Review of 'The Craft' by Blackalicious

I started a music journalism class last night. It's taught by Oliver Wang, a prominent music writer and also a devoted blogger on music and culture. Someone I've been a fan and follower of for a long time ... because he's a guy who is all the way committed to his craft. More than I can say for myself. Since I fancy myself a writer, but I spend most of my time at a day job so I can feed my greed for houses and cars and travel and hundred dollar bills.

Be that as it may, I still try pretty hard to write as well. So besides taking the opportunity to meet someone who's had a lot of influence on me, I am taking the class to improve my prose. Our first assignment was to pick an album that came out in the last six months and do a "capsule review" of 100 words. It's a lot harder than I thought, because it's not much space to report on the album and also entertain the reader.

So I am placing the review below. It will be interesting to see what happens after Oliver and my classmates have a chance to shred it. I will post the revision as well. But for now, I should mention that I picked a great album. So I am also placing the iTunes link in here for anyone that might want to download it after you read the review (which came in at exactly 100 words). It's well worth your short stack of one dollar bills.

Blackalicious: The Craft (Quannum/Anti, Sept. 2005)
On their aptly named third album, NorCal MC/producer duo Blackalicious continue their monastic pursuit of creative precision. Gift of Gab “didn’t come to rhyme about using a Smith & Wesson” as his meditative lyrics prove. His breakneck meter rhymes every line, and often every word (“Your Move”). Chief Xcel builds songs by layering live instrumentation on top of subtle samples and deft scratches. The Craft updates 80s new wave (“Powers”) and 70s soul (“Black Diamonds & Pearls”), but its timeless sounds are rooted in deep space funk (“Give It To You”) and as a whole, it delivers head bobbing enlightenment.

Buy 'The Craft' by Blackalicious