This review is a blast from the (recent) past; written several years ago. I decided it to leave it as is for the most part, but still feel free to put me on blast. They say "After The Rain" there is a rainbow, and just by the soulful sound it is hard to tell if it can get better. It does, and there are several that follow the fall, even if they are Gutter Rainbows. Kweli sounds as confident and driven as ever because "This ain't fashion rap/I'm bringing the passion back/Find me where the trouble at that's my natural habitat/I take it with me in the booth/To delivery or respect to the dead we only owe the truth." The next track he comes to terms with why he still creates music and addresses that his demons still exist despite the fact he is in the presence of soulful gospel harmonies and the backup choir among the great percussion (wait, when does gospel not have soul?) and is something he will struggle with for as long as he lives, but creating music is a way to prevent himself from going "So Low" to the point of submitting to those demons. Get ready to light the runway for "Mr International" who in the voice of Kweli sounds a little too cocky, which turns me off at first, until the chorus sung by the host, Nigel Hall, brings Kweli's head size down so he can match the fitting in time to continue spreading his message. The next song is a message for those square-heads that assume they can beat Kweli in a rap battle. Listening to, and reading, the lyrics has me believe otherwise because he's on a higher level. "I'm On One" just listening to this track. The next song has a lot to offer lyrically and musically; besides the killer beat, sax, and angel horns; the final verse just brings it all together for my favorite verse. The lyrics are brilliant all around, but I think it may be how Kweli addresses the state of some artists' motivation that does it. Well, let me just say that if it takes Talib Kweli five more years to release another great record like this, I'll "Wait For You." The sound on this next track is just Outasight! or is that the guest feature? Well, the sound is funky, full of energy, and has a pace on steroids when compared to other tracks whose route tries to take this one. The lyrical attributes are filled with fairy tale references and insightful lyrics, but I "Ain't Waiting" for you to give this song a try, it's your loss and my slice of pie, and " I don't wanna spend the night/Trying to figure out how to spend my life" even though I'm still not sure, but I still try working on things that can help me get by, that I enjoy and hope others do too, I hope you like this as much as I do. "Cold Rain" has negative connotations, but after hearing this song, I think there is now a new meaning with lyrics that reveal "The music's like a drug, and they tend to take it to vein/It ain't for the well-behaved/The soundtrack for when you're great, but its more for when you've felt afraid." This next song is a shout out for his "Friends and Family" those in the hip-hop game and not; just reading the lyrics and seeing all of these references and layers just make me feel so inept and insecure at what I write. The next song's sound is so ominous with those strings and the intelligible refrain, but it works so well with the story that is told; which is an anxious tale of a soldier trying to return to civilian life and de-programming that trained compulsion to kill those civilians because the only people you could usually trust are those that wear the same uniform. Then, he tries to clear his head and nicknames a hot waitress "Tater Tot," and I will let you find out the rest. Relationships are great material for songs, especially dysfunctional ones, and this song is one of those tracks that define 'How You Love Me' with guest star Blaq Toven. "Uh Oh"Jean Grae escaped her cage! She's ready to catch some prey and spew some venom to those crack rappers that think they can escape her verbal grip just because she is a female MC; word of advice, never underestimate your enemy. The sound is perfect for addressing the eye-rolling braggadocio many rappers call "swag," as well as scoring the drive and angst in their message; there are many great verses, but this line "So if you're mixin' with GarageBand, videos on the Flip cam/I'm a big fan - you got more (Hart) than (Bret - The Hitman)" is one of my favorites because he doesn't forget that everyone needs to start somewhere, and at that point in creation it is the purest form of love for their art. The next song's little touch of jazz sax, trumpet and bass, amidst the piano work and consistent beat may end up being my "Self Savior." What is interesting is how in the last few lines of Kweli's second verse he addresses the mind state of many rappers in a different way. The last album didn't agree with my Eardrum too well, but that could be for the fact I wasn't paying enough attention. I think I will check out his other albums too because this is the second Kweli record I heard in full; congrats! You have a new fan. If I could only name a few favorites they would be the title track, So Low, I'm on One, Wait for You, Ain't Waiting, Cold Rain, Tater Tot, and Uh Oh.
No comments:
Post a Comment