Friday, January 12, 2007

Music: Meet Talib Kweli


talib_kweli
Originally uploaded by
gold_teeth.

I had such a busy one yesterday that I forgot to post about a new band you should check out. Now, instead of doing that, I'll post about an MC -- Talib Kweli.

The Brooklyn MC, formerly of Back Star with Mos Def and DJ Hi-Tek, just released a colabo disk with Oakland-based producer and MC Madlib called Liberation. A post on Kweli's MySpace blog informs that Liberation, which was offered as a free download before its first week of release, is a gift to fans of independent hip-hop. In the post, Talib goes on to praise Madlib's talents and reveals more about the inspiration for this album.

"In this era of over produced and over marketed product, Mad Lib leads the pack of independent artists who could care less about all of that. I am a part of the music industry, and lord knows I'm needed, but for our own sanity we must step outside the system and create that which is not packaged for mass consumption," he writes.

Liberation is definitely worth listening to. It's one of the most interesting collaborative records I've heard in a long time. Madlib's beats are soulful, imaginative and unexpected, while Talib's singular flow is always welcome. Unfortunately, it's not available for free download anymore, unless you do some creative searching, of course. Keep checking the Stones Throw Web site for an official release date.

Look for Kweli's next solo project Eardrum to hit the street later this year.

Here's some media to consume:

MP3:
Talib Kweli & Madlib - 'The Function (feat. Strong Arm Steady)'

Video:



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