![]() ![]() It's heady, abstract stuff, but Talib fills in details with memories of childhood confusion. 'Give 'Em Hell' is probably the most nuanced and effective example of this, as Talib questions both the rigidity and cultural bias of modern religion. This focus, more than the anti-mainstream rap screeds sprinkled here and there, allows Talib to weave personal struggles into a universal narrative. The album's opening track, 'Everything Man', has a simulated thunder clap, while Madlib's 'Soon the New Day' offers a slinking, twilight soul anchored by a hook from Norah Jones (yes, that Norah Jones).Īs with Common's Finding Forever, spirituality is a central theme on Eardrum. For the harder 'Listen!!!', originally released to moderate success late last year, producer Kwame flips a Fred Williams sample beautifully, mixing it with back-masked voodoo, 808 interruptions, and dramatic string swells.Īnd while those songs are on opposing ends of hip-hop's stylistic spectrum, most of the production work on Eardrum mixes swooning gospel with carefully crafted r&b drama that nods towards 70s soul mavens Gamble & Huff or the stereo symphonic jazz of David Axelrod. Single 'Hot Thing', produced by Will.I.Am, comes across like Quincy via Pharrell, while Talib runs down all the little things about the 'sunshine of my life' that get him 'stiff like a hieroglyph.' Yeah, it's corny, but it's also catchy. There are also a handful of unapologetically pop songs, ones that are surprisingly good and (unlike Struggle's 'I Try') don't merely try to revisit 2002 hit 'Get By'. The heartfelt, eager 'Eat to Live' and appealing wispy 'Country Cousins' recapture the quirky glory of early Reflection tracks, and fans will be pleased to hear there are no missteps such as 'Back Off Me', where the conscious MC tried to affect a harder persona. Quality Zip Talib Kweli AlbumĪfter experimenting with a harder persona on Beautiful Struggle, Talib seems to have accepted the fact that he's a nerd. He's also assembled an all-star cast of producers (Madlib, Kanye, Pete Rock, Just Blaze, Hi-Tek) who manage to make a cohesive album that points toward the gospel, soul, and hip-hop sounds that made the best of Kweli's solo work- Train of Thought and Quality- so enjoyable. The BK MC here sounds confident and relaxed- he doesn't try to knock it out of the park with every turn at bat, instead letting the album's themes and motifs slowly unfold over 20 tracks. The good news is that Talib rebounds on Eardrum, continuing a trend he began with Liberation, his net-only collaboration with Madlib. He went from being the guy who was about to spark a revolution with Reflection Eternal and Black Star to sounding painfully generic amongst faux-street tracks and empty, cynical idealism. But many of that album's tracks wouldn't have worked if Talib had spent a thousand years on them: The hooks weren't there, the themes felt forced, and the approach was off. Every concept was weighed on triple beams, each line raked over with a fine-toothed comb, and each beat polished to the point of oblivion. On Talib Kweli's most recent studio album, 2004's uneven The Beautiful Struggle, he couldn't leave a bad idea alone. A singer-songwriter, Talib Kweli first gained attention as one half of the alternative hip- hop duo, Black Star with Mos De.Īfter the regrettable Beautiful Struggle and the solid, net-only Madlib collaboration Liberation, Talib continues his slight return to form, sounding confident and relaxed as he receives guest help from Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Just Blaze, Madlib, and Pete Rock. ![]() Talib Kweli was born in New York and has an estimated net worth of $14 million dollars. Talib kweli eardrum zip? Talib Kweli Net Worth is $14 Million. Back then, West was considered a talented producer, but nobody was interested in his. After release of Quality, Talib Kweli went on tour, promoting the album, and brought Kanye West with him. New music is from Talib Kweli's new album “Radio Silence”, out now. ![]()
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