Like most people I found a love in an MC called Talib Kweli (no rhyme intended) from a beautiful song called Manifesto on the mixed CD The Lyricist Lounge Vol.1. I IMMEDIATELY feel in love with Talib’s smart, conscious, funny and unique way with words and could not wait for an album from him. Though a single album did not hit my way, I got (along with many) an album that was better than ANYONE could of hoped for. That album was in the name of Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star. Not only had Kweli managed to get himself a debut with one of the best hip hop producers AND MC the underground had to offer, along with an array of impressive guests from the likes of his rap inspirer Common Sense and hip hop up and coming star DJ Hi-Tek. Though I personally don’t think the Black Star’s duet was nearly as good as the next duet Talib would form, the album was certainly exceptional by all standards.

With the success that Black Star took on, Talib embarked on his next project, teaming up with the aforementioned producer Hi-Tek for a LP simply known as Reflection Eternal. To say this album was perfection would not be enough. If there is such a concept as beyond perfection, the two got it down to a tee. Levelling up with undeniable classics like Illmatic and 36 Chambers, Reflection Eternal (and Talib in particular) built up a cult following.

When I first listened to this album, the production struck me very hard. Though equipped with a multitude of deep thundering base lines, Hi-Tek takes beautiful, melodic jazz samples making them gritty or purely pleasant to subside on any subject matter or quest Talib feels he wants to delve in to. To understand and appreciate Tek’s production standard you HAVE to be a fan of keys. On ANY song he produces or just has say in, he always catches onto the partial monotone keys scalding through the background. Whether your dealing with Talib forking out a beating on unexpected ‘ruining the game cats’, or taking inspiration a knowledge to a new height, the keys and synthesiser’s certainly play a main part.

Next to the stellar production is the Reflection part of the duo Talib Kweli. When I first heard Good Mourning I knew Talib unarguably was the most social, retrospective, conscious MC the hip hop game had ever seen. In his line or art, Talib in nearly a prophecy. Not only using a diverse stream of topics from racism, violence, woman’s oppression and Americas structure, Talib has some of the most genius battle lines the world of hip hop has ever seen. The great thing about him as a whole though is his persona. You NEVER feel like he rubs his talent in your face and never overuses a particular style of rap at any one time. Also another incredible quality of Talib (and only few have noticed) is his ability to tempo the beat in time with his voice pace. The only MC next to him who can do this effectively is Si Philli from Phi-Life Cypher. So when you add all these attributes up together you get literally dynamite!

So we’ve covered the introductory beats and lyricism, the only thing left is the guest appearances. Though I do not want to name too many, let’s just say if you could pick 20 MC’s to work on your own personal album, most of the appearances on here would be In that top 20. And even though there’s a few, the album doesn’t seem to crowded. So baring in mind we have a top 10 hip hop album of all time, the best of 2000, you need to get to the train station because this gem is about to board.

Tracklisting & Rating
1)Experience Dedication Not Rated
2)Move Somethin’ 5 Star
3)Some Kind Of Wonderful 5 Star
4)The Blast 5 Star
5)This Means You 5 Star
6)Too Late 5 Star
7)Memories Live 5 Star
8)African Dream 4 Stars
9)Down For The Count 4.5 Star
10)Name Of The Game 5 Star
11)Ghetto Afterlife 5 Star
12)On My Way 3.5 Star
13)Love Language 5 Star
14)Love Speakeasy 4 Star
15)Soul Rebels 5 Star
16)Eternalists 5 Star
17)Big Nel From Da Natti 3.5 Star
18)Touch You 4.5 Star
19)Good Mourning 5 Star
20)Expansion Outro Not Rated
21)For Woman 5 Star

After an Nelson Mandela impression from comedian Dave Chapelle for the intro Talib and Tek both jump into the first fiery song on the album Move Somethin’. Over a short intro of high trumpet sounding keys, a silky drum roll and symbols the production comes in full play with a slamming drum line, high hatted snare and rolls keys. Over ever 8th bar a trumpet hits it’s peak setting down the jazzy soulful vibe for the rest of the album. Talib comes in hard on the first verse killing the scorching keys as he talks about other rappers wanting to steal his lyrics and basically repping Brooklyn and touching on the lighter hearted issues in life to go with the rolling drums. This is a beautiful start to the album as the fast upbeat tempo gears you for the variety you are going to experience.

The Blast contains this variety in the aforementioned. Switching to a more, deep based production line, but fast enough to be more than melodic, Tek embarks on a certain mixture of sounds he eventually uses throughout the whole album. After covering a short intro of two woman disputing of how to pronounce/spell Talib’s name, a heavy beautiful drum loop falls forward alongside maracas and a beaded sprinkle of keys. The base is the main part played in this onset, but is oddly relaxing. Talib (alongside a verse from Tek) mixes battle raps with self conscious informative words of his life.

'It's a revolutionary (party), they ask me what I'm writing for, I'm writing to show you what we fighting for. Say Taleeb or Talib (Kweli), if it's hard try spelling it phonetically, If not then just let it be like Nina Simone, you probably (ably) don't listen B, even when we suffer loses I account the victory.’

Hi Tek once more proves his undeniable versatility with the track Too Late. This time he delves straight into the melodic, almost Indian feel to the production side. Over a Intro of a woman sweetly singing, very bizarre (but amazing) electric keys (I think) come to the front as a snare and beautiful wooden percussion blares through. To me the beat sounds very Bollywood with is certainly a great thing. The keys roll over the percussion and the exotic woman’s voice adds to the sweetness of the song. This actually is the song on the album that showed me how serious Talib was about keeping the real rappers in hip hop and taking the fakes out. He spits undeniable poetry over the exotic beat on how hip hop died, and where were all these MC’s then!? Truly wonderful!

’Nowadays rap artists coming half-hearted, commercial like pop, or underground like black markets. Where were you when hip hop died? Is it too early to mourn? Is it too late to ride?’

Next incorporating the Spanish/Latin influence into the production Tek uses a mixture of glossy keys and guitars in the song Down For The Count. After an introduction by Lennox Lewis, guitar strings sprinkle in the background next to a etching scratching of vinyl and heavy drum loop. Talib is not on his own for this song, but joined by maybe the best female MC in the game right now Rah Digga, and also Xzibit. Next to Talib the guests do very well, but of course Talib runs loops around them. But this by all means doesn’t stop them getting their own shine.

’I see through the tricks, destroy the façade, your little lungs is too weak to hot box with God. Rah Digga, First Lady of the Flipmode Squad’-Xzibit.

Even though a VERY short track, Name Of The Game happens to contain by second favourite beat on the album. After a ebbed in scratch of a record and a recorded voice saying ’The name of the game..’, high strung keys edge up and down over a truly fantastic snare. The only way to describe the production is funky. It reminds me a lot of RE:Definition on the Black Star album. Though short Talib manages to get his fair say in with unbelievable vocabulary, and a soft buttery flow.

’Persistance, dedication Consistent, motivation, resistance to stagnation of information, distribute it free to the entire population. No hesitation, making it public, no privatisation from corporations…’

Both artist carry on their streak of almost perfection to the next song Love Language. This is my third favourite song on the album, conscious beautiful and interesting. Over an intro of a beautiful woman’s voice, Talib introduces the track with one of the greatest quotes ever ’The language of love cannot be translated’. The a lovely simple beat of springy keys and a knocking snare call over Talib’s just jaw dropping, creative lyrics. He literally paints the picture of love through his words and travels over time in the different situations of love. Hi-Tek’s production is too good to be true! Everything suits the subject matter, from the keys to the woman’s voice to the snare…amazing!

’Started with romantic, then got to frantic, then things that’s normally small become gigantic. Now y'all sinking like the Titanic here come the panic, when I’m with you like a habit without you I cant stand it. It's tragic when you wonder when you lost that magic, without understanding that you never had it try to grab it…’

On an more underground, faster and upbeat note, Soul Rebels takes Talib’s lyricism and Tek’s production to a new level. Over bizarre electrical keys (that sound like a stick being scratched over a window shutter) and an almost jazzy sparse drum loop, Talib’s lyricism reaches new heights. But Talib is not along joined by Dave and Posdnous, with Maseo on the chorus. The beat is rediculously good as Talib spits fun braggadocio, enjoyable lyrics. He almost seems to have a mental ability to paint pictures so vividly and clearly you feel like your actually experiencing it.
Soul Rebels takes on the same, but at the same time completely different production and lyrics as Eternalist. Over a chiming triangle, once again upbeat keys and a skipping drum beat, the production is excellent. Talib once more decides to take the battle/braggadocio route and pulls it off brilliantly with great vocabulary and a witty/stylish delivery.

’Yo we send this bullet straight towards your brain, we taking over like Moors in Spain there's more to gain. Runaways get aboard the train (come on), you can't ignore the pain (no), when it come down like the pouring rain. Caught the Train of Thought it clanked across the raw terrain, the cold weather break your spirit like a water main, I looked in your eyes and I saw the shame’.

After 17 tracks of greatness (including some skits) we come to my favourite song on the album, and one of the best hip hop songs ever made Good Mourning. Never in my life have I come across a track that is so self-conscious and uses such amazing word-play. Over the most amazing simple production of a light drum loop, accordion keys and a cow bell, Talib brings poetry to the track. If ever their was hip hop that could bring you to tears (even if like me you don’t cry easily) this is it. You can hear Talib’s knowledge, passion and pain as he almost pleads with a story of how NOT to live your life, and how you can die lonely.

’Staring me down while your enemy is standing adjacent. My heart is racing but I know just what I stand for, we chasing death carelessly like Jessica , I Care Moore , who said, "Just because no one can understand how you speak, don't necessarily mean that what you be saying is deep". In case you die in your sleep you ask the Lord for a blessing, sometimes they sneak up so quiet that the silence is deafening. You'll never know who the assassin is until it's your time to go, your life is flashing, asking for forgiveness but you move too slow’.

It is impossible to pick a best line from here as they are all potent. And UNBELIEVABLE song!

So after the best song on the album, we come to the best bonus/hidden track I have ever faced, For Woman. Enforced by an introduction of violins and chello’s, deep piano AND electric keys over a skipping drum loop, Talib tells the story of three different woman, or different cultures and a young couple. He paints and amazing picture of each of their lives and what they had or are going through. It’s a long song but intrigues you all the way. Hi-Teks production could not be more perfect, as Talib spills wisdom. Here’s some short clips of each of their stories:

’Her skin was black like it was packed with melanin, back in the days of slaves she packing like Harriet Tubman. Her arms are long and she moves like song, feet with corns, hand with callouses, but her heart is warm’-First verse about the old lady Talib meets.

’I know a girl with a name as beautiful as the rain, her face is the same but she suffers an unusual pain. Seems she only deals with losers who be using them games, chasing the real brothers away like she confused in the brain’-Second verse about a young white girl called Safronia.

’Teenage lovers sit on the stoops up in Harlem, holding hands under the Apollo marquis dreaming of stardom. Since they was born the streets is watching and scheming, and now it got them generations facing diseases, that don't kill you they just got problems’-Third Verse about a story of a teenage couple.

’The promise of eternal life after death for those that God bless, she swears the next baby she'll have will breathe a free breath. And get milk from a free breast, and love being alive, otherwise they'll have to give up being themselves to survive’-Fourth verse and a story of a slaved woman.

So in my top 10 of all time, Hi-Tek on the production, Talib on the lyrics guests from De La Soul, Xzibit and Mos Def to name a few, what else does this album need. The only minor point I can think for this album (and it’s so minor it doesn’t count as a con), is the fact that there’s maybe to many skits. Apart from that this is how to make a hip hop album. Diverse lyricism, great vocabulary, flow not TOO many guest appearances and the production. Made out of keys, triangles, synthesisers, drum loops snares, trumpets and saxophones, wow it’s just mind blowing. What more can I say!? You HAVE to have this is your collection, it’s just astonishingly perfect. So what are you waiting for, hop aboard the train of though, because your mind NEEDS to be educated!

Overall Rating
5 Stars...CLASSIC


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Reading or Studying