5.23.2010

Talib Kweli

Just listening to Revolutions Per Minute - Reflection Eternal album which drop the over week. And just realized I never done a feature artist post on Talib Kweli. So I thought.

Talib Kweli is from Brooklyn, New York and he as been around for a long time. His first album was with the dope Mos Def. They formed a duo group called Black Star and drop an album in 1998. The album was fire. Every track was great on it and its a classic to me. Listen to it from time to time. Also I blogged about black star a couple of months ago. Click Here

A track from black starr album is below.
Black Star (Mos Def and Talib Kweli) - Definition, RE: Definition


After the success of black starr Talib Kweli met DJ Hi-Tek and the two collaborated on a few well received underground recordings as Reflection Eternal. Which they formed as a duo group as well and drop there first album called "Train of Thought" in 2000. It featured likes of Mos Def, Kool G Rap, De La Soul. To me it was a very strong album as you saw more of Talib Kweli doing tracks on his own as Hi-Tek a DJ and making the beats etc. I thought they work well together. Track off there album is below in the video.
Hi Tek and Talib Kweli - The Blast


Talib Kweli drop his first solo album and it came out in 2002. It was called "Quality" and it had a strong team of producers on it. Kanye West, DJ Quik, DJ Scratch, J Dilla, Soulquarians. Which that was early Kanye West producing. It featured the likes of Kanye West, Black Thought from the roots, Mos Def and more.
Track below from the album
Talib Kweli - Get By

The Beautiful Struggle is the second solo album by American rapper Talib Kweli. The album was released in 2004, and features guest appearances by rappers such as Common and Jean Grae. The album featured production from Kanye West, The Neptunes, Supa Dave West, Just Blaze & Hi-Tek. The first single off the album, "I Try" featuring Mary J. Blige, was fairly popular as a music video, followed by the second single "Never Been In Love". Track below in the video.
Talib Kweli - I Try ft. Mary J. Blige



Not long later Talib was back in the studio making his third album in 2005. Called Right About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD or simply Right About Now. This CD is notable because, although a low-key release, it features upcoming members of Kweli's record label, Blacksmith Music. Also, the appearance of Mos Def on the track Supreme Supreme is another key point of the album, since Talib Kweli and Mos Def haven't rapped together on a track since Kweli's Quality album in 2002.


In 2007 Liberation from Talib Kweli and Madlib which is a duo album. It was just a quick album they made. Eardrum is the fourth solo album from Talib Kweli. It was drop under his own label Blacksmith Records. The album came in 2007 and it his last solo album he made to this date. Its a very strong album its my favorite from him as a solo album. Im a big fan of this one as it was his best work on an album I thought. This can be argue as his third album as one before people say is a mixtape.
Talib Kweli made many mixtapes and collaboration with many artist. Just some of the collabos below.

Mos Def & Talib Kweli - History


Talib Kweli feat. Rakim - Subway Surfing


Recently Talib Kweli and HI-Tek made Revolutions Per Minute and it drop earlier this month. I liked the album I expected some things which did not happen but they did what they do and it was dope. Check the album out its on Itunes. A track below from the album.
Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek- Just Begun feat. Jay Electronica, J Cole, & Mos Def


A great artist and is so under rated. His views about hip hop are very different to others. He respects more lyrical artist than others. Video below is an interview on him talking about his top 5 artist. Interview from 2008.


Peace.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow. This might be the BEST feature that I've read on Talib.....great job!!

Nas Holston said...

legend