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signed Brazilian drummer Curumin and Brooklyn/Australian duo Apsci to Quannum Projects, released a special mix CD of Fela Anikupalo-Kuti's music entitled The Underground Spiritual Game, and teamed with Lateef The Truth Speaker on the Maroons' 2004 brilliant debut, Ambush.

Through it all, they kept focused on the next Blackalicious project, calling it The Craft to reflect their maturing approach to the music. "Nia was about purpose. Blazing Arrow was about faith-to walk the path once you have found your purpose," says Gab. "The Craft is about understanding that we have received a blessing but also that we need to be about discipline. We do it for fun, but we take it very seriously, almost religiously."

Work on The Craft began two years ago, when Chief Xcel gathered musicians to lay tracks for the album. The band was organized around accomplished French cellist Vincent Segal (who did string arrangements for Blazing Arrow and works with French pop singer -M-), and included bassists Teak Underdue (Dead Prez) and Carl Young (Spearhead), percussionist Alfredo Ortiz (Beastie Boys), guitarist Sebastian Martel (Femi Kuti), and keyboardist Herve Salters (Femi Kuti, and part of two upcoming Quannum acts, Honeycut and General Electrics). Bay Area soul singer Ledisi, her father, the Southern funk pioneer and "prophet of soul" Larry Saunders, and singer Kween made central contributions as well. Working in Xcel's Oakland studio, the band cut 120 songs. Chief Xcel says, "They're responsible for the core and the foundation of the record."

Inspired by the live-meets-tech hybridism of Dr. Dre, the Bomb Squad, and A Tribe Called Quest, working from hours of tapes like a hip-hop Teo Macero, Xcel then recut these songs down into the core of the album. One of the boldest producers in the game, Xcel had a distinct goal for The Craft-to make a record with the detail of The Low End Theory, the coherence of Yo! Bumrush the Show! and the power of Straight Outta Compton. "I wanted to make productions that had a lot