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Talib Kweli

Talib Kweli's Genre:

Alternative Rap, East Coast Rap, Underground Rap, Rap

Biography

If skills sold, Talib Kweli would have been one of the most commercially successful rappers of his time. As it was, however, the earnest MC became one of the most critically successful rappers of his time, which dawned in the late '90s when he rapped alongside Mos Def and DJ Hi-Tek as part of the group Black Star. This trio of up-and-comers and their widely acclaimed self-titled 1998 album debut, Black Star, helped make Rawkus Records one of the premier underground rap outposts of the late '90s. Kweli and Hi-Tek then collaborated as a duo on Reflection Eternal (2000), which firmly established them apart from Mos Def, who had gone solo. For a moment there, Kweli and his Rawkus associates seemed like a full-fledged movement -- a return to the sort of hip-hop associated with the so-called golden age. However, it wasn't to be. Rawkus somehow lost its momentum, and its roster sadly dispersed, leaving Kweli on his own to carry the torch. He continued his output, beginning with a proper solo debut, Quality (2002), and though he didn't rack up towering sales numbers, he remained a critical favorite. In fact, he was one of the most admired and respected rappers on the major-label circuit during the mid-2000s, best evidenced by Jay-Z's famous Black Album rhyme: "If skills sold, truth be told/I'd probably be, lyrically, Talib Kweli."

Born in Brooklyn as the eldest of two sons born to college professors, Kweli's first name, Talib, is an Arabic name meaning "the seeker or student," while his last name is a Ghanaian name meaning "of truth or knowledge." He began developing his literary gift in elementary school, when he'd write short stories, poems, and that sort of stuff. It wasn't until years later in high school that he turned to hip-hop as an outlet for his self-expression. There in high school he met a young Dante Smith, better known today as Mos Def. This fateful meeting further drew Kweli toward hip-hop, and another fateful meeting further convinced him that he had a bright future as an MC. During a 1994 trip to Cincinnati he met Tony Cottrell, aka DJ Hi-Tek, who at the time was part of a local rap group called Mood. Kweli impressed Hi-Tek during their time together, and the DJ invited the MC to guest on several tracks for Mood's 1997 album Doom. Shortly afterward, Kweli and Hi-Tek formed a partnership as Reflection Eternal and recorded "Fortified Live," which a then-fledging Rawkus label released on its first Soundbombing compilation.

A year later in 1998, the two invited Mos Def into the mix, and the Black Star album resulted. And with it came a steady downpour of critical acclaim that turned these guys into media darlings overnight. They might not have sold millions of albums, but Kweli, Hi-Tek, and Mos Def most certainly impressed a great many people, among them critics, fellow rap artists, and a lot of folks who enjoyed a good old-fashioned hip-hop album with an emphasis on beats, rhymes, and life -- not dramatized gunplay or interpolations of proven pop songs. That was the end of Black Star, however. In 1999 Mos Def released his debut solo album, Black on Both Sides, and turned away from music and toward an acting career, leaving Kweli and Hi-Tek on their own. The duo returned to their Reflection Eternal partnership and released an album of the same name in 2000. It spawned a few minor hits: "Move Somethin'" and "The Blast."

When Kweli returned with his Quality album in 2002, things had changed a bit. For one, he was truly solo. Mos Def was long gone, and Hi-Tek was off focusing on his own solo career as a for-hire producer. So Quality featured Kweli collaborating with a host of different artists, among them a young and promising yet still largely unknown producer named Kanye West. "Get By" was the fruit of Kweli's collaboration with West, and it became the rapper's biggest hit to date, aided quite a bit by a non-album remix featuring Jay-Z of all people. The remix got a lot of radio play, but still, Quality didn't put up Jay-Z numbers and Kweli remained a critical favorite, a reputation cemented all the more in late 2003 when Jigga gave him the aforementioned high-profile shoutout in "Moment of Clarity."

All of this set the stage very well for The Beautiful Struggle, which dropped in fall 2004. The expectations for the album were gargantuan because of the Jay-Z rhyme, and also because a great many hip-hop disciples felt Kweli was long overdue for a commercial breakthrough. The album was undoubtedly his most commercial effort to date, featuring a few token radio-ready hook singers like Mary J. Blige and Anthony Hamilton, not to mention a roster of hitmaking producers like the Neptunes, Just Blaze, and Kanye. It was also Kweli's most self-conscious to date, however, as it was well apparent that the commercial pressures had begun to affect his mindset. He responded by splitting from his distributor, Universal, and lying low for a while, releasing a stopgap mixtape, Right About Now (2005) via Koch.

In anticipation of his next solo album, Kweli collaborated with producer Madlib on the digital-only Liberation, which was made available as a free download during the first week of 2007 on the Stones Throw website. Finally, in August of that same year, Kweli issued the full-length album Eardrum on his own label, Blacksmith, via a partnership with Warner Brothers. Debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and selling about 60,000 copies in its first week, Eardrum was Kweli's best-selling album to date and features beats from not only Madlib but also Hi-Tek, Kanye West, Pete Rock, and will.i.am, among others, and features guests like Norah Jones, UGK, Justin Timberlake, and Strong Arm Steady. ~ Jason Birchmeier

AOL Radio Stations Talib Kweli is Featured on (10)

New York Sounds

Slacker Radio and Windows 8 collaborated on "New York Sounds" for the global launch from NYC and in celebration, this radio station is available with limited commercial interruption. On New York Sounds, we sought to combine NYC’s musical legacy and DNA with songs that convey the excitement and urgency of being in the city. Equal parts metropolitan and gritty, this station is the contemporary soundtrack to The City of Dreams. Check out the new Slacker Radio app on Windows 8 today.

Chiddy Bang Showcase

This is the Chiddy Bang Artist Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by the members of Chiddy Bang including music hand-picked by Chidera and Noah as well as commentary by each about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

New R&B First

This is where you'll discover tomorrow's R&B jams today. Emerging artists, new releases, and tracks that are too hot for the radio- it's all on Slacker Radio's New R&B First.

Backpack Rap

The term "backpack rap" provokes many different reactions. Some hip hop fans think of it as pretentious, while others find it truly authentic. Slacker's Backpack Rap features tracks from classic artists like the Native Tongues collective through contemporary poets like those on the Def Jux roster. Lyricists and the craft; less boasting, more reality--that's Backpack Rap on Slacker.

Filter Magazine - Austin 2012

Check out the hottest indie acts performing at the 2012 SXSW Music Festival by tuning to “Filter Magazine - Austin 2012” on Slacker Radio. Hear music from indie sensations like Built To Spill, Keane, Kaiser Chiefs, Fanfarlo, Band of Skulls, Mike Snow, YACHT, The Drums and many more.

The Silent Comedy Showcase

This is The Silent Comedy Artist Showcase station on Slacker. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by the band including music hand-picked by Joshua, Jeremiah, Justin and Chad as well as commentary by each about the songs that influenced their music and life.

Underground Hip Hop

Underground Hip Hop is something that rap fans could easily define in the 90's. However, as rap music has grown, it has branched off into many sub-genres. So, to keep it simple, this station features artists you won't find too often in the mainstream. It features true lyricism, bangin' beats, dj's cutting up vinyl, and music that embraces the original gritty sound made popular in the mid 90's. The station spans the 80's, 90's and today. Yes, underground hip hop is alive and well today. You'll find it right here.

Conor Maynard Showcase

This is the Conor Maynard Artist Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by Conor including music that he hand-picked as well as commentary by Conor about the songs that influenced his music and his life.

Arnette Audio

Welcome to Arnette Audio, brought to you by Arnette Eyewear, a station for artists that were bold enough to do things differently and ended up changing the game—from A Tribe Called Quest to Blink 182 to the Beastie Boys . That’s why we still turn their songs up to ten. That’s what it means to Live Arnette.

Talib Kweli

This station plays the best music from and music from related artists like Mos Def, Common, The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, Ghostface Killah, Nas, Gang Starr, Q-Tip, Wu-Tang Clan, Black Star and more.

All Stations

Talib Kweli's Selected Discography (27)

Prisoner of Conscious

Eardrum

2007 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.200720 Songs

Eardrum

2007 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.200720 Songs

Right About Now

Babygrande Records200512 Songs

Right About Now

Babygrande Records200512 Songs

The Beautiful Struggle

200413 Songs

The Beautiful Struggle

200413 Songs

Quality

(C)(P) 2002 Rawkus Entertainment LLCECD200215 Songs

Quality

(C)(P) 2002 Rawkus Entertainment LLCECD200215 Songs

Say Something

2007 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.20074 Songs

Gutter Rainbows

2011 Javotti Media/3DDIGITAL201114 Songs

Come Here (feat. Miguel)

Upper Echelon

Push Thru - EP (feat. Kendrick Lamar and Curren$y)

Hush

2007 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.20071 Songs

Hot Thing

2007 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.SINGLE20074 Songs

Listen!!!

2006 Reprise Records for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.SINGLE20062 Songs

Flash Gordon [Digital Single]

DIGITAL20041 Songs

Prisoner of Conscious

201216 Songs

Right About Now [Japan Bonus Track]

200613 Songs

Beautiful Struggle

200414 Songs

Liberation

20089 Songs

I Try, Pt. 1 [Germany CD]

ECD20044 Songs

The Mceo Mixtape

COLLECTION200832 Songs

I Try [4 Tracks]

DIGITAL20043 Songs

Live at the Shrine

200817 Songs

All Albums

Artists Related to Talib Kweli (50)

	Mos Def	Initially regarded as one of the most promising rappers to emerge in the late '90s, Mos Def turned to acting in subsequent years as music became a secondary concern for him.
	Common	Common (originally Common Sense) was a highly influential figure in rap's underground during the '90s, keeping the sophisticated lyrical technique and flowing syncopations of jazz-rap alive in an era when commercial gangsta rap was threatening to obliterate everything in its path.
	The Roots	Though popular success has largely eluded the Roots, the Philadelphia group showed the way for live rap, building on Stetsasonic's "hip-hop band" philosophy of the mid-'80s by focusing on live instrumentation at their concerts and in the studio.
	A Tribe Called Quest	Without question the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s, A Tribe Called Quest jump-started and perfected the hip-hop alternative to hardcore and gangsta rap.
	Ghostface Killah	As one of the original members of the seminal '90s rap crew the Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah (aka Tony Starks) made an impact before he released his debut album, Ironman, late in 1996.
	Nas	Beginning with his classic debut, Illmatic (1994), Nas stood tall for years as one of New York City's leading rap voices, outspokenly expressing a righteous, self-empowered swagger that endeared him to critics and hip-hop purists.
	Gang Starr	The most influential MC-and-DJ tandem of the 1990s, Gang Starr set new standards for East Coast rap with a pair of early-'90s touchstones, Step in the Arena (1991) and Daily Operation (1992), whose appeal has only grown over the decades.
	Q-Tip	The longtime MC with pioneering alternative hip-hop trio A Tribe Called Quest, rapper Q-Tip was born Jonathan Davis in New York City on November 20, 1970.
	Wu-Tang Clan	Emerging in 1993, when Dr. Dre's G-funk had overtaken the hip-hop world, the Staten Island, New York-based Wu-Tang Clan proved to be the most revolutionary rap group of the mid-'90s -- and only partially because of their music.
	Black Star	Marcus Garvey, founder of the united Negro Improvement Association manifested his ideas by creating the Black Star shipping line, designed to repatriate blacks to Africa.
	De La Soul	At the time of its 1989 release, De La Soul's debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, was hailed as the future of hip-hop.
	The Pharcyde	An influential alternative rap quartet from South Central Los Angeles, the Pharcyde was formed by MCs/producers Tre "Slimkid" Hardson, Derrick "Fatlip" Stewart, Imani Wilcox, and Romye "Booty Brown" Robinson.
	Dilated Peoples	With just a few (mostly underground) releases, Dilated Peoples energized the rap underground in similar fashion to fellow West Coast crew Jurassic 5.
	KRS-One	KRS-One (born Kris Parker) was the leader of Boogie Down Productions, one of the most influential hardcore hip-hop outfits of the '80s.
	Raekwon	Raekwon may not have achieved the solo stardom of his fellow Wu-Tang Clan mates Method Man or Ol' Dirty Bastard, but along with Genius/GZA and frequent partner Ghostface Killah, he's done some of the most inventive, critically acclaimed work outside the confines of the group.
	Method Man	Method Man was the first -- and biggest -- solo star to emerge from the groundbreaking Wu-Tang Clan.
	Pharoahe Monch	While a member of the New York City duo Organized Konfusion, Pharoahe Monch developed a reputation as one of underground hip-hop's preeminent lyricists, crafting intricate and intelligent raps with partner Prince Poetry.
	GZA	The Genius, aka the GZA, was the most cerebral MC in the Wu-Tang Clan, as well as perhaps the most acclaimed.
	OutKast	OutKast's blend of gritty Southern soul, fluid raps, and the low-slung funk of their Organized Noize production crew epitomized the Atlanta wing of hip-hop's rising force, the Dirty South, during the mid to late '90s.
	Hieroglyphics	The Oakland-based Hieroglyphics are an underground rap collective who, at their best, combine an offbeat sensibility with a strong grounding in battle rhyming, freestyling, and other hip-hop traditions.
	Jurassic 5	Though there's actually six of them, Jurassic 5 got everything else right on their self-titled debut EP.
	Mobb Deep	As golden age rap suddenly gave way to West Coast gangsta in the early '90s, an East Coast variety of hardcore rap arose in turn, with Mobb Deep initially standing tall as one of New York's hardcore figureheads on the basis of their epochal album The Infamous.
	Fugees	The Fugees translated an intriguing blend of jazz-rap, R&B, and reggae into huge success during the mid-'90s, when the trio's sophomore album The Score hit number one on the pop charts and sold over five million copies.
	Redman	Never quite a superstar, Redman was nonetheless one of the most off-the-wall, beloved, and enduring rappers of the '90s and 2000s.
	Del the Funky Homosapien	Cousin of renowned gangster rapper Ice Cube, Del tha Funky Homosapien (real name Teren Delvon Jones) was born in Oakland, California on August 12, 1972, and got his start with Ice Cube's backing band, Da Lench Mob.
	RZA	The Wu-Tang Clan's chief producer, the RZA (aka the Abbott, Prince Rakeem, the Rzarector, Bobby Steels, and Bobby Digital) was born Robert Diggs.
	Dead Prez	The Florida-based political rap duo Dead Prez consists of Stic.man and M-1, a pair of rappers inspired by revolutionaries from Malcolm X to Public Enemy.
	Rakim	Although he never became a household name, Rakim is near-universally acknowledged as one of the greatest MCs -- perhaps the greatest -- of all time within the hip-hop community.
	Slum Village	Rising from the rugged streets and rich musical tapestry of Detroit, Slum Village were poised to carry on the old-school, funk, and soul-filled hip-hop torch of genre pioneers A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and the Pharcyde.
	The Notorious B.I.G.	In just a few short years, the Notorious B.I.G. went from a Brooklyn street hustler to the savior of East Coast hip-hop to a tragic victim of the culture of violence he depicted so realistically on his records.
	Atmosphere	Atmosphere are a hip-hop group from Minneapolis centering around rapper Slug (aka Sean Daley). The son of a black father and a white mother who divorced when he was a teenager, Slug became entranced with hip-hop, graffiti, and breakdancing, and formed the Rhymesayers collective with two high-school friends -- Siddiq Ali (Stress) and Derek Turner (Spawn).
	Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth	Mt. Vernon, New Yorkers Pete Rock (a producer/DJ) and rapper C.L. Smooth emerged in 1992 as both a powerhouse performance duo and as prolific producers.
	Souls of Mischief	The East Oakland backpacker crew are members of the loose underground hip-hop consortium known as Hieroglyphics.
	Lupe Fiasco	Chicago-based MC Lupe Fiasco (born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco) began rapping in junior high school and joined a group called da Pak several years later.
	Ol' Dirty Bastard	One of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, who recorded some of the most influential hip-hop of the '90s, Ol' Dirty Bastard was the loose cannon of the group, both on record and off.
	Murs	A longtime friend of Definitive Jux leader El-P, rapper Murs first appeared as a solo artist in 2003, after nearly a decade of working with various groups in the underground.
	Jedi Mind Tricks	The underground hip-hop duo Jedi Mind Tricks started out in the streets of Philadelphia in early 1996.
	Guru	Rapper/composer Guru (real name Keith Elam) first rose to prominence as the "lyrical half" of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, one of the first outfits that attempted to fuse jazz with rap.
	Pete Rock	Rapper, DJ, and producer Pete Rock first emerged in 1991 as one half of a duo with C.L. Smooth, debuting with the All Souled Out EP.
	Busta Rhymes	The most idiosyncratic personality in rap and possessor of its most recognizable delivery, a halting, ragga-inspired style with incredible complexity, inventiveness, and humor, Busta Rhymes formed Leaders of the New School in 1990 and released two albums with the group before breaking out with a 1996 solo hit single, "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check.
	Digable Planets	Though they were not the first to synthesize jazz and hip-hop, Digable Planets epitomized the laid-back charm of jazz hipsters better than any group before or since.
	Brother Ali	Rapper Brother Ali spent much of his life living in various cities in the Upper Midwest, starting in Madison, Wisconsin, then moving to Michigan as a young child -- where he was first introduced to breakdancing and graffiti and rapping -- and finally settling in northern Minneapolis with his family when he was 15.
	MF Doom	Patterning his persona and logo after the Marvel Comics super villain Dr. Doom, the man behind MF (Metal Face) Doom's iron mask is actually Daniel Dumile, aka Zevlove X, a member of former Big Apple hip-hoppers K.
	Immortal Technique	Born Felipe Coronel in a military hospital in Lima, Peru, in 1978, Immortal Technique moved to Harlem with his parents when he was two years old.
	Little Brother	Part of the new millennium resurgence of alternative rap, Little Brother drew from atypical inspirations for Southern hip-hop: classic Native Tongues outfits like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, as well as more recent torch-bearers like the Roots and Black Star.
	Eric B. & Rakim	They never had a mainstream hit of their own, but during rap's so-called golden age in the late '80s, Eric B.
	Aesop Rock	Building on the rapping style of eccentrics Kool Keith and Del the Funky Homosapien, Def Jux headliner Aesop Rock became one of the hottest MCs in the post-millennial underground.
	Jay-Z	Embodying the rags-to-riches rap dream, Jay-Z pulled himself up by his bootstraps as a youth to eventually become the reigning rapper of New York City and, in turn, a major-label executive following his short-lived retirement from music-making.
	Slick Rick	Slick Rick foreshadowed and epitomized the pimpster attitude of many rappers during the late '80s and early '90s, with gold chains, his trademark eye-patch, and recordings that were no less misogynistic -- "Treat Her Like a Prostitute," for example, became an underground hit in 1988, though it was justly criticized for its view of women.
	Big L	A member of Fat Joe's DITC crew, rapper Big L was born Lamont Coleman on May 30, 1974. He made his solo debut with 1995's Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous, scoring a series of underground hits including "No Endz, No Skinz," "Street Struck" and "Da Graveyard"; Big L's best-known effort, the single "Ebonics," followed on his own Flamboyant label in the summer of 1998.