Talib Kweli

Posted on 10.9.2004

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Talib kweli
Birth name Talib Kweli Greene
Born October 3, 1975

Talib kweli biography :
Born in Brooklyn as the eldest of two sons born to college professors, Kweli’s first name, Talib, is an Arabic name meaning "the seeker or student" while his last name is a Ghanaian name meaning "of truth or knowledge. As a kid, Talib Kweli was an avid reader and gifted writer. In elementary school, he began writing plays, poetry and short stories, however, he had his eyes set on becoming a baseball player.

In high school, Talib Kweli found a kindred spirit in a kid named Dante Smith, who shared his passion for hip-hop and who would eventually go on to gain notoriety as Dante Smith aka Mos Def. The two began hanging out in Washington Square Park in downtown Manhattan, where aspiring MCs from all five boroughs of NYC would converge to battle each other. Then, in 1994, on a trip to Cincinnati, Ohio, Talib Kweli met Tony "DJ Hi-Tek" Cottrell, who, at the time, was the producer for a local hip-hop group named Mood.

Impressed by Talib Kweli’s rhyme style, Hi-Tek tapped him to appear on several tracks on Mood’s 1997 album, Doom. That same year, Kweli and Hi-Tek created Reflection Eternal and released "Fortified Live" as a first single on Rawkus Records.

In 1998, They founded Black Star with Mos def, and the self-titled album debut helped make Rawkus Records one of the premier hip-hop outposts of the late ’90s. Talib Kweli’s lyrical dexterity and rapidly expanding popularity soon established him as a hot commodity among his peers, as he was invited to tour with many of the artists he had grown up admiring. (Okayplayer Tour - Spitkicker Tour)

Talib Kweli’s next creative project dropped in 2000 when he and Hi-Tek reunited to record Reflection Eternal, an unyielding and symbiotic aural journey into the creative minds of a brilliant emcee and talented musician that offered an idyllic remembrance of things past, present and yet to come. Talib Kweli steadily continued his output, beginning with Quality in 2002, and though he didn’t rack up towering sales numbers, he remained a critical favorite. Quality featured Talib Kweli collaborating with a host of different artists, among them a young and promising yet still largely unknown producer named Kanye West.

The Beautiful Struggle, which dropped in fall 2004 was Kweli’s most self-conscious to date. The expectations for the album were gargantuan because of the Jay-Z rhyme, as well as because a great many hip-hop disciples felt Kweli was long overdue for a commercial breakthrough. Talib Kweli has a reputation of being one of hip-hop’s most poetic emcees.

Talib kweli discography :

Talib kweli albums

Talib Kweli Ear drum
Released : July 24, 2007

Talib Kweli & Madlib Liberation
Released : December 31, 2006

Talib Kweli Right About Now
Released : November 22, 2005

Talib Kweli The Beautiful Struggle
Released : 09/28/2004

Talib Kweli Quality
Realased : 11/19/2002

Talib Kweli with Hi-Tek Train of Thought
Released : 10/17/2000

Talib Kweli & Mos Def Black Star
Released : 1998

Talib Kweli Singles

1998 "Definition" (Black Star)
1999 "Respiration" (Black Star feat. Common)
2000 "Move Somethin’" (Reflection Eternal)
2001 "The Blast" (Reflection Eternal feat. Vinia Mojica)
2002 "Good to You"
2002 "Waitin’ for the DJ" (feat. Bilal)
2003 "Get By"
2004 "I Try" (feat. Mary J. Blige)
2005 "Never Been in Love"
2006 "Listen !!!"
2007 "More Or Less"
2007 "Country Cousins"
2007 "Say something" (feat jean grae)

related articles :

Talib Kweli Official site

Talib Kweli Lyrics

Songs by Talib Kweli
Non-Album Releases

"Abra Cadabra"
"Fallen Star" (appears on The Rose, Vol. 2)
"Foolin’ Yourself"
"Great Expectations"
"Here We Go"
"Jackin’ 4 Beats"
"Manage Your Anger"
"Peace of Mine"
"Prime Example"
"What I Feel"

With Mos Def as Black Star

"Another World"
"Beautiful (Remix)" Mary J. Blige featuring Black Star
"Born & Raised" (appears on the soundtrack to Block Party)
"Bright As The Stars"
"Brown Sugar (Raw)" (appears on the soundtrack to Brown Sugar)
"Hard Margin" The Creators featuring Black Star
"Hip Hop Speaks" Weldon Irvine featuring Black Star
"Little Brother" (appears on the soundtrack to The Hurricane)
"Make It All Better" Weldon Irvine featuring Black Star & Q-Tip
"Money Jungle" Black Star featuring Ron Carter & John Patton
"One Four Love Pt. 1" Black Star featuring Hip Hop For Respect
"Respiration (Flyin’ High Mix) Black Star featuring Black Thought
"Talkin’ to You" The Lyricist Lounge Allstars featuring Black Star

With Hi-Tek as Reflection Eternal
See Reflection Eternal
Songs from Hi-Teknology
Songs from Hi-Teknology 2 : The Chip

With Mood
"Nuclear Hip-Hop" (from Doom)
"Sacred Pt. 1" (from Doom)
"Peddlers of Doom" (from Doom)
"Industry Lies" (from Doom)
"Transmorgify" (from Mission Control Presents)
"Empty Pages" (from Mission Control Presents)

With Other Artists
"The Anthem" Talib Kweli, Black Thought, Rakaa, Krondon & Phil Da Agony
"The Anti-Love Movement" Da Beatminerz featuring Talib Kweli & Total
"Beef 2" Talib Kweli featuring Murda Mook
"Broken Anglish" Crunch E.X. featuring Talib Kweli
"Bridge to ’Bama (Hi-Tek Remix)" Soulive featuring Talib Kweli
"Bullshit" Jane Doe, Black Thought & Talib Kweli
"Burner" Donte featuring Talib Kweli
"Certified Samurai" RZAfeaturing Talib Kweli, Lil Free & Suga Bang
"Chillin’" Erick Sermon featuring Talib Kweli & Whip Montez
"The Chosen One (Remix)" Jaheim featuring Ghostface & Talib Kweli
"Comin’ From the Lower Level" Chops featuring Phil Da Agony, Ras Kass & Talib Kweli
"Communicate" Ge-Ology featuring Sadat X & Talib Kweli
"Day By Day" Punch & Words, A.L. & Talib Kweli
"Don’t Let Up" Talib Kweli & Planet Asia
"Don’t Mess With My Man (Remix)" Lucy Pearl featuring Talib Kweli
"Due Process" Lone Catalysts featuring Rubix & Talib Kweli
"Everyday Struggle" Papoose featuring Talib Kweli
"Fly Till I Die" Pete Rock featuring Talib Kweli & CL Smooth
"Freedom" Estelle featuring Talib Kweli & John Legend
"Fruits of Labor" Wizdom Life featuring Talib Kweli
"Get By (Remix)" Talib Kweli featuring Mos Def, Jay-Z & Busta Rhymes
"Get Em High" Kanye West featuring Talib Kweli & Common
"Go" Phil Da Agony featuring Ras Kass & Talib Kweli
"Go Crazy" Ras Kass featuring Talib Kweli
"Grow Up" Piakhan & Talib Kweli
"Hip Hop Worth Dying For" Main Flow featuring Talib Kweli
"Hope" Pete Philly & Perquisite featuring Talib Kweli
"Hot Night" Me’shell Ndegeocello featuring Talib Kweli
"If" Kenn Starr, Asheru & Talib Kweli
"I’m With It" Talib Kweli featuring Cory Mo
"It’s Going Down (Bink ! Remix)" Blackalicious featuring Talib Kweli
"Kindness For Weakness" Dilated Peoples featuring Talib Kweli
"Know That" Mos Def featuring Talib Kweli
"Let It Breathe" Hush featuring Talib Kweli
"Let Me See (Remix)" Morcheeba featuring Talib Kweli
"Like That" Black Eyed Peas featuring Cee-Lo, John Legend, Talib Kweli, and Q-Tip
"Live On Stage (Remix)" Dilated Peoples featuring Talib Kweli
"Lunchroom Classics" Makeba Mooncycle featuring Talib Kweli
"Lyrical Fluctuations" Jigmastas featuring Pharoahe Monch, Talib Kweli, Mr. Complex & Shabaam Sahdeeq
"Make Things Better" DJ Hurricane featuring Talib Kweli & N’Dea Davenport
"Millionaires" Talib Kweli & Rubix
"Miss January" The Procussions featuring Talib Kweli
"Moodswings" Asheru featuring Talib Kweli
"Music (Remix)" Leela James featuring Talib Kweli
"My Favorite Mutiny" The Coup featuring Talib Kweli & Black Thought
"My Life (Remix)" Mystic featuring Talib Kweli & Kam
"Neo Hiphop" Postaboy featuring Talib Kweli
"New York Shit" Talib Kweli featuring Jean Grae
"None of Us Are Free" Talib Kweli featuring Bun B
"Officially Missing You (Remix)" Tamia featuring Talib Kweli
"Old School" DangerDoom featuring Talib Kweli
"On Site" Strong Arm Steady featuring Talib Kweli (can be heard at http://www.blacksmithnyc.com)
"On Top" Talib Kweli featuring Krondon
"The Ones" Talib Kweli featuring Jean Grae (can be heard at http://www.blacksmithnyc.com)
"Opposite Day" Pumpkinhead featuring Talib Kweli
"Outside the Lounge" Talib Kweli, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Wiseguy, Building Block, Mr. Metaphor & Lil’ Scienz
"Oz Theme 2000" Kool G Rap, Lord Jamar & Talib Kweli
"Power, Money and Influence" Guru featuring Talib Kweli & Jean Grae
"Protective Custody" Hip Hop For Respect featuring Talib Kweli
"Raise The Bar" DJ Babu featuring Talib Kweli
"Real Life" Talib Kweli featuring E-40
"Real Woman" UGK featuring Talib Kweli
"Rhymes & Ammo" The Roots featuring Talib Kweli
"Ridin’" David Banner featuring Talib Kweli
"Rolling With Heat" The Roots featuring Talib Kweli
"Sharp Shooters" Talib Kweli & dead prez
"She" Brian McKnight featuring Talib Kweli & Musiq
"Shuffering + Shmiling" dead prez, Talib Kweli, Jorge Ben & Bilal
"Stay Up" Youngblood Brass Band featuring Talib Kweli
"Subway Surfing" (aka "Getting Up Anthem") Talib Kweli featuring Rakim
"Temperature" Zion I featuring Talib Kweli
"Temperature Rising" Les Nubians featuring Talib Kweli
"Terra Firma" Rubix featuring Talib Kweli
"Testify" Styles P featuring Talib Kweli
"Time Zone" Apani featuring Talib Kweli
"Tha Proem" DJ Quik featuring Talib Kweli
"The Truth" Pharoahe Monch featuring Common & Talib Kweli
"Triangular Offense" Talib Kweli featuring 4-Ize
"Wack Niggaz" Kanye West featuring Talib Kweli
"Wages of Sin" Mr. Khaliyl featuring Talib Kweli
"We Came Up (Crystal Stairs)" Tek N Steele featuring Talib Kweli
"We Can Make It Better" Kanye West featuring Common, Q-Tip, Rhymefest & Talib Kweli
"What If ?" L-Fudge featuring Mike Zoot, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Skam & Talib Kweli
"What They May Seem" Tony Touch featuring Talib Kweli
"Yelling Away" Zap Mama featuring Common & Talib Kweli