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Legendary MC Talib Kweli has left a legacy behind that is unparalleled. His collaborative group Black Starr with DJ Hi-Tek and Mos Def has become a classic since its release in the late 90′s and Kweli hasn’t looked back since. As an artist whose abilities transcend just one area or style, Kweli continues to push the boundaries of hip hop while maintaining a poetic sense that elevates every single one of his songs into higher realms. His lyricism is among the best ever and he has always been a source of inspiration for so many artists who are looking to get their music out there on a large scale but don’t want to compromise their craft due to a corporate model. Reflection Eternal recordings at Jimi Hendrix’s studio Electric Lady, collaborative musings with the beat conductor Madlib, work with comedian Dave Chappelle, support for Beastie Boys on the road, beats collected from producers as diverse and gifted as Kayne West, J Dilla, The Soulquarians, The Neptunes, , DJ Quik, , Pete Rock, Just Blaze, will.i.am, 88-Keys and Oh No, a distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records, owner of a long standing book store; the list goes on forever with what this man has achieved. A list of what he hasn’t achieved might be a little easier to compile considering the ground he has covered.

Almost 20 years after his first releases, Talib Kweli is still going strong with a prolific run of touring and his latest solo LP Gutter Rainbows. It feels like yesterday I saw Talib Kweli perform in LA as the headliner for the first Rock The Bells concert at Club Q-Topia in 2004. With surprise guests that included Mos Def, Hi-Tek and even Dave Chappelle, Kweli took the Rock The Bells crowd by storm and Kweli is still giving people that same level of performance today. Talib Kweli goes the extra mile for his performances and the same was true last week when Kweli ripped the stage in Santa Anan at the Observatory courtesy of Out Da House Productions. With a live backing band and songs that date to the beginning of his career up until the music he has penned in recent years, Kweli pushed through song after song with a commanding presence that showed what a true MC stands for. There’s nothing like pure hip hop in live form and Kweli still reigns supreme when it comes to performing for all the true fans of hip hop.

Ashley Strong of SCV was on site for this performance and captured the following photo set for inclusion into our archives. Enjoy!

-Erik Otis

http://www.yearoftheblacksmith.com/

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Music from Talib Kweli’s upcoming album, Prisoner of Conscious, out in 2012 on Blacksmith / EMI. “Distractions” is produced by Oh No. The music video is directed by Darryl Phillips, of ICU Media. Download the MP3 of the song for free at http://www.facebook.com/talibkweli.

Message from Talib Kweli about the song Distractions: “A little less a year ago, I got a beat from one of my favorite producers, Oh No, that I felt would be a perfect sound bed for the album I was working on, Prisoner Of Conscious. As I played the beat over and over trying to write lyrics, I kept finding myself distracted. By the TV, by twitter, by trivial things. I realized then that the beat was asking me to write about Distractions. Beats talk to me. They tell me what to rap about, they suggest a guest for the song. One of the things I was distracted by was the news coming from Tahrir Square last year. The Arab Spring was unlike anything I’ve seen in my lifetime. Beginning with a vegetable cart owner named Mohammed Bouazizi setting himself on fire in Tunisia to protest general unfair treatment, the Arab Spring spread like wildfire to Sudan and then to Egypt, as thousands of protestors occupied Tahrir Square to call for corrupt president Hosni Mubarak to step down. The first line that I wrote for my song Distractions was, “they say it ain’t about the spoils of war, but turn around and tell you how much more the oil will cost.” This was inspired by the Arab Spring. Fast forward to September, 2011. Occupy Wall Street exploded into the collective consciousness of the world, but it started right here in New York City. I didn’t understand that this protest was something that was ongoing at first, so I did not pay much attention in the beginning. However, when I saw my contemporaries like Lupe Fiasco bringing blankets and Immortal Technique making multiple trips, I knew this was something I had a responsibility to be involved in. I went to Zucotti Park the day after I arrived back in NY. I traveled with Jamie Kilstein and Allison Kilkenny from Citizen Radio, and res, my partner in Idle Warship. What I saw made me proud of my hometown. Sure, I probably saw some homeless people. If the homeless aren’t in the 99 percent, who is? What was more prevalent was the organization, the sense of community. I saw students, musicians, wall street types, blue collar types, older activists and fresh faced newbies. It was the most democratic, American thing I had ever witnessed. And to think, it was inspired by the Arab Spring, just like my song! I was asked to address the crowd at the General Assembly, which is a daily gathering to discuss the issues at hand and how the people can move forward. Even though I am accustomed to being an entertainer, the thought of addressing people who were literally giving everything they had to this cause was a bit overwhelming. It was in that moment that I made the connection between my song Distractions and OWS. I sort of sputtered out Distractions, because this was the first time I was ever saying it out loud. The response to it has been nice, largely because a clip of it has made the rounds online. However, it wasn’t me kicking a verse that resonated the most with the people actually at Zucotti Park, it is what I said from my heart. When I stopped rapping and addressed the people directly, I had, in my opinion, a bigger impact. It showed me the humanity of the movement. We were one, stripped of our titles. I strive to be a great artist. But I also strive to be a greater man. I am not here to convince you one way or the other about Occupy Wall Street. I know how I feel about the movement and that’s good enough for me. I was so inspired by what those people are doing for our future that I wanted to celebrate them in the video for Distractions. I had some reservations about it. I did not want to appear like I was capitalizing. I hope that people see this video as I intended it, as a love letter to the Occupy Movement everywhere. Here it is, enjoy! For more information on Occupy Wall Street, including how you can participate, please visit http://occupywallst.org One love to my good friend Darryl Phillips, who always comes through for me and speaks truth to power. – Talib Kweli