When you're considered one of Brooklyn's finest and name your album "Quality," it can only mean one thing: It better be bangin'. Talib Kweli's first solo album (not counting "Reflection Eternal" because it's with DJ Hi-Tek) is just that and more, as "Quality" comes with a fresh flavor and original sound that not many artists have.
Kweli achieves a different sound here, not necessarily better, but different, unlike what he came up with alongside Hi-Tek. Kweli and Hi-Tek were able to feed perfectly off each other to make a cohesive, meaningful album in 2000. "Quality" feels more up-temp, with great songs that don't always flow together.
Producers such as Kanye West, DJ Quik, Megahertz and Ayatollah make contributions on "Quality" -- Hi-Tek is nowhere to be found. From what Kweli's said, there's no beef between the two, and this album is just Kweli's effort to try different sounds. If that's the case, then a "Reflection Eternal" follow-up should be due out soon.
"Joy" features longtime friend Dante Smith, also known as Mos Def. Before you get too hyped about this track, take a deep breath. Mighty Mos never actually spits a verse, he just helps in an interlude between verses. Speaking of the two collaborating, a "Black Star" album, featuring Kweli and Mos as a team, is more overdue than last year's library book.
"Waitin' for the DJ" is both a hot party track as well as a tribute to hip hop, as Kweli professes, "music is the air I breathe / the prayer I lead / rappin' in the atmosphere up there in the breeze / stronger than the revolution that you wear on your sleeve." Bilal makes the hook hot, and the fact that this is a party track with actual lyrics makes it a classic Kweli joint.
The M.V.P. (Most Valuable Producer) award on "Quality" goes without question to West, also known for doing Scarface's "Guess Who's Back," as well as various Roc-A-Fella joints. On this album, West got behind the boards for "Guerilla Monsoon Rap," "Get By" and "Good to You."
"Guerilla Monsoon Rap" features The Roots' Black Thought and Pharoahe Monch, one of the most unappreciated lyricists in hip hop. Pharoahe kills the track, but having all three dope emcees collab is almost unheard of these days.
Let's face it, most of us have a lot on our plates, and just getting by can be a challenge. If you can relate, "Get By" should be your new theme song. Over a funky keyboard beat, Kweli raps, "every day folks wake up not to live, but to get by."
"Good to You" has been out for more than a minute now, but it's still one of the best lyrical cuts to hit radio. Kweli blazes over the West beat with cutting lines like, "you lyin' like a politician / your proposition meets opposition like contradiction."
Kweli turns into Angelo Crowell as he tackles a variety of issues on "The Proud." Transitioning flawlessly between subjects, Kweli hits on Timothy McVeigh, the attacks of Sept. 11, police brutality and the government. This is one of those tracks you'll keep listening to just trying to catch all the knowledge being dropped.
West Coast legend DJ Quik produces a bouncy beat and also rhymes on "Put It In The Air," which first appeared on the "Soundbombing Volume 3" compilation earlier in the year.
Appearances on this LP are plentiful, with artists like Bilal, Res, Mos Def, DJ Quik and Cocoa Brovaz. Normally appearances can slow down an emcee's album because everyone comes through on different wavelengths. On "Quality," though, the cameos enhance the overall "quality" of the album, because, for the most part, Kweli recruited artists to do what he can't do. A real artist knows his limitations, then enlists the proper personnel to help out, which is where people like Bilal, Res and Vinia Mojica come in.
Rap cats like Pharoahe Monch, Black Thought and Cocoa Brovaz are good emcees that break up Kweli's flow in certain points and give "Quality" some vocal diversity. Kweli could hold down a full-length album by himself if he wanted to, but the help he was able to get here will be tough to beat for other artists in the near future.
Artists like Talib Kweli don't come through often, so when an artist with such a high lyrical ability drops a near-classic, if not classic, it's important to check it out. Kweli is one of the few true lyricists in the spotlight. That's ridiculous, because there are a lot of hot emcees putting out important work and getting no shine. But regardless of the attention Kweli gets, as long as he keeps putting out quality music, he deserves a look, no matter what music you listen to.
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