Talib Kweli

  • Brooklyn, NY
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  • Rap
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  • 2009
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About Talib Kweli

Official Site: http://www.talibkweli.com | @TalibKweli
The Brooklyn-based rapper earned his stripes as one of the most lyrically-gifted, socially aware and politically insightful rappers to emerge in the last 20 years. His travels around the globe as one of rap’s most in-demand performers combined with his conversations with political activists and his genre-straddling work with Idle Warship and others caused Kweli to realize that he was limited in a sense, a prisoner of sorts of his own success as one of the world’s best rappers with something significant to say.
“My music has been associated with those types of causes, with positivity, spirituality, intelligence and being thought-provoking and such,” he says. “I think sometimes people get caught up in that part of me as an artist and don’t necessarily understand the musicality or fully appreciate the music and the entertainment value behind what I do. I tried to stretch my wings a little bit and bring something that was less beholden to the world of hip-hop and more existing in the world in general.”
The result of this artistic growth and exploration arrives with Kweli’s dynamic Prisoner Of Conscious AKA P.O.C., an artistic tour de force that signals the start of the next chapter of Kweli’s remarkable career. The BK MC spent more time working on Prisoner Of Conscious than any of his other albums, a three-year journey that found him exploring new vibes, joining in some unlikely collaborations and taking him to foreign lands.
Produced by Symbolyc One (Kanye West, Ghostface), the title track’s alternatively rap and rock-based beat provides a distinctive platform for Kweli to deliver rhymes that detail his artistic awakening, while producers Sean C & LV (Jay-Z, Raekwon) created a Marvin Gaye-esque vibe for “Come,” a cut featuring Miguel that showcases Kweli trying to convince a series of women to do things his way.
Then there’s the dramatic, piano-driven “Before He Walked,” which showcases passionate vocals from singer Abby Dobson and includes a verse from possibly the most noteworthy guest on Prisoner Of Conscious: Nelly. Both Kweli and The St. Louis rapper recount the importance music has had in their lives on the stirring song, which was an outgrowth of conversations about music and life Kweli and Nelly had at Kweli’s Los Angeles residence.
“Nelly is somebody I’ve known and have been friendly with throughout the years in this business,” Kweli says. “Nelly has always been an example for me because a rising tide raises all boats. Nelly is an artist who is polarizing at times because of the ‘Tip Drill’ video to the boycotts he’s endured at colleges, but I know him as a person, and he’s a great person.”
Elsewhere, the driving “Ready Set Go” with singer Melanie Fiona features Kweli’s ever-impressive clever verbal gymnastics, which are also on display on the stark Busta Rhymes-guested and RZA-produced “Rocketships.”
Kweli shifts gears on “Favela Love.” Inspired by and created during a trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil, the breezy song features crooning from Brazilian singer and actor Seu George (City Of God, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou). Kweli and George met in the studio, leading Kweli to deviate from his original concept for the song.
“The song went from being about a woman to be being about Brazil, about the favela, about loving to come there,” he reveals. “The woman is really a metaphor for the place. That’s why it’s called ‘Favela Love.’ When I was telling Seu George about that, he started singing about how much he loves Brazil and where Brazil fits in the world.”
After nearly 20 years of releasing mesmerizing music, Talib Kweli stands as one of the world’s most talented and most accomplished rappers. Whether working with Mos Def as one-half of Black Star, partnering with producer Hi-Tek for Reflection Eternal, releasing landmark solo material or collaborating with Kanye West or Madlib, Kweli commands attention by delivering top-tier lyricism, crafting captivating stories and showing the ability to rhyme over virtually any type of beat.
In particular, Kweli showed his artistic reach in Idle Warship. Teaming with longtime collaborator and acclaimed singer Res, Kweli began getting out of his sonic and creative comfort zone on the group’s 2009 mixtape Party Robot and its debut album, 2011’s Habits Of The Heart.
Idle Warship’s music challenged Kweli and led him to a new artistic space. “I like the position I’m in,” he says. “I feel like I’m a connector, a leader. I feel like I’ve led by example and I want to continue to do that. I like the fact that I’m in a position where cats who are coming out and making music that I enjoy are interested in my music and are interested in my influence. It’s a great feeling.”
Kweli also has the high-powered Attack The Block mixtape with DJ Z-Trip set to arrive and will be focusing on making his Javotti Media (which released his 2011 album, Gutter Rainbows, and is named after his paternal grandmother) into a media powerhouse that releases music, films and books.
But for now, Prisoner Of Conscious arrives as an artistic triumph, a collection that embodies Talib Kweli’s robust creative vision. “I wanted to put out an album that really can support the artist that I’ve become,” he says. “I’m a touring artist. I’m an artist that’s internationally known. I’m not just a local artist at this point in my career. I’m cognizant of the fact that what I do is beyond where it started. I’m trying to reach the apex of where I am now, but without turning my back on or dismissing what I’ve done before.”
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Music

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  • Learn Truth (featuring Talib Kweli)
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    Video
    Learn Truth (featuring Talib Kweli)
  • Turnt Up (Live)
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    Video
    Turnt Up (Live)
  • Hamster Wheel
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    Video
    Hamster Wheel
  • "Turnt Up" (VH1 Stop/Watch)
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    "Turnt Up" (VH1 Stop/Watch)
  • Hamster Wheel
    talib-kweli
    Video
    Hamster Wheel
  • Come Here
    talib-kweli
    Video
    Come Here
  • Come Here ft. Miguel
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    Video
    Come Here ft. Miguel
  • High Life
    talib-kweli
    Video
    High Life
  • Celebrate featuring Lil Wayne & Talib Kweli
    talib-kweli
    Video
    Celebrate featuring Lil Wayne & Talib Kweli
  • Outstanding featuring Ryan Leslie
    talib-kweli
    Video
    Outstanding featuring Ryan Leslie

Interviews & Exclusives

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  • Great Artists With Even Greater Teachers
    talib-kweli
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    Great Artists With Even Greater Teachers
  • Revisit Black Star's 'Definition' In A Dollar Van With Talib Kweli
    talib-kweli
    video
    Revisit Black Star's 'Definition' In A Dollar Van With Talib Kweli
  • Diddy Confronted Mos Def About Lyrics
    talib-kweli
    video
    Diddy Confronted Mos Def About Lyrics
  • Talib Kweli Knows Kanye West Works For His Art
    talib-kweli
    video
    Talib Kweli Knows Kanye West Works For His Art
  • Talib Kweli And Tiffany Foxx Throw Down A Freestyle
    talib-kweli
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    Talib Kweli And Tiffany Foxx Throw Down A Freestyle
  • Talib Kweli Explains Rakim's 'Five Percent' Influence On Hip-Hop
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    Talib Kweli Explains Rakim's 'Five Percent' Influence On Hip-Hop
  • 'Prison Of Conscious' Is About Perceptions For Talib Kweli
    talib-kweli
    video
    'Prison Of Conscious' Is About Perceptions For Talib Kweli
  • Talib Kweli Weighs In On Nas' #4 Spot On 'Hottest MCs'
    talib-kweli
    video
    Talib Kweli Weighs In On Nas' #4 Spot On 'Hottest MCs'
  • "RapFix Live" Gets Ready For One Of Its 'Hottest' Episodes
    talib-kweli
    video
    "RapFix Live" Gets Ready For One Of Its 'Hottest' Episodes
  • Pop Quiz: Talib Kweli
    talib-kweli
    video
    Pop Quiz: Talib Kweli

Photos

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  • Anthony Bourdain and Talib Kweli On set for their No Reservations Episode.
    Talib Kweli
    Anthony Bourdain and Talib Kweli On set for their No Reservations Episode.
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  • Talib Kweli
  • Talib Kweli
  • Talib Kweli
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  • Talib Kweli presents an award at the 2007 mtvU Woodie Awards in New York City.
    Talib Kweli
    Talib Kweli presents an award at the 2007 mtvU Woodie Awards in New York City.
    Getty Images
  • Talib Kweli
  • Talib Kweli

News

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  • Talib Kweli
    Meet Jon Connor, The Rapper Who Set The 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards On Fire
    MTV News
    September 30, 2013
    MTV News takes a look at the People's Rapper, who's rumored to be signed with Dr. Dre.
    Read More
  • Talib Kweli
    Meet Jon Connor, The Rapper Who Set The 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards On Fire
    MTV News
    September 30, 2013
    MTV News takes a look at the People's Rapper, who's rumored to be signed with Dr. Dre.
    Read More
  • Talib Kweli
    Watch Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek Perform With the Roots on "Jimmy Fallon"
    www.pitchfork.com
    rap landscape, Talib Kweli and the Roots are old allies; I saw Kweli guest at a Roots show in Central Park back in 2000. So when Reflection Eternal, K...
    Read More
  • Talib Kweli
    Talib Kweli Announces New Album
    www.pitchfork.com
    "Cold Rain", which has production from Ski Beatz, who recently did great work ... on Curren$y's Pilot Talk album. Alongside Ski, Gutter Rainbows also ...
    Read More
  • Talib Kweli
    Hear Two New Talib Kweli Songs
    www.pitchfork.com
    Kweli: "I'm on One": Talib Kweli: "How You Love Me": On January 25, backpack-rap hero Talib Kweli will release Gutter Rainbows, his new solo album, vi...
    Read More
  • Talib Kweli
    Grab Blaqstarr's New Mixtape Featuring M.I.A., Diplo, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Flosstradamus, More
    www.pitchfork.com
    03 Never Hesitant [ft ... . M.I.A.] 04 Get Off [ft. Diplo] 05 Tween Me and You [ft. Nadastrom] 06 Hold On 07 Take Me High 08 War of Roses [ft. Talib K...
    Read More
  • Talib Kweli
    Sonic Youth, tUnE-yArDs, Fugazi, Lou Reed, Talib Kweli Join Occupy Musicians
    www.pitchfork.com
    Photos by Lee Ranaldo Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, and Steve Shelley, Merrill Garbus (tUnE-yArDs), Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Fugazi's I...
    Read More
  • Talib Kweli
    Kendrick Lamar Joins Curren$y and Talib Kweli on a New Track, "Push Thru"
    www.pitchfork.com
    FACT points to the video for a new track from Talib Kweli called "Push Thru". In what seems like an overdue team-up, he's invited Kendrick Lamar and C...
    Read More
  • Talib Kweli
    Pretty Lights to Play Conan with Talib Kweli and a Live Band Tomorrow Night
    www.jambands.com
    Pretty Lights will play with Talib Kweli and a live band tomorrow night on Conan. The producer and his band will perform the song "Around the Block," ...
    Read More
  • Talib Kweli
    Talib Kweli Says It Doesn't Get Any More Underground Than Macklemore
    www.xxlmag.com
    Talib Kweli sat down for an interview with Mother Jones recently that touched on a variety of topics, including stop-and-frisk, feminism and homosexua...
    Read More
  • Talib Kweli
    Talib Kweli Says It Doesn't Get Any More Underground Than Macklemore
    www.xxlmag.com
    Talib Kweli sat down for an interview with Mother Jones recently that touched on a variety of topics, including stop-and-frisk, feminism and homosexua...
    Read More
  • Talib Kweli
    What We Learned: Talib Kweli's 'Ask Me Anything' Session On Reddit
    www.xxlmag.com
    Talib Kweli took a break from writing songs and speaking out for social justice yesterday, taking some time to answer questions from fans during a Red...
    Read More

Tour Dates

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  • Oct 3 Thursday
    Melbourne, VIC, Australia The Hi-Fi
    Buy Ticket
  • Oct 3 Thursday
    Atlanta, GA, US Unknown venue
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  • Oct 4 Friday
    East Rutherford, NJ, US Meadowlands Racetrack
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  • Oct 5 Saturday
    Brisbane, QLD, Australia The Hi-Fi
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  • Oct 6 Sunday
    Sydney, NSW, Australia The Hi-Fi
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  • Oct 16 Wednesday
    Brooklyn, NY, US Music Hall of Williamsburg
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  • Oct 22 Tuesday
    Portland, OR, US Rose Garden Arena
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  • Oct 23 Wednesday
    Spokane, WA, US Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
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  • Oct 24 Thursday
    Missoula, MT, US Adams Event Center, University of Montana
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  • Oct 25 Friday
    Boise, ID, US Taco Bell Arena, Boise State University
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  • Oct 26 Saturday
    West Valley City, UT, US Maverik Center
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  • Oct 27 Sunday
    Denver, CO, US Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom
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  • Oct 29 Tuesday
    Omaha, NE, US CenturyLink Center & Arena
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  • Oct 30 Wednesday
    Des Moines, IA, US Wells Fargo Arena
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  • Nov 1 Friday
    Lansing, MI, US The Loft
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  • Nov 2 Saturday
    Auburn Hills, MI, US The Palace of Auburn Hills
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  • Nov 4 Monday
    Chicago, IL, US UIC Pavilion
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  • Nov 5 Tuesday
    St Louis, MO, US Old Rock House
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  • Nov 6 Wednesday
    Columbus, OH, US Value City Arena, Schottenstein Center
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  • Nov 7 Thursday
    University Park, PA, US Bryce Jordan Center
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  • Nov 8 Friday
    Boston, MA, US TD Garden
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  • Nov 9 Saturday
    Buffalo, NY, US First Niagara Center
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  • Nov 11 Monday
    Syracuse, NY, US Carrier Dome, Syracuse University
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  • Nov 13 Wednesday
    New York, NY, US The Theatre at Madison Square Garden
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  • Nov 14 Thursday
    New York, NY, US The Theatre at Madison Square Garden
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  • Nov 15 Friday
    New York, NY, US The Theatre at Madison Square Garden
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  • Nov 16 Saturday
    Philadelphia, PA, US The Blockley
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  • Nov 18 Monday
    Washington, DC, US Verizon Center
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  • Nov 19 Tuesday
    Raleigh, NC, US PNC Arena
    Buy Ticket
  • Nov 22 Friday
    Duluth, GA, US The Arena at Gwinnett Center
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  • Nov 23 Saturday
    Tampa, FL, US USF Sun Dome
    Buy Ticket
  • Nov 24 Sunday
    Miami, FL, US American Airlines Arena
    Buy Ticket
  • Nov 27 Wednesday
    Houston, TX, US Reliant Arena
    Buy Ticket
  • Nov 29 Friday
    Cedar Park, TX, US Cedar Park Center
    Buy Ticket
  • Nov 30 Saturday
    Grand Prairie, TX, US Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
    Buy Ticket
  • Dec 2 Monday
    Flagstaff, AZ, US The Green Room
    Buy Ticket
  • Dec 4 Wednesday
    Los Angeles, CA, US Staples Center
    Buy Ticket
  • Dec 5 Thursday
    San Diego, CA, US Valley View Casino Center
    Buy Ticket
  • Dec 7 Saturday
    San Francisco, CA, US Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
    Buy Ticket
  • Dec 9 Monday
    Eugene, OR, US WOW Hall
    Buy Ticket
  • Dec 10 Tuesday
    Seattle, WA, US Seattle Key Arena
    Buy Ticket
  • Dec 11 Wednesday
    Seattle, WA, US Seattle Key Arena
    Buy Ticket
  • Dec 11 Wednesday
    Portland, OR, US Wonder Ballroom
    Buy Ticket
  • Dec 12 Thursday
    Seattle, WA, US Seattle Key Arena
    Buy Ticket

Discography

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  • Prisoner of Conscious (2013)
    Talib Kweli
    Prisoner of Conscious (2013)
    Javotti Media
  • Gutter Rainbows (2011)
    Talib Kweli
    Gutter Rainbows (2011)
    Javotti Media
  • Reflection Eternal: Revolutions Per Minute (2010)
    Talib Kweli
    Reflection Eternal: Revolutions Per Minute (2010)
    Warner Bros.
  • The Mceo Mixtape (2008)
    Talib Kweli
    The Mceo Mixtape (2008)
    101 Distribution
  • Eardrum (2007)
    Talib Kweli
    Eardrum (2007)
    Warner Bros.
  • Liberation (2006)
    Talib Kweli
    Liberation (2006)
    L.A. Hill
  • Right About Now (2005)
    Talib Kweli
    Right About Now (2005)
    Stomp Records
  • The Beautiful Struggle (2004)
    Talib Kweli
    The Beautiful Struggle (2004)
    Rawkus Records
  • Quality (2002)
    Talib Kweli
    Quality (2002)
    Rawkus Records
  • Reflection Eternal (2000)
    Talib Kweli
    Reflection Eternal (2000)
    Rawkus Records
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