Blackalicious' Chief Xcel Tells His Craziest Record Hunting Stories
Chief Xcel, one half of the Bay Area rap group Blackalicious, owns over 20,000 records in four different storage spaces. Acquiring that much vinyl requires the relentlessness of a detective and the curiosity of an art curator, as well as the ability to criss-cross the globe like James Bond.
Anyone who has made that many purchases and trades is also likely to have an equal amount of amazing stories, and that is true for Chief Xcel, who rattles off a few of his best in this episode of Crate Diggers. He starts by telling an ominous tale about hunting records at a store owned by someone he called "The Nazi," and talks further about adding to his collection in places like Rotterdamn, Brazil, Paris and Oklahoma City.
"Every record has a story," Chief Xcel says, and it's never been truer than in this episode. But Chief Xcel also colors his own history, from his friendship with DJ Shadow to his first ever-record to which punk album is one of his favorites for drums.
15m
7m
2m
1m
1m
1h 3m
24m
20m
40m
21m
1h 22m
2m
2m
20m
1m
12m
2m
41m
14m
1m
2m
45m
2m
5m
2m
2m
8m
55s
7m
8m
9m
3m
4m
6m
56s
1m
10m
1m
5m
1m
4m
4m
5m
3m
2m
4m
7m
3m
8m
4m
1m
6m
5m
3m
7m
11m
13m
1h 17m
59m
41m
49m
20m
20m
20m
14m
12m
42m
12m
8m
17m
12m
13m
41m
20m
21m
39m
20m
41m
2m
59m
1h 10m
50m
42m
41m
1m
8m
20m
45m
1m
20m
11m
41m
55m
1h 14m
22m
1h 27m
40m
57m