Tag Archives: Talib Kweli

Two and a half years after The Beautiful Struggle, nearly a year after it was first scheduled for release, three months after it leaked onto the Internet, and around a month from its most recent July 24 date, Talib Kweli’s third solo album Eardrum will finally hit the streets via Warner Bros this month. Kicking off with a benediction from the great poet Sonia Sanchez, it finds Kweli collaborating with Jean Grae, Kanye West, UGK, Norah Jones, Roy Ayers, Lyfe Jennings, Musiq Soulchild and Justin Timberlake. As I’ve written before, it may be Kweli’s last chance at establishing a mainstream rap career.

Stakes are mad high, and Kweli deserves credit for putting in extra work. This month, in addition to reuniting with his Black Star partner Mos Def on the Rock the Bells tour, he’ll fulfill a number of spot dates around the country. The concerts will most likely be an appetizer to a full-fledged run later this year.

Pick up Eardrum on August 21, and check out the tour dates below.

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After nearly a year in delays, Talib Kweli finally has a release date for his third solo album.

Ear Drum is set for release on July 24 via his Warner Bros.-distributed imprint, Blacksmith Music. It features production from Kanye West, will.i.am, Madlib and former Reflection Eternal partner DJ Hi-Tek. The album title, says Kweli in a press release, represents "the image of the ear and of the drum, which are powerful enough by themselves, but put them together and it’s an instrument in your body that helps you hear. They’re also two very simple, yet powerful words. I wanted to focus on finding a sound that makes you move, and that’s where the word ‘eardrum’ popped in my head."

A lot is riding on Ear Drum for Brooklyn’s finest. Ten years removed from his "Fortified Live" debut with Reflection Eternal (yes, it’s been that long), many people in the music industry have written Kweli off, asserting that his time has passed and he’ll never break through to a wider audience. That may be the reason why a solid single released last year, "Listen," failed to connect. It was a strong single, but too predictable.

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