Fourth Dimensional Rocketships Going Up

Fourth Dimensional Rocketships Going Up is a first-rate solo debut by veteran rapper Gift of Gab, who is a member of the group Blackalicious and the San Francisco-based association Quannum Projects (DJ Shadow, Latyrx, Lifesavas). There's a strong Seattle flavor here--the album was recorded in Seattle, and produced by two of that city's most established beat architects, Vitamin D and Jake One. This meeting of underground talents results in something truly wonderful: the music is rich with detail, surprises, and suggestions, and the raps are deeply introspective. Though he is often rapping about the stars, the moon, and different parts of the galaxy (as with the track "Stardust," a "Follow the Leader" for the 21st century), the space that Gift of Gab really explores is inner space--the memories, emotions, and desires that constitute the core of his being. Rarely does hip-hop get better than Fourth Dimensional Rocketships Going Up. --Charles Mudede