Talib Kweli new album+Tour Dates

[Biron]

You try being a hip-hop star who has not one, but two of your record labels screwing up, and then ask Talib Kweli why he's frustrated.

Quickly, the background: Kweli's original label, Rawkus, recently got a distribution deal through MCA. Since then, Kweli said he can't reach anybody at MCA and has to "be up in the [Rawkus] office every day like it's my day job just to find out what's going on."

"I have to create songs that compete in the marketplace," he said. "I'm trying to live up to my artistic potential, but that's hard to do when you have two inept labels responsible for you."

Despite the dearth of support, he has managed to complete his first solo record, Kwelity, the drop date of which is still being juggled. The album features tracks by DJ Quik, DJ Scratch, Ayatollah, Dave West, Kayne West, Megahurtz, Jay Dee and the Soulquarians. Such artists as Mos Def, Bilal, Pharoahe Monch, Common, Res, Black Thought, Vinia Mojica, tap dancer Savion Glover and Novel — a new artist signed to Rawkus — make some of the guest appearances.

Conspicuously absent from the mix is Kweli's partner in his group Reflection Eternal, DJ Hi-Tek. Last year, Hi-Tek came out with his solo effort Hi-Teknology, on which Kweli contributed a track called "Theme from Hi-Tek." But for Kweli's project, don't expect Hi-Tek to return the favor. There has been much speculation about a beef between them, but all Kweli offered about the matter was, "No, he's not on the album."

What is on the album are tracks such as "Good to You," which Kweli calls his "buzz song." There is a remake of the Eddie Kendricks tune "Can I," Kweli-fied as "Talk to You." DJ Scratch appears on "We Come Through." "Joy," produced by Ayatollah, is about Kweli's kids. And "Bright as the Stars," technically a Black Star song, made it to Kwelity and will appear there exclusively.

Continuing in the spirit of DIY, Kweli set up his own tour to promote this album. And, at the shows, he will be selling a mixtape of unreleased material that he put together himself. There will be about five songs on the tape, he said. "Maybe more, depending on how well they come out."

Unfortunately, momentum behind Black Star's second album hasn't been as strong. In addition to label confusion, Mos Def is also temporarily out of commission because he is co-starring in a Broadway play, "Top Dog/Underdog," with Jeffrey Wright. For now, they have about four or five songs that they recorded a couple of years ago in the can, but that's about it. "There's a lack of communication," Kweli said. "There's so much more we can get done. In hip-hop, the turnaround is fantastic. Someone can be in the studio one day and their album comes out the next month. Here I am in a situation where I have to depend on some f----ups at a label to even get me into the studio.

"It doesn't make sense," Kweli continued. "Well, in the wonderful world of the music industry, it makes perfect sense. But really, it makes no sense at all."

Talib Kweli tour dates, according to Kweli's official Web site:
4/2 - Eureka, CA @ Club West
4/3 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Coconut Grove
4/4 - Los Angeles, CA @ Vinyl
4/5 - San Diego, CA @ 4th and B
4/6 - Petaluma, CA @ The Phoenix Theater
4/7 - Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
4/8 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater (with Blackalicious)
4/9 - Las Vegas, NV @ Rain
4/10 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Zephyr (with Blackalicious)
4/11 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater (with Blackalicious)
4/12 - Omaha, NE @ Ranch Bowl (with Blackalicious)
4/13 - San Bernardino, CA @ Orange Show Fairgrounds
4/14 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
4/18 - New Orleans, LA @ Howlin' Wolf (with Blackalicious)
4/19 - Dallas, TX @ The Canyon Club (with Blackalicious)
4/21 - Houston, TX @ Numbers (with Blackalicious)
4/22 - Austin, TX @ Mercury Lounge (with Blackalicious)
4/24 - Tallahassee, FL @ Cow Haus (with Blackalicious)
4/25 - Atlanta, GA @ Cotton Club (with Blackalicious)
5/1 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall (with Blackalicious)
5/3 - Burlington, VT @ TBD (with Blackalicious)
5/7 - Washington, DC @ TBD (with Blackalicious)
5/8 - South Amboy, NJ @ Krome (with Blackalicious)

(MusicTelevisionDOTcom)

[Tony]

Thanks for the info!
Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek made some really good songs. Their album is still one of my favorites. Now i hope that this solo effort will be as strong as 'Reflection Eternal'. But i wouldn't mind seeing some tracks produced by Hi-Tek with Kweli on them...

[infinite59]

Thanks for the info... I'm a big fan of Talib.... Reflection Eternal was classic, IMO

[Doggystylin]

ahhhh that shit pisses me off so bad!!! they dont come anywhere near me!.....well yeah santa cruz......but that shits today and thats still far!!!!!

[=[Euthanasia]=]

Nice update. Sounds like he's having a pretty shitty time with his label/s, having to handle whats seems to be everything himself. The labels should realise that he is something great & deserves the attention & promotion. I hope there's no real beef between Talib & Hi-Tek....i'd like to see another collabo LP with them in the future.

[Joachim]

Why are all the dope emcees gettin fucked over by their record labels? That shit is wack...

[Young Dan Iza]

that new talib kweli song called whatcha gonna do is hot u can find it on audiogalaxy but its the live version

[krazyk]

i'm gonna see this concert on april 14 in minneapolis, i can't wait, it should be hot....peace