![]() ![]() International"), but it's only so he can go overseas to connect with fans across the world. Sure, Kweli brags about racking up frequent-flyer miles in Virgin Atlantic first class ("Mr. ![]() His learned, nice-guy approach can switch over into good-natured ego-tripping when he wants to, but it doesn't eclipse the sentimentality at his core. Kweli still takes criminal entrepreneurs and gun-clap talk to task with flippant punchline dismissals on the where-I'm-from title track, still holds fast to his roots with a humble gratitude on "Friends & Family", and still consistently makes being scholarly sound like a good way to throw your weight around. In short, it's familiar without feeling rote. And while there's an album in the works that Kweli has claimed will be a major departure from his usual lyrical persona- the tellingly titled Prisoner of Consciousness- Gutter Rainbows doesn't sound like a jaded effort from an artist who's dissatisfied with his normal routine. That probably says more about the relative freedom Kweli's had throughout his career than anything when a solitary (and actually pretty good) will.i.am beat on Eardrum is the closest he's ever come to quote-unquote selling out, creative control has never really seemed like an issue. His latest release, Gutter Rainbows, is one of those artistically self-sufficient, post-Internet records that's been created, assembled, and channeled through means completely independent of the mainstream record industry, and yet it doesn't demonstrate a drastic change in Kweli's style at all. #TALIB KWELI RADIO SILENCE ZIP MOVIE#(At least, not too prominently- his one big detour, the electro-damaged pastel-stripe-rap side project Idle Warship, got one of those quietly promoted free-download releases in 2009, the equivalent of a big-budget action movie released in mid-January.) If that means Talib Kweli has spent his solo career playing it safe, it also means he's as close as there is to a sure bet in indie rap: He's even less likely to disappoint fans than he is to shake up their preconceptions. And while he hasn't always been quite as breathlessly venerated as peers like Common or Mos Def, he's also never dropped a Universal Mind Control or a True Magic, a fanbase-disillusioning pratfall that lacks everything the faithful like about him. Every record is shipped in original factory-applied shrink wrap and has never been touched by human hands.Here's a phrase I haven't heard too often: "What the fuck was Kweli thinking?" I know that as far as conscious-skewing MCs go, Talib Kweli's had his share of detractors- mostly people who consider him too reliant on pop-culture metaphors or just plain don't like his voice- but he's never managed to stumble his way into alienating the audience he already has. #TALIB KWELI RADIO SILENCE ZIP FULL#This LP is very full circle for us.'Įach record is protected within its record sleeve by a white vellum anti-dust sleeve.Īll items are shipped brand-new and unopened in original packaging. Even with the changes in the music industry and the world, we still managed to stay cutting edge and classic and, in many ways, independent. 'We never chased trends and we always stayed true to ourselves. 'I think the statement we made this time around is that the three of US are still here standing, making quality Hip Hop from our hearts,' DJ Babu says. With DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY, Dilated Peoples shows it only improved during it's hiatus, returning to a genre quick to dismiss veterans. Evidence and DJ Babu's new collection demonstrates how the group has been able to remain loyal to it's signature sound, style and sentiment while adding new and dramatic artistic wrinkles to it's already-extensive musical repertoire. Now, after an eight-year hiatus, Dilated Peoples returns with DIRECTORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY, the group's remarkable debut album under the Expansion Team/Rhymesayers Entertainment banner. Dilated Peoples have released four acclaimed albums, toured extensively and enjoyed sustained success as solo artists. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |