Two years since his previous effort Gutter Rainbows hit stores, Brooklyn rhymer Talib Kweli drops off his fifth solo album Prisoner of Conscious. With an array of featured guests, a magnitude of rhythmically responsive instrumental backdrops and more subject matters than a book of short stories, the 15 track lyrical get down is a tempo frenzy of intellectual poetry.
When it comes to a lion of Hip Hop, a revered storyteller and one of raps most well known expressers of truth, you can't help but mention Talib Kweli, amongst the likes of Black Star co-star Mos Def, and Black Thought. On March 20 as part of his ongoing lengthy tour, Kweli brought Brooklyn to Kentish Town’s HMV Forum with support from two of the UK’s most well respected lyricists, Lowkey and Mic Righteous.
Every now and again, a reality check is needed within Hip Hop. Although the new trends in the format are welcomed, sometimes just going back to the basics of raw rhymes and traditional beats is required. Step forward to the mic Mr Talib Kweli, a rapper highly revered by Jay-Z and Kanye West (if you require a co-sign before checking him out).
Possessing profound lyrical dexterity since his inception back in 1997, Kweli remains at the forefront of a movement which updates the classic Hip Hop formula rather than reinventing it. The question is; how will Gutter Rainbows fare amongst the emo rap, nine-minute compositions and the usual over inflated braggadocio?
On Saturday 16th October, the indelible Talib Kweli headlined a night centered on linking Arabic Hip Hop artists with some western counterparts. The night was hosted by DJ MK, who didn't disappoint with his usual varied lineup of old school and modern Hip Hop classics.
The night's acts started with a flute solo and lead to a very energetic performance form the collaboration of Lyrical Alliance. I'm sure this was an interesting introduction to Arabic Hip Hop for a number of attendants (myself included) as a majority of songs performed by the group were in Arabic.
The act included Shadia Mansour, Rabah Orrrad, Rayess Bek, Sam and Tamar Nafar. Tamar Nafar also performed an acappella in English which piqued even some of the hardened spectators interest. Most members were performing solo tracks as well as the whole group. They ended with another group track which was well received by the spectators.
As Talib Kweli arrived on stage, the crowd erupted. He treated everyone to a solid performance with a mix of tracks, ranging from early work done with DJ Hi-Tek as well as more more recent work done with Madlib, Estelle and Bun B. A combination of tracks including the socially concsious 'Ballad Of The Black Gold' to the banger 'In This World' had everyone moving, old and new fans alike.
The show was enjoyed by all to such an extent the crowd managed to coax an encore from the man. This caused the night over run slightly and was unfortunately ended abruptly, courtesy of 'the establishment'
All in all a great night for great music
--Peter Mundley
SoulCulture were also on-hand the next day as Kweli spent several hours recording a new song at studio with UK emcee Sway. Scroll on for the studio visuals below the concert pics.
After performing at The Roundhouse in London on the 17th of this month, Talib Kweli invited SoulCulture down to the studio the next day, where he was joined by Akon affiliated UK emcee Sway to record a song together.
He later refers to other homegrown talents Kano, Estelle, Ty, Roots Manuva and Blak Twang as some of his favourite local artists, but refers to an overall sense of the UK scene as being "real goonish right now," judging from what he's seen online.
"Goonish rap for the sake of being goonish, it comes off real cartoon-ish..." he states. "I saw some stuff that just came across as, like, 'You don't even have to try that hard, dude'," recalling a time S.A.S "ran up on" him outside the BBC in the past.
In-between recording and shooting a music video in London, Kweli spoke to SoulCulture TV about his displeasure at the gig of the night before, his experiences of the UK's Capital and why he chose to shoot a video here for a song from his new album, Gutter Rainbows.
He also discusses how he perceives his growth across albums and another album he is also working on titled Prisoners Of Conscious, describing the forthcoming Gutter Rainbows project as "like the early outtakes of Prisoners Of Conscious, but embellished upon."
He names some of his favourite self-penned verses as
“If Jay-Z makes rap look easy, Kweli makes rap look hard”.
I utterly believe this opening quote can be used as a summary for the BK emcee's career. Going deeper in the rabbits hole, a stupendous emcee: chameleonic and acrobatic flows, relevant and diverse subject matter in the much arid panorama of substance that composes American rap, unparalleled understanding of the “Dilla” thump and aesthetics and unique vocal chords culminating with his biggest weapon, tremendous lyricism annexed with positivism and consciousness. Shoes many rappers try to fill, but so very few manage to walk in.
These gifts and accomplishments result in a Prometheus cult following that hasn't faded over a decade. Talib Kweli has nothing to prove and is hungry still, that's incredible and it's the type of cloth that legends and hall of famers are usually cut from. The curse, on the other hand, lies in
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Mos Def – The Ecstatic (Downtown Music, LLC)
Mos Def is one of the most powerful Hip Hop icons/activists in the field today. He is held in highest regards throughout various artistic and political arenas. His musical ventures, though, typically create both positive and critical remarks from fans and reviewers alike. His latest Hip Hop project, The Ecstatic, will undoubtedly be received with the same mixed thoughts from listeners.