Gift Of Gab, the co-founder of rap duo Blackalicious known for his tongue-twisting “blazing arrow” rhymes, died Friday after battling a host of health issues. He was 50.
Quannum Projects, a highly regarded hip-hop collective based in the San Francisco Bay area, announced his tragic passing in a statement published by Rolling Stone.
“It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear brother, Timothy J. Parker a.k.a. ‘The Gift of Gab,” they wrote. “Tim peacefully departed this earth to be with our ancestors on Friday, June 18, 2021.”
Blackalicious confirmed that Parker died of natural causes, although the rapper had recently been suffering from kidney problems, which required him to be on dialysis several times a week. The rhyme master underwent a kidney transplant in January 2020, which also marked Blackalicious’ final concert as the COVID pandemic hit shortly afterward.
Born in Sacramento, California in 1971, Timothy Parker founded Blackalicious alongside Xavier Mosley while the pair were studying at University of California Davis.
see also
After releasing a slew of EPs in the mid-1990s, the duo dropped the critically-acclaimed debut album, “Nia,” in 1999.
The compendium included the group’s iconic hit “Alphabet Aerobics,” which showcased Parker’s lyrical pyrotechnics.
In the scintillating single, the word wizard notably strung together whole verses, in which each word started with the same letter of the alphabet.
Blackalicious garnered newfound viral fame when Harry Potter himself — Daniel Radcliffe — covered one of their signature hits on TV. The then 26-year-old actor and hip-hop fan appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and spat “Alphabet Aerobics” like a pro.
“He killed it,” MC Gift of Gab told The Post at the time. “We’re friends with [‘Tonight Show’ bandleader] Questlove, and he tweeted at us, telling us to watch the show. [Radcliffe] kept in time and everything. He did a great job — I was actually a little surprised!”
Parker’s bandmate DJ Xavier “Chief Xcel” Mosley has already paid tribute to the deceased lyricist.
“Our brother was an MCs’ MC who dedicated his life to his craft. One of the greatest to ever do it,” he wrote. “He’s the most prolific person I’ve ever known. He was all about pushing the boundaries of his art form in the most authentic way possible.”
Mosley added, “He truly believed in the healing power of music. He viewed himself as a vessel used by a higher power whose purpose was to give positive contributions to humanity through Rhyme.”
Parker is survived by “two brothers, one sister, many nieces and nephews, countless friends, and fans across the globe,” per the Quannum statement.
