The Bay Area has long been a hotbed of conscious, soulful, intelligent music and on Saturday, June 25, three generations will come together to outdo one another. Quannum/Solesides luminaries Blackalicious will make their first local appearance in more than a year led by Chief Xcel and Gift of Gab. The Shotgun Wedding Quintet will celebrate the release of their new album. Rising star Seasunz will show off his funky beats and soulful flow and longtime Bay Area hip hop angel, DJ Ren will provide the glue. Expect sit-ins, collaborations, shenanigans and more surprises than you can wave a mike at.

In an industry dominated by shallow imitation, compromise and corner cutting, Blackalicious has stood far above the rest through a commitment to for quality, craftsmanship, and attention to detail. Producer Chief Xcel and MC Gift of Gab pack more soul into their songs, Ep’s and releases than most hip hop groups can muster for a career. Their music is intricate, polyrhythmic, thematic, and theatrical, telling stories that defy hip hop clichés. It’s a commitment to making hip hop that sounds like more music, than just a collection of than beats and rhymes. Their live sets often pack more variation, innovation, and cohesion than a typical jazz quintet.

Thankfully, in the case of this performance, they will be preceded by a jazz quintet, the legendary Bay Area hip-hop jazz-funk ensemble, known as the Shotgun Wedding Quintet. Like Blackalicious, these musicians have long demonstrated an intense commitment to musical craftsmanship. Led by multi-instrumentalist Adam Theis and multi-talented MC Dublin, the Shotgun Wedding Quintet is capable of turning any kind of music into a hip hop experience. With songs that describe every day life in the Bay Area with clarity, insight, and humor, there are few acts that better epitomize the region.

Joining them on the bill will be one of the Bay Area’s rising stars of conscious hip hop, MC Seasunz, who recently celebrated the release of a warmly received full-length album with collaborator J-Bless entitled “Earth Amplified”. A leader in the Bay Area community, Seasunz uses his hip hop as a vehicle for his love of progressive social issues, especially environmental consciousness.

Tickets for this show begin at $20 and can be purchased at www.sunsetpromotions.com.