What great timing! As soon as Rock the Bells leaves the Supa Fresh, Talib drops a new album. EARDRUM in stores today, 8/21/07. I have heard the entire album and it is FIYAH! It gets 4 out of 5 Conquering Lions on The Truths And Rights musical rating scale. Remember this is the cat that brought us the Manifesto on Lyricist Lounge Vol.1. Don't sleep on this album, with Will.I.Am, Pete Rock, Hi-Tek on some of the production. Kanye, Justin, and Jean with some collaboration work on the album as well, you can't miss this one. (check out www.talibkweli.com)
1. Everything Man
What a great opener. This reminds me of dusk in The City on the way home, before seeing your family after a hard day of work.
2. NY Weather Report
This is a track you listen to on your way to your favorite night spot, skate spot, reading spot, culture spot, or any spot where you go to in order to recieve inspiration. It sets you up for something that you are about to do. The perfect 3rd song on a mixtape, building up for something more epic.
3. Hostile Gospel Pt.1
Lyrics. When you listen to Kweli rhyme you hear the experience of a true hiphop artist. This guy is not just a rapper. He is inspiration for the people. If you want to learn some life skills as a black man, hear this. "The truth is hard to swallow"
4. Say Something
Jean Grae and Talib performed this track at Rock the Bells. For those of you who don't know Jean Grae is a prolific emcee that paints pictures with her lyrics and is a great role model for all of the sistahs in hiphop. Her and Talib could be the new Blackstar, that's my word. This track is like an "I dare you", say something and see what happens!
5. Country Cousins
UGK have been in the game long time now! Nuff respect. Slang, where does it come from? It comes from cats like these brothas. Street talk crosses the coasts and hiphop has its own language that only the heads know. Get ya learn on.
6. Holy Moly
This is self-explanatory. Turn it up!!!! Big up to Pete Rock. P.Rock is one of the greatest producers in the game, up there with DJ Primo from Gangstarr. Hear this!
7. Eat to Live
The take home lesson is this: Eat what you are going to eat. Say thanks and praises for each morsel you ingest, because there are way too many kids that are hungry. We can get Shaq to help the fat kids, but Kweli is helping the kids who wish they had too much to eat. A touching track, "A ghetto prayer".
8. In the Mood
Kweli and Kanye. These two enhance each other like great flavor pairings. Even their voices complement each other, a great track to listen to anywhere at anytime, at the beach kickin' it, on the court hoopin, with your girl at the crib. "Wow, that's a nice track!"
9. Soon the New Day
This track has Norah Jones on it. Might be one of the best Talib Kweli songs ever, straight flawlessness. Everything about is seamless and smooth. It reminds me of Eric Koston's opening line in Yeah Right, flowing, smooth, banger after banger. An extra classic!!
10. Give em Hell
Classical Kweli. More meaningful rhymes on this track. When you hear this track you will learn something. Kweli bringing back content in the game. This track belongs in ghetto youth handbooks across the globe.
11. More or Less
This track gets me lifted. Straight up, he is definately a concert track. I imagine Kweli rocking this to shut down a show, a show-stopper, and I ain't talkin' Danity Kaine. Don't be afraid to put your hands up to this one.
12. Stay Around
Another P. Rock classical production. Kweli takes criticism and turns it into motivation. Like the DGK t-shirt that says I love haters, in the model of the world famous I heart NY.
13. Hot Thing
Ringtone! This is fiyah. Keeping the album balanced you got to put tracks like this out, showing the rhyming range, Talib teams up with Will.I.Am and makes hotness that should get radioplay. This song is what you put on a mixtape for your girl. Get your dance on in the pad alone just cuz you are in love.
14. The Perfect Beat
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Straight Fiyah, eventho that is what I call the City where I rest at, this track is for the heads! A Bob Marley sample starts this one off, Same Thing (Baby you're so nice, I want to do the same thing twice, I loooooooove you, so much). KRS always conscious always bringing it. Rapture is still one of the hottest songs in hiphop history. Talib is serious with his on this one. Cats are gonna be freestyling to this track allday ereday!
15. Oh My Stars
Musiq has a great voice. I am running out of accolades. I guess I can only listen to hot tracks. Wack has no place on this blog. Kweli the father.
16. Listen
All I got to say is that, he is right. Cats don't listen. Little Brother tried to tell y'all the same thing. I mean if you listen to hiphop lyrics these days, the shit sounds ignorant. If you put the words down on a page and read them, what are they saying? This is why I'm hot, Eh Bay Bay? Most cats in hiphop are at the 3rd grade reading level. Are you smarter than a 5th grader? I hope so. Listen up. LISSTTENNN!!
17. Go with Us
This was also performed at Rock the Bells. Collabo track. Bang this before you go big, or on your way to the night spot in the parking lot, just bang it really loud. Cats will ask, "who dat?" Tell em Strong Arm Steady and Talib, nigguh!
18. Hostel Gospel Pt.2
A continuation of the first part of the track. Learn something y'all. For real tho! This one has a Steel Pusle sample on it, Tightrope, "Deliver me oh my Father, from the Downpressor, set me free! Got me walkin', walkin' on a tightrope..."
19. The Nature
Justin Timberlake?! Yesh mon! J.T. stepped his ish up since he pulled Janet's titty out at the superbowl. This one is for BET and MTV to get some TRL love. Kweli hitting every demographic and avenue to put his realness out. Take lessons. It's bigger than...
So there it is. A complete album review. Look for more of these in the futre, of old classics and new joints too. This is Truths And Rights. RESPECT!