Gift of Gab Short Film Premieres on Pitchfork

Today, we're premiering Gift of Gab, a documentary that follows Blackalicious front man Timothy “Gift of Gab” Parker and his journey to overcome a life-threatening kidney condition caused by type 1 diabetes. The documentary, directed by Michael Jacobs, first premiered at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, and was one of nine documentaries to be nominated for a jury prize. You can watch the documentary in full below. Parker used the dire and life-altering circumstances of his diagnosis as inspiration for Imani Vol 1, Blackalicious’ first album in over a decade. Blackalicious is currently in the midst of a world tour in support of the new album.

The Pitchfork release is timed to coincide with Men's Health Week, heralding a call to action with the hope of finding people who are willing to donate a kidney to help Gab and others like him. Studies indicate that recipients of kidney transplants have a higher life expectancy rate (on average of 10-20 years) and improved quality of life compared to those who undergo chronic dialysis treatment.

Jacobs shared a statement about the documentary:

“We can all learn from Gab’s positive perspective, his comfort with vulnerability, and his desire to make art out of difficult circumstances. And in a best case scenario, the film can serve to find Gab a kidney donor while also encouraging more people to consider becoming registered organ donors.”