Sacramento underground hip hop duo Blackalicious released this debut 5 song EP in the mid 90s to little or no fanfare.  The group took a much more refined approach to conscious, jazzy hip hop a la Freestyle Fellowship and the Pharcyde that took a few releases for the community to adopt (their break through album being 1999's Nia). Rapper Gift of Gab's indelible funky flow and DJ/producer Chief Xcel's deep crates offered something unique that their counterparts were missing. This is most evident on the introspective 7+ minute track "40 oz. for Breakfast". It also didn't hurt that they invited somebody known as DJ Shadow to offer beats on two of the tracks (pre-Endtroducing), the more upbeat head nodders "Rhymes For The Deaf, Dumb & Blind" and "Lyric Fathom". Add that all together and you have a cult classic that diehard Strutters say is Blackalious at their peak. 

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