Hip-hop duo Blackalicious are still keeping the faith - and on their way to the O2 Academy Oxford

Chief Xcel, producer and DJ with California hip-hop act Blackalicious, is a plain-speaking sort of guy.

Unlike more commercial artists he is modest, self-effacing and honest. He is also in no doubt why we can’t get enough of the tunes he puts together with his partner in rhyme Gift of Gab.

“We play classic hip-hop,” he says smoothly.

“People label it what they want, but for us it’s always hip-hop. I do all the music and Gab does all the words.

“I’ll get a rhythm track, send it through it to him, and he’ll come back with a verse and chorus.

“And we only work on stuff that inspires us.”

What Xcel (real name Xavier Mosley) and vocal gymnast Gab (Timothy Parker) create is a world away from the posturing, fighting-talk and blinged-up conspicuous consumption of mainstream rap. The pair are an intelligent, forward-thinking creative force, channelling the kind of spirituality and positivity that is so lacking in commercial hip-hop. And with trunk-loads of funk to spare.

The only problem for fans, is that they’ve been away for too long.

It is 10 years since they last released an album, but have put the record straight with their best work to date.

Called Imani, Vol 1, the record is the first of a trilogy which, says Xcel, will be coming in quick succession.

Named after the Swahili word for faith, it features everything we would expect – Gab’s witty wordplay and Xcel’s punchy tunes and beats, provided by a mix of production and live instrumentation.

“The other two will be out over the next two years,” he says, speaking to me from his studio in Oakland, in California’s Bay Area, over a phone line so bad he sounds like he’s shouting down a rubber tube, while listening to industrial techno – in a tornado.

We get by. Just.

“We are crafting the next one, as we speak,” he says. “We are 60 per-cent of the way through, so that will soon be wrapped up. The aim is to have the records come out eight months apart.”

That they got made at all is little short of a miracle.

Gab is on daily dialysis having suffered kidney failure in 2012. He is still searching for a donor.

“It’s going well,” says Xcel. “He’s such an inspiring dude and is overcoming it. He’s at the most prolific stage of his career. He’s a force of nature.”

The daily treatment makes touring tricky but not impossible, and the pair are now setting off to the place it all began – the UK.

“We’ve always liked England,” says Xcel. “It was the first place we ever toured and where we got our first record deal. It’s like going back to the beginning and we always feel at home.”

And does it feel good to be back in the game?

“We haven’t really been away,” he insists.

“It has been 10 years since the last Blackalicious LP, but Gab has done three solo albums in that time [Droppin’ Science Fiction with The Mighty Underdogs, and solo albums Escape 2 Mars and The Next Logical Progression] and I’ve been part of two other projects.

“We’ve both been extremely busy. Blackalicious just had a hiatus from recording, but we’ve never had to stop touring.

“Now we’ve just picked up where we left off.

“It helped us to take a break as we’ve both come back with a new perspective and outlook. It has definitely helped us experiment.”

The pair are joined on the new album by some illustrious guests: Big Boi & Kanye West collaborator Bosko; Afro-pop diva Zap Mama; Amde Hamilton of The Watts Prophets; singer-songwriter Imani Coppola; underground hip-hop duo LifeSavas; Fantastic Negrito; Lateef; Lyrics Born; Monophonics and DJ D Sharp. One of the strongest tracks is On Fire Tonight, featuring Myron of Myron & E.

“It’s a song that is a product of us letting loose and going for it,” says Xcel.

And, he promises, that’s exactly what we can look forward to when they reach the O2 Academy Oxford on Tuesday.

“Expect a lot of energy,” he says. “We always work hard for people.”

GO ALONG
Blackalicious play the O2 Academy Oxford on Tuesday. Tickets £17.50+fee from ticketweb.co.uk