 2002 HipHopDX.com 2002 IGN (9.6/10) 2005 Pitchfork Media (9.3/10) 2002 PopMatters (favorable) 2002 RapReviews.com (9.5/10) 2002 Rolling Stone 2002 Stylus Magazine (A-) 2003
Blackalicious chronology
Nia (2000) Blazing Arrow (2002) The Craft (2005)

Blazing Arrow is the second full-length album by Blackalicious, the follow-up to 2000's Nia. It was released on April 30, 2002 on MCA Records.

Contents 1 Track listing 2 Critical reaction 3 Credits 4 Samples 5 Album chart positions 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Track listing

1. "Introduction: Bow and Fire" – 1:06
   • Vocals by Linda Parker, Susan Bonaparte and Syble Scovell
2. "Blazing Arrow" – 2:40
3. "Sky Is Falling" – 2:26
4. "First In Flight" – 4:32
   • Featuring Gil Scott-Heron
   • Saxophone: Jose Espinosa
   • Trumpet: Seth Zwerling
5. "Green Light: Now Begin" – 3:12
6. "4000 Miles" – 4:35
   • Featuring Chali 2na of Jurassic 5 and Lateef the Truth Speaker
7. "Nowhere Fast" – 6:41
   • Produced by Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson
   • Co-produced by Chief Xcel
   • Bass: Ben Kenney
   • Drums: Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson
   • Keyboards: James Poyser and Omar Edwards
   • Vocals by Tracey Moore
   • Contains interlude "Purify," featuring Tenashus, backing vocals by Miho Hatori
8. "Paragraph President" – 5:09
   • Contains interlude "Halfway Home," produced by DJ Shadow
9. "It's Going Down" – 3:44
   • Featuring Lateef the Truth Speaker and Keke Wyatt
   • Produced by Chief Xcel
   • Co-produced by Hi-Tek
10. "Make You Feel That Way" – 3:26
    • Trumpet: Anthony Coleman
11. "Brain Washers" – 6:22
    • Featuring Ben Harper
    • Produced by Chief Xcel, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
    • Bass: Juan Nelson
    • Drums: Leon Lewis Mobley
    • Rhodes, Clavinet: Oliver Charles
    • Contains interlude "Cool Aid Chemistry," with cuts by Cut Chemist
12. "Chemical Calisthetics" – 3:21
    • Featuring Cut Chemist
    • Produced by Cut Chemist
    • Cuts by Cut Chemist
13. "Aural Pleasure" – 4:47
    • Featuring Jaguar Wright
    • Saxophone: Jose Espinosa
    • Trumpet: Seth Zwerling
    • Contains interlude "Faith's Fire," featuring Lifesavas, backing vocals by Miho Hatori
14. "Passion" – 3:54
    • Featuring Rakaa and DJ Babu of Dilated Peoples
15. "Purest Love" – 4:03
    • Bass, Guitar, Piano: Teke Underdue
    • Flute: Karl Denson
    • Horns: Deejan Underdue
    • Backing vocals: Bear and Damu Quarles
16. "Release (Part 1, 2 & 3)" – 9:26
    • Featuring Zack de la Rocha (Part 1), Saul Williams (Part 2), Lyrics Born and Sela Kerr (Part 3)
17. "Day One" – 4:52
    • Contains interlude "Bow and Fire Outro"

[edit] Critical reaction

The album was generally received well by critics, with All Music Guide writer Steve Huey praising Gift of Gab's performance:^[1]

“

In spite of the duo's intellectual bent, the grooves on Blazing Arrow exude a tremendous warmth that's only complemented by the positivity of their messages. And if Gift of Gab wasn't recognized among hip-hop's premier lyricists before, he certainly ought to be now; his raps are jam-packed with internal rhymes, allusions, metaphors, ten-cent words, and amazing tongue-twisting feats of skill.

”

Pitchfork Media were also impressed with the album:^[2]

“

He and Xcel have the stage, and all they want to do is share it. It's as if the scope of this album-- the stylistic diversity, the guest artists, the sincere, ecstatic rhymes-- doesn't come from ambition or creativity for its own sake, but out of a need to include everyone they know and everything they see around them. Not since Car Wash has there been such a celebration of diversity and hot fun in the summertime.

”

[edit] Credits

• Executive Producer(s): Xavier Mosley, Timothy Parker
• Bass: Harley White (tracks: 1, 3-5, 8A, 9, 10, 13A, 14, 16A-17A)
• Drums: Paul Humphrey (tracks: 1, 11B, 16A)
• Keys: Money Mark (tracks: 1, 6, 16A)
• Producer: Chief Xcel (tracks: 1-6, 7B, 8A, 9-11B, 13A-17B)
• Scratches: Chief Xcel (tracks: 1, 2, 7A, 8A, 11A, 14)
• Strings: Vincent Segal (tracks: 1, 3-7A, 10, 14, 16A-17A)
• Vocals: Erinn Anova (tracks: 3, 5, 15, 17A), Joyo Velarde (tracks: 3, 15, 17A), Vursatyl (tracks: 3, 15, 17A)

[edit] Samples

Blazing Arrow

• "Me & My Arrow" by Harry Nilsson

Paragraph President

• "D.A.I.S.Y. Age" by De La Soul

Make You Feel That Way

• "Picture of Innocence" by Cliff Duncan

Aural Pleasure

• "Grease It Up" by Andy Fairweather-Low

Passion

• "It's My Thing" by EPMD

[edit] Album chart positions

Year	Album	Chart positions
		Billboard 200	Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
2002	Blazing Arrow	#49	#33

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Blackalicious at MySpace
• Quannum Projects

v • d • e Quannum Projects Groups Apsci | Blackalicious | The Blacktop Project | Honeycut | Latyrx | Lifesavas | Lateef and the Chief (Maroons) | Poets of Rhythm Members Chief Xcel | Curumin | DJ Shadow | General Elektriks | Gift of Gab | Tommy Guerrero | Lateef the Truthspeaker | Lyrics Born | Pigeon John | Joyo Velarde Full Length Albums Latyrx (The Album) | The Muzapper Mixes | The Muzapper Remixes | Quannum Spectrum | Nia | Solesides Greatest Bumps | Discern/Define | Blazing Arrow | Spirit in Stone | Later That Day | Maroons:Ambush | 4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up | Thanks for Asking | Achados e Perdidos | Cliquety Kliqk | Same !@#$ Different Day | The Craft | Supreme Lyricism | Overnite Encore: Lyrics Born Live EPs Melodica | A2G Affiliated Groups or Members Solesides