NIA

1	Searching 1:49
2	The Fabulous Ones 3:00
3	Do This My Way 4:49
4	Deception 5:11
5	A to G 2:24
6	Hanger, Cliff 6:21
7	Shallow Days 4:20
8	Ego Trip by Nikki Giovanni 1:44
9	You Didn't Know That Though 4:35
10	If I May 3:45
11	Dream Seasons 4:49
12	Trouble (Eve of Destruction) 4:28
13	Smithzonian Institute of Rhyme 4:24
14	As the World Turns 5:41
15	Reanimation 3:38
16	Beyonder 4:06
17	Making Progress 3:11
18	Sleep 3:54
19	Finding 1:52

Barnes & Noble

Most rap groups are influenced by Parliament-Funkadelic. For the Northern California crew Blackalicious, however, the inspiration goes deeper than just basslines. On NIA, rapper The Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Xcel capture the Afrocentric humor of George Clinton without trying to imitate the master. Although Blackalicious have made underground noise via their work with the Solesides' crew and have released several EPs for Mo'Wax, NIA (Swahili for "purpose") is their first full-length production. Like Definition of Sound or Zap Mama, Blackalicious is eclectic without seeming merely novel. "Smithzonian Institute of Rhyme" is built on a field chant. "The Fabulous Ones" has a beat similar to Archie Bell and Drells' "Tighten Up." Fellow Bay Area homeboy DJ Shadow drops beats on "Cliff Hanger" and "If I May." Throughout, Gab's rhymes are politically savvy without sounding didactic. One great track segues into the next without pausing to yell "pay attention." Cause if you're down with Blackalicious, you already are. Martin Johnson

All Music Guide

After recording a string of singles and EPs stretching back to 1994, the Blackalicious duo finally released their full-length debut, NIA, in early 2000. It's an album that stakes the claim of Chief Xcel and Gift of Gab as not only the best pair of rappers in the underground, but also the best pair of producers. As could be expected from an urban-underground crew, Blackalicious look back to earthy jazz-funk, rare-groove, and sampladelic old-school rap for their sound. Still, the productions on tracks like the great opening bout "The Fabulous Ones," "Do This My Way," and the tongue-twisting alphabet song "A to G" are much rawer and deeper -- and just plain better -- than most any underground-rap crew could manage. And as good as these tracks are, the raps are even better. Chief Xcel and Gift of Gab stay deep in the groove, switching between straight-ahead solo rhyming, sing-speak vocals, and one-two choruses with almost as many rapping styles as there are tracks. There's just a little too much material here -- 19 tracks spread across 74 minutes -- but NIA is an excellent tribute to the growing vitality of the rap underground. John Bush

Rolling Stone

This longing for post-gangsta hip-hop has been expressed before, but has seldom rocked so well. Neva Chonin