Blazing Arrow

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Blazing Arrow
Blazing Arrow cover
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
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

[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
  7. "Nowhere Fast" – 6:41
  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
  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
  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
  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

Paragraph President

Make You Feel That Way

  • "Picture of Innocence" by Cliff Duncan

Aural Pleasure

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

  1. ^ Huey, Steve. "Blazing Arrow", All Music Guide. 
  2. ^ Dahlen, Chris. "Blackalicious: Blazing Arrow: Pitchfork Record Review", Pitchfork Media, May 30, 2002. 

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Quannum Projects
Groups
Apsci | Blackalicious | The Blacktop Project | Honeycut | Latyrx | Lifesavas | Lateef and the Chief (Maroons) | Poets of Rhythm
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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
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