Star partner Mos Def, Talib Kweli, along with DJ Hi-Tek, crafts a masterful debut with Reflection Eternal. Like Mos, Kweli displays an impressive range of styles and...
Vinia Mojica) This Means You - (featuring Mos Def) Too Late - (featuring Res) Memories Live Africa Dream Down For The Count - (featuring Rah Digga/Xzibi...
Label / Distributor: Rawkus/Universal / Universal Music
Guest Artist(s): Kweli, Talib & Hi-Tek
Pieces in Set: 1
Studio / Live: Studio
Stereo: Stereo
Format: Performer
EAN: 8811292324
Catalogue Number: 1129232
Additional notes
Album Notes: Personnel includes: Talib Kweli, Hi-Tek, De La Soul, Kool G Rap, Xzibit, Rah Digga, Mos Def (rap vocals); Les Nubians (vocals); Dave Chapelle (spoken vocals): Owen Brown (fiddle); Teodross Avery (saxophone); Derrick Gardner (trumpet); Weldon Irvine (keyboards); Bassi Kolo Percussion Group (percussion); Chris Crossfader (prgramming); Kendra Ross (background vocals). Producers: Hi Tek, Talib Kweli, Weldon Irvine. With a back-to-the-streets, grassroots approach, rapper Talib Kwali and producer Hi-Tek have constructed a simple, pure hip-hop album. Their formula is simple: hot banging beats with novel samples, combined with slick, stylish street corner rhymes. Joined by a who's who of hip-hop like De La Soul ("Soul Rebels"), Mos Def ("This Means You"), and Kool G Rap ("Ghetto Afterlife"), REFLECTION ETERNAL is packed with everything a hip-hop fan could want. A notable cut is "Down For the Count," which features Rah Digga, Xzibit and a cameo from boxing champion Lennox Lewis, here performing in something of a different style to his showbiz colleague Oscar De La Hoya. If you're looking for pure hip-hop, REFLECTION ETERNAL is for you.
Album Reviews: The Source (12/00, pp.254-6) - 4 mics out of 5 - "...Talib defines himself as an artist in his own right....He has an invaluable gift: a rapid-fire flow that's extremely audible and easy to follow....Hi-tek provides the dramatic musical backdrop..." Vibe (12/00, p.206) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Wholesome, heartfelt rap....oscillating between the sublime neo-soul sounds popularized by Jay Dee and his Soulquarian brethren and faster, more dynamic neck snappers..." Rolling Stone (10/26/00, p.112) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...This is the rare socially aware hip-hop record that can get fists pumping in a rowdy nightclub..." Q (1/01, p.111) - 3 out of 5 stars - "...He's forged an album that's up to its guest stars: cerebral but sparky..." Muzik (11/00, p.87) - 3 out of 5 - "...He remains an intelligent MC with a great turn of phrase..." Entertainment Weekly (10/20/00, p.78) - "...Squeezing the history of R&B-with-a-conscience into 70 minutes....the dedication is undeniable..." - Rating: B- CMJ (10/16/00, p.7) - "...An auspicious and ambitious hip-hop tour de force for the year 2000."
Advantages: A few big tunes Disadvantages: Inconsistent
...The Ohio producer, and DJ, Hi-Tek turned to MCing (briefly) for his debut album in 2001, although for the most part he allows guest singers as Hip Hop performers to take the main vocal role in the recordings. A yea prior to this the Hip Hop duo, ReflectionEternal, was formed, and with the combination of himself and TalibKweli, and from this, you see a lot more between the pair on this record, ?Hi-Teknology?.
1. ?Scratch Rappin?? (Intro)
2. ?The Sun God?
The kick this one off properly, you hear Common come through, showing that he needs a little more support from those in the Mid-West area as Chi-Town?s finest joins him, and fresh off ?Like Water For Chocolate? you have this one composed in light of the Jay De e collaborations (especially ?The Light?), does a gentle, and light-hearted track for this one to give a big boost to get...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Lots of big tracks Disadvantages: Nothing specific
...After a couple of collaborative albums, one with Hi-Tek (as ReflectionEternal) and one this Mos Def (as Black Star), the Brooklyn Hip Hopper TalibKweli released his debut solo release in 2002. It finds that he breaks out alone, and shows how he can do the political, socially-aware Hip Hop to contrast form the main sounds of what comes from the genre.
1. ?Keynote Speaker? (Intro)
2. ?Rush?
To get thing going in a big way you have a hardcore track which has him working with the West coast?s Xzibit. It is a rough track, and reflects the fact that he wishes to show new sides to his personally, and his music through this solo record, and so is able to use his conscious Hip Hop and direct it in a way which resembles Gangsta Rap.
**Five Stars**
3. ?Get By?
Here you find the artists key single, and the one which really got his solo...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Compelling production, unbelievable rapping and lyrics Disadvantages: More critically successful than commercially successful due to lack of worldwide known singles
...This is the second album from Brooklyn born TalibKweli. It consists of 14 tracks and features guests on 6 of these tracks including Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, John Legend, Res, Common, Anthony Hamilton, Jean Grae and Mos Def. In my opinion this album is one of the best I have ever listened to, mainly because of Kweli's free flowing, quick style and his ability to string sequences of rhymes together without even stopping for a breath. The album features production from some of the best in the business including Hi-Tek, Charlemagne, The Neptunes, Supa Dave West, Amadeus, Midi Mafia, J.R., Tone Mason, Just Blaze and most notably Kanye West. The album has had two singles from it released, "I Try" and "Never Been In Love".
1 "Going Hard" - 4 *
2 "Back Up Offa Me" - 4 *
3 "Broken Glass" - 4 *
4 "We Know" ft. Faith Evans - 4*
5 "A Game...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
helpful 21.02.2009
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