Talib Kweli Returns With Some Positive Musical Vibrations For Your "Ear Drum"

Three years ago, I caught more than a little flak for giving Talib Kweli's "Beautiful Struggle" a 5-star rating (actually, I gave it 4 1/2, but until Epinions changes it's rating system *HINT*, I've gotta round up). In retrospect, I can defend my rating by saying that the album's high points are amazing enough to offset the fact that there are a handful of weak tracks. As a rhymer, Kweli is easily in the top 10% of emcees working today-lightning quick, eclectic flow, intelligent lyrics. Regardless of what he's rhyming about, the man sounds skilled. Period. However, there were a couple of tracks on "Struggle" that sounded just like that...a struggle to garner pop acceptance. Nothing wrong with expanding your horizons, but on tracks like "Back Up Off Me" and "A Game", Kweli sounded like he was forcing the issue-a completely unnecessary move considering the fact that Kweli sells records. Not in a 50 Cent/Jay-Z multi-platinum kinda sense, but a ten year career, with 3 albums certified either gold or platinum isn't too shabby, right? At any rate-in retrospect, I would probably drop my rating and give it a 4, but by no means is "Beautiful Struggle" a bad album.

Three years and a label change later, "Ear Drum" is Kweli's first "official" album since "Struggle" (a stunningly mediocre "mix CD" called "Right About Now" arrived in stores a year or so ago). Lyrically, Kweli hasn't lost a step. Whether he's indulging in old-school battle rhymes, performing a love song or dropping science, the man is still sharp as a razor. The production is also solid throughout, with beats that draw from the warmest of soul and jazz music-coming from a who's who of hip-hop production. Regular collaborators Hi-Tek and Kanye West are present, as is the legendary Pete Rock. As a whole, "Drum" is a much more thematically consistent album by "Struggle", and there are no embarrassing instances of Kweli dumbing down for his audience.

That said, this album bulges at the seams-with 20 tracks and nearly 79 minutes of music, it's almost impossible to sustain interest throughout. While there are no outright bad tracks, this album could have been cut by a quarter and still be as good. There is such a thing as embarrassment of riches, folks, and after a while the songs start to blend into one another.

In "Ear Drum"'s case, the opener definitely sets the tone for the rest of the album. "Everything Man" might be a little too ego-driven for my taste (did we really need the random assortment of fans talking about how much they love Kweli? No need to kiss your own *ss, bruh), but the title is certainly appropriate. Kweli is one of the most thematically well-rounded emcees out there, and he's capable of doing almost everything well.

If you're looking for pure battle raps-check out "Say Something". The beat is pure adrenaline, and Kweli sounds like he's rhyming for his life, dropping punchlines and one-liners ("You can see my black thought like 'Riq Trotter's" is one of my personal favorites). Eternal next-big-thing Jean Grae drops a solid 16 on this track as well. On the other side of things, "Soon The New Day" is one of those joints you play during a ride home in the middle of the night. Norah Jones's sleepy vocal is a perfect match for this track.

"Country Cousins" was one of the first tracks I heard from "Ear Drum" (damn near a year ago), and it's a warm remembrance of hip-hop history. Kweli's joined by Southern rap legends UGK, and the end result is far from the awkward mess that you'd imagine a Kweli/UGK collabo would sound like. "Give 'Em Hell" is a pinpoint examination of the hypocrisy of organized religion and is the album's most impressive track from a lyrical standpoint.

"Ear Drum" emanates authentic warmth, intensity and maturity-it's nice to see Kweli staying in his lane and not feeling pressure to be something else, whether discussing his kids ("Oh My Stars"), jumping all over the socio-political map ("Hostile Gospel (Deliver Us)", which is a second cousin-lyrically and musically-to his breakout hit "Get By", down to the rolling piano and choir vocals), or delivering a winning love song, like first official single "Hot Thing". This will.i.am-produced track is the album's designated pop single, and it manages to sound appealing without sounding like a stretch. Damn, I might have to stop hating will.i.am-he's been on a production roll lately.

With all that good to say, there's little to complain about. A collabo with KRS-ONE on "The Perfect Beat" is a bit anticlimactic for a summit between two of the fifteen best emcees to ever rock a mic. The album's length becomes a problem, especially since the album's quality tails off a bit towards the end. The chief offender here is "Go With Us", which brings back memories of tracks like LL's "Farmers Blvd.", i.e. "let me put my no-talent potential proteges on a track and see what they sound like".

But it's a minor quibble on what's an overwhelmingly good album. Kweli is one of those guys who can satisfy hip-hop purists by virtue of pure skills as well as attract people who wouldn't normally be into hip-hop (or more accurately, people who don't realize there's more to hip-hop than gangsta rap and/or mindless party tracks/slogans). Even with a guest list that seems to be tailor-made to appeal to just about everyone in the free world (Jones, UGK, West, Musiq Soulchild, Justin Timberlake), "Ear Drum" doesn't sound desperate or forced. It's a well-rounded effort that will connect with the heart, the brain and the booty. And while I won't go the 5-star route again, I will say that Kweli's album is the best hip-hop record I've heard in 2007, so far.


"Ear Drum" by Talib Kweli
Released 2007 on BlackSmith/Warner Bros. Records
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars