While its members might look more like chartered accountants than rap stars, Blackalicious has always been the real deal. Writing and performing its laid-back style of old-school hip-hop for more than two decades, the duo has been chasing success since rapper Gift of Gab and producer Chief Xcel first met in sixth grade. What’s the key to the group’s longevity, you ask? Seven words: Be true to yourself and stay humble.

“We create records that are honest,” Xcel tells the Straight on the line from his home in Sacramento. “That’s how we’re different from a lot of other performers. If you make art that reflects you 100 percent, somebody’s going to connect with that. You never know how many people that ‘somebody’ is, but with Blackalicious, our ‘somebodies’ are all over the planet. We don’t make gangsta rap, because it’s just not our experience—but our sound has still struck a universal chord. We’re so blessed.”

One part funk, one part soul, and with a dash of R&B, Blackalicious’s beats have become a staple of the underground scene. Rapping about everything from chemistry to financial advice, the duo has become an inspiration to a number of today’s most successful performers. (We refer you to Macklemore’s claim that Gab’s lyrical prowess has, apparently, allowed the Seattle rapper to find God.) But the journey from home-economics class to the international stage hasn’t been easy. Always sitting uncomfortably on the edge of the mainstream, Xcel, like Gab, has had to throw everything into building a platform for Blackalicious.

“I’ve done multiple gigs to make ends meet,” Xcel recalls with a laugh. “I worked as the assistant to the mayor of Oakland’s wife in the daytime. I was also an office assistant for a mutual-funds company in San Francisco. At night I would do sound engineering for a theatre company down in Fort Mason. Then I finally opened our label Soleside’s office in Berkeley—so after I clocked off from those jobs, I’d head to the building to ship the records.

“We’ve definitely had to work really hard to get where we are today,” he adds. “Has it all been worth it? One hundred percent.”

Finally able to quit those day jobs and pursue music full-time in 2005, Blackalicious has been on the road for over a decade, promoting its classic sound. That dedication has built a tight bond—and one that’s held the pair together through some difficult times. Three years ago, Gift of Gab was diagnosed with kidney disease, a complication of his Type 1 diabetes. As he’s unable to live without dialysis three days a week, it was touch-and-go as to whether the group could maintain its punishing touring schedule.

“It was tough at first, dealing with it,” Xcel recalls. “But we’ve pretty much got it down to a science now. There are dialysis machines in every city, which allows us to stay on the road. Our philosophy is that you can go through whatever you’re going through, but as long as you’re still breathing, life doesn’t stop.

“Gab is my biggest inspiration,” Xcel continues. “Just seeing what he has to deal with on a daily basis and knowing that he can still create and perform at the highest level is just amazing. He’s taught me that there’s no reason a person can’t achieve everything in life. If it’s possible to persevere and push forward like Gab’s done, a healthy-bodied individual has no excuse.”

That attitude is emblazoned all over the duo’s new record, Imani, Vol. 1. Spurred on by Gab’s illness, the group finally jumped off the tour bus and into the studio to lay down more than 60 new tracks. After releasing the first 16 a few months ago under the Swahili word for “faith”, the group is already getting ready to drop the next album in the three-volume collection. Capturing the spirit of Blackalicious’s journey from school friends to global artists, Imani is the band’s first record in nearly a decade—and it’s well worth the wait.

“Yes, there’s been a bit of a gap!” Xcel says. “But I think our sound has evolved with us as we’ve gone through different stages of life. This is a particularly difficult period for Gab, but this album has an uplifting sound. That’s very deliberate. We don’t want this record to be just another rap LP; we want it to light a fire of inspiration in people.”

So we’re back again to the importance of honesty to Blackalicious.

“Our music always reflects who we are, and it always will,” Xcel says. “We’re on a positive tip, and we want to bring that message to everyone who listens to our records. We’re gonna stay true to our purpose. To us, it’s just so humbling that people still appreciate our sound, especially after all this time.”

Blackalicious plays Fortune Sound Club on Saturday (June 11).