Travelling back light years across the galaxy, Blackalicious frontman Gift of Gab is set to drop his second solo album from outer space. Following on from 2004’s 4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up, this similarly conceived foray into space fantasy revolves not around planets per se, but circles the abuse of mother earth by those she granted existence. An environmental hip-hop album, you ask? Not just environmental, but also a little hippyish too. As Gab himself says, “We might have to escape to Mars or somewhere else if we keep taking the planet we live on for granted.” Quite.
Not alone in his quest, Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Rhymesayer Brother Ali appear on the jazzed out Dreamin’, one of the album’s highlights. The beats provided by DNAEBEATS are spacious enough to allow Gab plenty of room to manoeuvre and deliver a fairly intense variety of flows. From the unremitting double time verses that clutter title track Escape 2 Mars, to the staccato stutter of Latin-inspired El Gifto Magnifico; DNAEBEATS even manages to slot in some ‘80s-inspired electro-doom on Electric Waterfalls whilst Gab preaches against the excess wealth of the West gained at the expense of the poor and sick. Refreshing, but simultaneously annoying and a mite patronising.
Compared to many emcees, Gab has provided something of an anomaly amongst 2009’s slew of aggrandizing hip-hop albums. Though by no means revolutionary, and somewhat miserly in content coming in at only 40 minutes for 11 tracks, this is still a positive and mostly enjoyable addition to Gab’s solo career. Just don’t expect it to replace your Blackalicious records or to convince you to pick up a passport to the red planet.
