Blackalicious & Lifesavas

First off, I want to say that I’ve never been to a hip-hop show that started on time. See, there is real time, which we all operate on, and then there is rap time, which is usually at least an hour off. From years of standing around and listening to a wack DJ for two hours, I’ve come to learn that it’s pointless to go to a show at the posted time, until now. I guess I should have figured that Chico State doesn’t comprehend rap time, but it was the 40 ounce logic that kept me at my house until 8 PM.
Starting promptly at 7 PM was the Oregon-based group the Lifesavas. They were the reason why I was hyped the entire week about the show, and I missed them. I’ve seen the group before and know how they rock, so I can break it down pretty accurately. MCs Jumbo and Versatile understand the importance of stage presence and the right connection with the audience. They keep the crowd involved, and include them as part of their show. Their debut album Spirit In Stone, which is in stores everywhere, is full of conscious jams, straight hip-hop spit, and slumpin’ production that I could hear from my house some 12 blocks away from the Rose Garden. The playlist, as told by their DJ, included the jams “Skeletons,” which is far from a Halloween song, the revolutionary anthem “Resists,” and their first single “What If It’s True?” Unfortunately for the crowd they didn’t play their soon to be classic jam “Hellohihey” which is probably one of the dopest conceptual songs ever, but due to the multiple layers of this song, it is too hard to play live.
I arrived at the show’s start, rap time, and found Blackalicious already on stage, and already having every person in the crowd mesmerized and entrenched in their world. With the company of Latyrx’s Lateef, and a male and female vocalist, Gift of Gab and DJ Chief Xcel tore through all the crowd favorites. Songs like “Rock The Spot” served as the instant party starter, “Deception” as the reflect-while-you-party jam, and what Gab calls “the most ferocious song,” “Alphabet Aerobics” as the mind blowing end to a great show. But what show is complete without an encore? Surprise, they came back and released another lyrical whirlwind, “Chemical Calisthenics,” a breakdown of the periodic table.
When the night was over I was pissed that I didn’t see Lifesavas, and the fact that Blackalicious didn’t play “40 oz. For Breakfast,” but I left amped and in a good mood. As many times as I’ve seen Blackalicious play, they never disappoint, and manage to mix up and improve their set each time. Their music isn’t just for hip-hop heads, and was embraced by the entire audience.

– Corey Bloom
– Photo by Paul Davis

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