| Q & A: Talib Kweli |
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| Written by Steve McPherson | |
| Friday, May 9, 2008 at 12:19 PM | |
 Talib Kweli But then, just a few years ago, Kweli got name-dropped by Jay-Z on The Black Album: "If skills sold, truth be told / I'd probably be, lyrically, Talib Kweli." Truth is, though, it takes more than just skills to sell, and Kweli has refused to dumb down his lyrics—as Jay-Z has admitted he has—to sell records, while still trying to break through to a larger audience. His latest album, Ear Drum, features an arm's-length list of high profile guests from chanteuse Norah Jones to soul-funk legend and vibist Roy Ayers to hard-as-fuck rappers UGK to Kanye West to Justin Timberlake. If the record, like many hip-hop albums, is a bit overlong, it comes more from ambition and simply having too much to say. Its finest moments, like "Hostile Gospel, Pt. 1," stand on par with the best Kweli has offered in his career. Tonight, the man whose name is an Arabic/Swahili combination that means roughly "Truthseeker" is playing a one-off show at the new Epic (formerly the Quest) in downtown Minneapolis. The doors are at 10 pm for this 18+ event, and tickets will set you back 30 bones at the door. Kweli was kind enough to answer a couple of questions via e-mail for Reveille. Reveille Magazine: I want to start by asking about your writing process: Do you tend to write a lot and then put words to beats that people give you, or do you write to the beats you get? Talib Kweli: I used to write and write, and have notebooks full of rhymes. The deeper into my career I get, the more I write directly to music. I write general concepts without music, but not actual lyrics as much. Reveille: How involved do you get with the production process of the beats? Do producers like Madlib and Will.I.Am bring you basically completed tracks, or is there more back and forth about the songs? Talib: The question becomes, when is a track complete? Will came in with "Hot Thing" mapped out. He records in a huge professional studio, so there is very little tweaking to be done that he ain't already do. He is great with hooks; I basically fell in pocket with that record. Madlib comes with incredibly soulful loops and breaks. I brought some of my musician friends in, like Kraz from Soulive, and they filled in the grooves. Then I come with the lyrics. Reveille: How is it different to collaborate with musicians like Roy Ayers, Norah Jones, or the guys from Soulive as opposed to other MCs?  2007's Ear Drum Reveille: Were you actually in the studio with the musicians for their contributions? Talib: Yes. I do use ProTools at the crib to do vocals, though. Reveille: Is there anyone you'd really like to collaborate with who you haven't gotten to work with yet? Talib: Bjork, DJ Premier, Outkast. Reveille: How do you feel the relationship between underground and mainstream hip-hop has changed since you started in the late '90s? I mean, back in 1998 when the Black Star record came out, so did the first *NSYNC record, and I couldn't have imagined Justin Timberlake appearing on a Talib Kweli song. Talib: As I sit here watching Atmosphere's "Tour Diary" on Cinemax, I realize that it has much less to do with the record label and everything to do with the will and drive of the artist. The artist also needs a good team of people to market the product. You put those things with good music, and people pay attention, regardless of the supposed genre. Reveille: What have you got coming up for releases? I've heard talk about a solo record and a new Reflection Eternal record. And how are things going with your label Blacksmith and the things you've got going on there? Talib: There is the Reflection Eternal record coming on Blacksmith, as well as Jean Grae Jeanius and Strong Arm Steady Arms and Hammers. I also have a project with Res and Graph Nobel called Idle Warship. Blacksmith has some other exciting signings and releases that will be revealed soon. Talib Kweli's MySpace page Video for "Hostile Gospel, Pt. 1" |
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| Last Updated: Friday, May 9, 2008 at 02:46 PM |
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