Gift of Gab (rapper)

Gift of Gab
Gift of Gab in 2006
Background information
Birth name	Timothy Parker
Born	1971/1972 (age 43/42)[1] Panorama City, Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres	Alternative hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Quannum Projects
Associated acts	Chief Xcel DJ Shadow Lateef the Truthspeaker Lyrics Born G Koop
Website	giftofgab.tv

Timothy Parker, better known by his stage name Gift of Gab, is an American rapper best known for performing in the Bay Area hip hop duo Blackalicious along with DJ Chief Xcel. He is also a member of Quannum Projects, a Bay Area hip hop crew and record label, and has performed and recorded as a solo artist.

Recognition

Gift of Gab is often praised by critics for his rapping skills – Allmusic says he is “one of the very finest MCs to ever pick up a microphone”,^[2] “one of the best underground rappers in the business”,^[3] “his raps are jam-packed with internal rhymes, allusions, metaphors, ten-cent words, and amazing tongue-twisting feats of skill”,^[4] and he has been able to “redefine the art of lyrical technique”.^[4] Peter Shapiro describes him as “a walking encyclopedia of MCing styles”,^[5] Pitchfork Media refers to his “astonishing verbal dexterity and enunciation”,^[6] Popmatters says he has a “nearly impenetrable reputation for style and innovation”,^[7] and Stylus Magazine calls him “one of the top MCs in the game”.^[8]

Collaborations

Gift of Gab is featured on Galactic's album From the Corner to the Block (2007). He collaborated with DJ Z-Trip on the track "Go Hard" for the All-Pro Football 2K8 Soundtrack. He also released The Prelude EP with Lateef the Truthspeaker and Headnodic as The Mighty Underdogs. He went on to do a song called "All In" with The Grouch & Eligh. He is also featured on the track "The People Tree" on the 2009 N.A.S.A. release "The Spirit of Apollo".

In 2002, Gift of Gab contributed to Red Hot + Riot: The Music and Spirit of Fela Kuti, a compilation CD released by the Red Hot Organization in tribute to the music and work of Nigerian musician, Fela Kuti, that raised money for various charities devoted to raising AIDS awareness and fighting the disease. He collaborated with hip hop artist Lateef the Truthspeaker to remake Fela Kuti's song, "Kalakuta Show."

In addition to this, Gift of Gab collaborated with Del the Funky Homosapien and Brother Ali on the track "Dreamin'" on his solo album, Escape 2 Mars, as well as making tracks with DJ Vadim, Cut Chemist, Ben Harper and Chali 2na of Jurassic 5.

He recently set his voice on DJ Oil's tracks Black Notes and Rock it.

He also featured on fellow San Francisco Rapper George Watsky's song Everything Turns Gold.

Discography

Studio albums

Gift of Gab

• 4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up (Quannum Projects, 2004)
• Escape 2 Mars (Cornerstone R.A.S., 2009)
• The Next Logical Progression (Quannum Projects, 2012)

Blackalicious (Gift of Gab with Chief Xcel)

• Nia (Mo' Wax, 1999)
• Blazing Arrow (MCA, 2002)
• The Craft (ANTI-, 2005)
• Imani Vol. 1 (2015)

Quannum MCs (Gift of Gab with Chief Xcel, DJ Shadow, Lateef the Truth Speaker & Lyrics Born)

• Quannum Spectrum (Quannum Projects, 1999)

The Mighty Underdogs (Gift of Gab with Lateef the Truth Speaker & Headnodic)

• Droppin' Science Fiction (Definitive Jux, 2008)

EPs, mixtapes, compilations

EPs

• Melodica (Solesides, 1994) (with Blackalicious)
• A2G EP (Mo' Wax, 1999) (with Blackalicious)
• The Prelude (MU Records, 2007) (with The Mighty Underdogs)

Mixtapes

• Supreme Lyricism (Giftstribution, 2006)

Compilations

• Solesides Greatest Bumps (Quannum Projects, 2000) (with Quannum MCs)

Singles

• "Swan Lake / Lyric Fathom" (1994) (with Blackalicious)
• "A to G / Alphabet Aerobics (The Cut Chemist 2 1/2 Minute Workout)" (1999) (with Blackalicious)
• "Deception" (1999) (with Blackalicious)
• "If I May / Reanimation" (2000) (with Blackalicious)
• "Passion" (2001) (with Blackalicious)
• "It's Going Down (Sit Back)" (2002) (with Blackalicious)
• "Art of Mind / Just What Can Happen" (2002) (with Blackalicious)
• "Blazing Arrow" (2002) (with Blackalicious)
• "Make You Feel That Way" (2002) (with Blackalicious)
• "Wizzy Wow / It's Going Down" (2002) (with Blackalicious & Blackstreet)
• "The Writz / Just Because" (2003)
• "Rat Race / Real MCs" (2004)
• "Your Move" (2005) (with Blackalicious)
• "Rhythm Sticks" (2005) (with Blackalicious)
• "Powers" (2006) (with Blackalicious)
• "Want You Back" (2008) (with The Mighty Underdogs)

Guest appearances

• Latyrx - "Burning Hot in Cali on a Saturday Night" from Latyrx (The Album) (1997)
• New Flesh - "Communicate" from Understanding (2002)
• DJ Vadim - "Combustible" from U.S.S.R. The Art of Listening (2002)
• Lyrics Born - "Cold Call" from Later That Day (2003)
• Crown City Rockers - "Fortitude" from Earthtones (2004)
• Troublemakers - "Everywhere Is My Home", "And Music Everywhere", and "Race Records" from Express Way (2004)
• Zion I - "Stranger in My Home" from True & Livin' (2005)
• Zion I - "Yes Yes" from Break a Dawn (2006)
• Motion Man - "One Time for Your Mind" from Pablito's Way (2006)
• G. Love - "Banger" from Lemonade (2006)
• The Grouch & Eligh - "All In" from Say G&E! (2009)
• N.A.S.A. - "The People Tree" from The Spirit of Apollo (2009)
• Lyrics Born - "Pillz" from As U Were (2010)
• Unspoken Levels - "What We Do" from Welcome to Where you Are (2010)
• Raashan Ahmad - "Falling" from For What You've Lost (2011)
• Illus - "Better" from For Adam (2011)
• Playdough - "Franks & Beans" from Hotdoggin (2011)
• Medium - "Hologram" from Graal (2012)
• Blueshift - "Wounded Man (feat. Gift of Gab)" (single) (2012)
• Lotus - "Another World" from Monks (2013)
• Latyrx - "Watershed Moment" from The Second Album (2013)
• Opiuo - "Life" from Meraki (2014)
• Amp Live- "ihearthiphip" from Headphone Concerto (2014)
• L'Orange & Jeremiah Jae - "All I Need" from The Night Took Us in Like Family (2015)
• Markis Precise - "Leaving the Hood" from The Feeling of Flying (2015)
• Zero Dinero - "The Time Has Come" (2016)

References

External links

• Official website
• Gift of Gab discography at Discogs