Gift of Gab live in Paris

Concert information

Gift Of Gab turns it out at La Maroquinerie. With his legendary swift vocals and sharp tongue, he entranced the french audience who was (surprisingly) on the ball, kicking lyrics back to the rapper only too happy to comply.

After catching General Elektriks in March 2010, this is the second Quannum artist to make it on Grandcrew.com, for our greatest pleasure.

Full show coming soon... check back with us!

Artist

Gift Of Gab

Like a few other West Coast rap acts, Blackalicious has generally favored what hip-hoppers call the "positive tip"; in other words, its lyrics have often been spiritual and uplifting rather than violent or misogynous. Like a lot of experimental alternative rappers, Blackalicious can be quirky and eccentric; nonetheless, spirituality is a big part of the group's music. Although Blackalicious wasn't formed until the early '90s, its members had known each other since the late '80s. Founding members Gift of Gab (Timothy Parker) and Chief Xcel (Xavier Mosley) first met in Sacramento, CA, in 1987 when they were students at John F. Kennedy High School. Neither of them was originally from Sacramento; DJ/producer Xcel (who was going by DJ IceSki at the time) was a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, while rapper Gift of Gab was from Los Angeles' suburban San Fernando Valley.

The two went their separate ways after Gift of Gab (also known as Gabby T) graduated from Kennedy High in 1989, but they were reunited in Davis, CA, in 1992. By that time, Xcel had become a student at the University of California at Davis and the Gift of Gab had moved to Davis to form Blackalicious with him. UC Davis was where Xcel had started working with a hip-hop crew named SoleSides, whose members included DJ Shadow, Lateef the Truth Speaker, and Lyrics Born. SoleSides Records was the name of the SoleSides Crew's Northern California record company and in 1994, that label released Blackalicious' debut single "Swan Lake." Although not a triple-platinum smash, the single was a small underground hit that fared well among alternative rap audiences. The following year, SoleSides Records released a Blackalicious EP titled Melodica. By late 1997, SoleSides Records had transformed into Quannum Records, and in 1999, Quannum put out another Blackalicious EP, A2G.

In 2000, Quannum released the group's full-length debut Nia (whose title is the Swahili word for purpose). After being together eight years, Blackalicious finally signed with a major label when, in late 2000, the Californians were added by MCA. In April 2002, Quannum/MCA released Blazing Arrow, which boasted guest appearances ranging from vocalist Zack de la Rocha (of Rage Against the Machine) to the Roots' ?uestlove to veteran soul singer Gil Scott-Heron. After the requisite tour, both Xcel and Gab began developing solo material; Quannum released both Maroons' Ambush (Chief Xcel with Latyrx's Lateef the Truth Speaker) as well as a Gift of Gab solo LP, Fourth Dimensional Rocketships Going Up. The pair returned in 2005 for their third album, The Craft, with a contract in hand from the Anti- label. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

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Label

Quannum Projects

The independent label Quannum Projects was first conceived in 1991 as a collective by the artists Blackalicious, DJ Shadow, Lateef, Lyrics Born and the journalists DJ Zen (Jeff Chang) and Jazzbo (Joseph Patel), under the moniker Solesides Records. Now headquartered in San Francisco, Quannum has grown to be one of the nations leading independent labels, having sold over 2 million records since its inception. Before evolving into Quannum in 1997, Solesides released such seminal recordings as Shadow's "Entropy" and Blackalicious' "Alphabet Aerobics," as well as Latyrx' "Lady Don't Tek No" and "Balcony Beach," leading a wave of independent hip-hop from Northern California and beyond. Quannum then went on to massive grassroots success with the release of Blackalicious debut Nia in 2000. That same year marked the arrival of a new group into the Quannum fold, Portland's Lifesavas, whose debut album Spirit in Stone quickly became a hip-hop classic. The collective earned critical and commercial success most recently with Lyrics Borns masterpiece Later That Day (2003) and the follow-up remix project Same !@$ Different Day (2005), notably with the hit single "Callin' Out." The Quannum family has continued to expand with releases from such diverse artists as Sao Paulo's Curumin, vintage keyboard guru General Elektriks, the electronic hip-hop duo Apsci, LA-based MC Pigeon John and the Bay Areas own skateboarding legend Tommy Guerrero. The label has also secured numerous licensing deals and partnerships with companies such as Coca Cola, Motorola Toyota, Nike, Adidas, HBO, ESPN, EA Sports and the major motion pictures Abandon and Collateral.

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Venue

La Maroquinerie

Created in 1997, La Maroquinerie can welcome 500 music lovers. Its eclectic selection offers you the edgiest and the hottest of today s sounds. But you can also chill out at the bar / restaurant or at the covered terrace, combining a musical evening with gastronomy ! This truly is the finest of the Parisian concert scene, and the staff has always welcomed us with open arms... Great sound, lighting, atmosphere and musical selection. Word.

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Promoter