talib kweli

As Talib Kweli gets ready to release Gutter Rainbows (please tell me that title is not set in stone) on January 25th, we get the first taste of what to expect from the project. On “Cold Rain”, Talib revisits the ”I do it for…” concept, which I’m sure you’ve heard a dozen of times already. To be fair, he dominates these more sentimental concepts, and it isn’t as if Talib is a stranger by any extent to songs like these. “Cold Rain” is not a bad song - it’s just flat. Compare this to Talib’s verse on “Chain Heavy”, and you will notice how that lone sixteen is lyrically more dynamic than this entire song. When putting together a song like “Cold Rain”, it becomes trickier to not cross the line from subtle and simple to flat and unimpressionable, and it appears as if this falls into the latter. If you feel differently, grab the download link after the jump.

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This is the making of a masterpiece, so we broke out the chains and told the masta, “Peace”.

 So this is were it went! It’s a relief to see “Chain Heavy” come to life as a full song, those verses ‘Ye spat at the Facebook HQ were a problem and a half. I would have never expected this beat to accompany these lyrics, but Q-Tip breaks out some Dilla-esque weirdness to make it work on a completely different level. This will be an iTunes bonus track for MBDTF, but you can save yourself the dollar and grab it for free below.

Download: Kanye West – “Chain Heavy”

“1st Time” is off of the upcoming YearOfTheBlacksmith Community mixtape. The tape will be a collection of twenty tracks submitted by members of YearOfTheBlacksmith, so expect to hear some fresh new talent if you’re willing to check it out. “1st Time” is produced by YoTB member William Diggs, who keeps things soulful for Talib. Lyrically, it’s very standard stuff – which isn’t a bad thing at all when it’s from Talib – and it consists of his usual blend of wordplay, tight rhythm and social commentary. Expect the mixtape soon.

Download: Talib Kweli – “1st Time” feat. Consequence

We’re gearing up for long, cold winter in NYC at this point but these visuals give you something to think about during these colder upcoming months. Cali people have no idea what we are talking about and right around November I begin to question why I’m not living out there. Talib and Tek give us the latest single from Revolutions Per Minute and the smooth, looped sample builds a chill vibe that Talib creates one long story for with no chorus. The story he told had me engrossed too and I had to go back and check if there was a chorus because I was busy listening to it. You can pick up Revolutions Per Minute on iTunes here.

We don’t give much attention to Mr. Ortiz over here on B&B, which is a damn shame. The Brooklyn boy has been commanding the NY scene and the blogs for a good minute, and with each new track, it becomes more obvious as to why. Like his fellow Slaughterhouse companions, Joell has a scary talent for boast raps, but he’s no one-trick-pony and can put out a mean concept/story-based track. Farewell Summer is a six-song EP to bid adieu to the favorite season of many. You can check the full tracklist after the jump, but one stand out from this EP is “So Wrong”, featuring Talib Kweli, Brother Ali and Jean Grae. It’s also produced by Toronto’s own Frank Dukes, making this shortlist of artists quite impressive to say the least. “So Wrong” also features a dizzying schooling in the art of multi’s courtesy of Joell Ortiz. Download after the jump.

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Yes, that just happened. For all of you who have uttered the phrase, “Now I’ve seen everything,” this is life’s way of fucking with you. It’s not like Gucci has suddenly undergone a lyrical rebirth either, so don’t get your hopes up. I honestly have been sitting here for the last ten minutes trying to think of new ways to describe how bad this song is. Between its torturous slow pace, the mastermind lyrics of Gucci, and what seems to be an attempt on Talib’s part at a Southern flow, I could hate on this for pages. This being Gucci Mane though, I was secretly hoping this song would be about this kind of poltergeist, which would have been all kinds of hilarious.

Download: Gucci Mane – “Poltergeist” feat. Talib Kweli

I’m sure it wasn’t lost on Reflection Eternal that this song should be the next video from their latest album Revolutions Per Minute due to the fact it was released weeks after the BP oil spill started. The video hammers home the point that oil is a part of our everyday lives and that the destruction it causes globally and here in North America. Talib’s message also urges us to free ourselves from the burden oil puts on us, and although it is ambitious for us at the moment, I respect the sentiment and the knowledge he drops about its effects. Revolutions Per Minute is out now and I need to get it myself because all the tracks have been on point.

Nah Right and Court Dunn team up for another video in their One Shot series and stick with the simplistic themes. Due to them doing this frequently they can’t be spending too much dough but I like how Court shows how to make an entertaining video with cool but simple effects. For this concept the Hi Tek and Kweli are set up as brightly colored posters and their pictures start moving for their individual verses before becoming part of the poster again. My favorite concept from this series to date is the Camp Lo joint they did where they have a camera in the trunk giving you a completely unique perspective. Reflection Eternal’s album Revolutions Per Minute is on shelves now so cop it if you don’t have it.

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This one just dropped and I have to get it up on B&B right away. Reflection Eternal is Hi-Tek and Talib Kweli and Estelle joins them for this single off of their album Revolutions Per Minute which fans have been waiting on for a long time (10 years to be exact). A video is rumored to be in the works and dropping soon which hopefully does justice to the unique style created by the beat, Estelle and Talib’s verses. The album is scheduled for May 18th so expect a couple more singles to drop in the meantime.

Download: Reflection Eternal ft. Estelle – “Midnight Hour”

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I have had some of Fashawn’s music for a while now but only recently got around to listening to it and the kid doesn’t disappoint. He also gets some help from Talib who always brings the quality verses too so overall the song is dope. The beat is smooth too with the keyboard loop and drumbeat which allows both artists to go off on various subjects from religion, the streets and the chorus of living it up before you die. This is from Fashawn’s upcoming tape with Green Lantern called Ode to Illmatic so cop it later this year.

Download: Fashawn ft. Talib Kweli – “Life’s A Bitch”