Gift of Gab (rapper) explained
Gift of Gab |
Background: | solo_singer |
Birth Name: | Timothy Jerome Parker |
Birth Date: | 7 October 1970[1] |
Origin: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Genre: | Alternative hip hop |
Occupation: | Rapper |
Years Active: | 1993–2021 |
Label: | Quannum Projects |
Timothy Jerome Parker (October 7, 1970 – June 18, 2021),[2] [3] better known by his stage name Gift of Gab, was an American rapper best known for performing in the Bay Area hip hop duo Blackalicious along with DJ Chief Xcel. He was also a member of Quannum Projects, a Bay Area hip hop crew and record label, and performed and recorded as a solo artist.
Early life
Timothy Jerome Parker was born in 1970 and raised in the Pacoima neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.[4] He had two brothers and a sister at time of death, he also had two sisters that passed before him. He attended high school in Sacramento with his future bandmate Xavier "Chief Xcel" Mosley.
Collaborations
Gift of Gab was 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 and Eligh. He was 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 , 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 also featured on fellow San Francisco rapper Watsky's song "Everything Turns Gold", and the track "They Warned Us" by Watsky's jazz-rap fusion band Invisible Inc.
Later life and death
In the years leading up to 2020, Parker had suffered from kidney failure and was receiving dialysis multiple times a week. In January 2020, Parker received a kidney transplant. Parker died on June 18, 2021, of natural causes.[4]
Discography
Studio albums
Solo
(Gift of Gab w/ Chief Xcel)
(Gift of Gab w/ Chief Xcel, DJ Shadow, Lateef the Truth Speaker & Lyrics Born)
(Gift of Gab w/ Lateef the Truth Speaker & Headnodic)
EPs, mixtapes & compilations
EPs
- A2G EP (Mo' Wax, 1999) (Blackalicious)
- Rejoice! Rappers Are Rapping Again! (2017)[7]
Mixtapes
- Supreme Lyricism Vol. 1 (Gifted Music, 2006)[9]
- Supreme Lyricism Vol. 2: Conscious Lyricism Lives (2017)[10]
Compilations
- Greatest Misses Vol. 1 (2018)[11]
Singles
- "A to G / Alphabet Aerobics (The Cut Chemist 2 1/2 Minute Workout)" (1999) (Blackalicious)
- "Deception" (1999) (Blackalicious)
- "If I May / Reanimation" (2000) (Blackalicious)
- "Passion" (2001) (Blackalicious)
- "It's Going Down (Sit Back)" (2002) (Blackalicious)
- "Art of Mind / Just What Can Happen" (2002) (Blackalicious)
- "Blazing Arrow" (2002) (Blackalicious)
- "Make You Feel That Way" (2002) (Blackalicious)
- "Wizzy Wow / It's Going Down" (2002) (Blackalicious & Blackstreet)
- "The Writz / Just Because" (2003)
- "Rat Race / Real MCs" (2004)
- "Your Move" (2005) (Blackalicious)
- "Rhythm Sticks" (2005) (Blackalicious)
- "Powers" (2006) (Blackalicious)
Guest appearances
- New Flesh - "Communicate" from Understanding (2002)
- DJ Vadim - "Combustible" from U.S.S.R. The Art of Listening (2002)
- 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)
- Motion Man - "One Time for Your Mind" from Pablito's Way (2006)
- Watsky - "Everything turns Gold" from Watsky (2009)
- 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)
- Opiuo - "Life" from Meraki (2014)
- Smokey Joe & The Kid - "Stay Awake" from "The Game" (EP) (2014)
- Amp Live- "ihearthiphip" from Headphone Concerto (2014)
- L'Orange & Jeremiah Jae - "All I Need" from The Night Took Us in Like Family (2015)
- Hip Bones - "Taskmaster" from The Moose Lodge Sessions (2016)[12]
- Zero Dinero - "The Time Has Come" (2016)
- Prophetiko - "Calling You" ft. Realistic from "Prophzilla" on Nomad Hip Hop (2016)
- Atlantis Rizing - “Help Us Help You” (2016)
- Invisible Inc. - "They Warned Us" from "Fine Print" (2018)
- Sirreal - "Keep it Moving" (2018)
- Blu & Fatlip - "Look To The Sky" from "Live From The End Of The World, Vol .1 [Demos]" (2022)
Notes and References
- Web site: Blackalicious lyricist Gift of Gab dead at 50. 29 June 2021 .
- Kreps . Daniel . Blackalicious Rapper Gift of Gab Dead at 50 . June 25, 2021 . . June 25, 2021.
- Web site: Strauss. Matthew. June 25, 2021. Gift of Gab, Blackalicious Rapper, Dies at 50. June 25, 2021. Pitchfork. en-US.
- Web site: LAist Interview: Gift of Gab from Blackalicious . LAist . en . 13 August 2007.
- Web site: New Gift of Gab Song "Vice Grip" Gets Posthumous Release. Pitchfork. 17 August 2021.
- Web site: Rappers Macklemore, Evidence, Run the Jewels' El-P, Lyrics Born & More Mourn Gift of Gab's Death. 25 June 2021.
- Web site: Gift of Gab Launches Patreon Campaign for New EP "Rejoice! Rappers Are Rapping Again!". 27 April 2017.
- Web site: Blackalicious' Gift of Gab Launches GoFundMe Campaign for Kidney Transplant. 28 January 2020.
- Web site: The Gift of Gab – Supreme Lyricism Volume One (2006, CD). Discogs. 18 August 2006 .
- Web site: BRAND NEW MIXTAPE!! The Gift of Gab on Patreon. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20210627230249/https://www.patreon.com/posts/brand-new-13346196 . 2021-06-27 .
- Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Web site: Gift of Gab - Stardust . YouTube.
- Web site: Henderson County News: Hip Bones holds CD launch party at Southern App - Hendersonville Lightning. Moss. Bill. Hendersonvillelightning.com. en-gb. September 24, 2019. August 4, 2016.