Talib Kweli Links With Kanye West And UGK On New LP

[Meho]

Wednesday - June 21, 2006 by Dick Johnson

Talib Kweli is slated to make his Warner Music Group debut with Ear Drum in September.

The LP features guest spots by Jean Grae, Norah Jones, Strong Arm Steady, UGK, Kanye West and production by DJ Hi-Tek, Kwame and Rick Rubin among others.

Ear Drum will mark the first release off Kwe's Blacksmith Entertainment imprint. The label has also features Jean Grae. Earlier reports said the BK emcee was interested in adding MF Doom and Rakim to his roster.

To date, Kwe has released four projects. Black Star, a collaboration with Mos Def, was released on Rawkus Records in 1998, followed by Reflection Eternal's Train of Thought, a project with DJ Hi-Tek. He later dropped 2002's Quality and 2004's The Beautiful Struggle.

Talib Kweli's Ear Drum is slated to hit stores in mid-September

[wcsoldier]

More and Less, Listen are dope so far... I'm anticipating this album, I think Talib gonna come great after this BS Beautiful Struggle album

[MANBEARPIG.]

More and Less, Listen are dope so far... I'm anticipating this album, I think Talib gonna come great after this BS Beautiful Struggle album

Did everyone forget about the Right About Now Mixtape? that album was sick as fuck.

[Wessia4LiaNia Chieee Chieee]

yeah Listen is a dope song, like every kweli song...Can someone hook up the other one? More and Less?

[Big_Ron]

Producers that he should work with:

Johnny 'J'
Jazze Pha
FredWreck
The Medicine Men
Organized Noize
BattleCat

[youngmessnucca]

More and Less, Listen are dope so far... I'm anticipating this album, I think Talib gonna come great after this BS Beautiful Struggle album

Did everyone forget about the Right About Now Mixtape? that album was sick as fuck.

For real man, if that was his "mixtape", then the album is gonna be fire!

[CRAFTY]

Can't wait to hear the new album. Kweli always drops quality music...

[On The Edge of Insanity]

Looking forward to this, Listen was dope, and More Or Less (http://www.spinemagazine.com/music/june/talibkweli/moreorless.mp3) was good as well.

[Eihtball]

[Did everyone forget about the Right About Now Mixtape? that album was sick as fuck.

For real man, if that was his "mixtape", then the album is gonna be fire!

Yeah, but before "The Beautiful Struggle" dropped, Talib put out his "Beautiful Mix CD" as a taste of what was to come.  I remember when the "Beautiful Mix" came out, it was straight fire from track-to-track, but then when "The Beautiful Struggle" dropped, I was dissappointed with it and actually realized that the "Beautiful Mix" was actually better.

So don't get your hopes up...if this album proves to be a failure, it won't be the very time Talib has released a medicore CD preceded by a dope-as-fuck mixtape that raises expectations too high.