Review: 3 out of 5

Best Song: Country Cousins

Kweli’s back with Eardrum. As anyone that listens to Talib knows, listening to him is like reading a good book or just being schooled by an old head. He just packs so much insight into a verse its almost difficult to catch everything, add to that the fact his flow isn’t very well thought out and you have the recipe for classic backpack music. We all know Talib is a geek. He has no rhythm, fashion sense, no sense of humor and basically no swag. This alone is why you would either love him or hate him, but you can’t deny that the rap game needs ’em. He is the most uncompromising artist in hip hop period. This album is alot like Beautiful Struggle without all the backpack club attempts (and better beats), its just straight Talib at his finest, which is rapping about other people’s struggles. Get your own struggles Talib that’s what made your boy Kanye pop-off! Anyway here is the track breakdown.

1. Everything Man (Produced by Madlib)
This is probably the sickest intro to come out in a long time. Talib actually gets his brag on here, in an intellectual sorta way, and the Puerto Rican chick saying she “came all the way from Puerto Rico just to see Talib Kweli” is so believable haha. Plus the beat courtesy of Madlib is big. Best line: “I tried to fit in the same rhyme, but realized I can’t be everything to everyone at the same time”.

2. NY Weather Report (Produced by Nick Speed)
Another neck snapper. This beat is seriously sick. Talib’s beat selection throughout the album is for the most part flawless. The weather metaphor seems kinda gay to me.

3. Hostile Gospel Pt. 1 (Deliver Us) (Produced by Just Blaze)
What would a Talib album be without going at the studio gangsters and asserting his own spot as head backpacker in hiphop. Kweli incorrectly spits, “I call these rappers baby seals cause they club you to death.” Baby seals don’t club anyone, it’s people that club the seals. But hey he must have been high while he wrote that. He also goes on to spew his typical pro-socialist, anti-capitalist rhetoric, which to me sounds totally misguided, not to mention incredibly off-beat.

4. Say Something ft. Jean Grae (Produced By Will.i.am)
I was looking forward to this track as Jean Grae’s verse on “Black Girl Pain” from Beautiful Struggle was incredible. As I was expecting an emotional track, I was disappointed that the two paired up to bruise up “net mcees and beat bloggers”. Grae sounds pissed on this one, like shes ready to slap up Remy Ma. Best Line: “I’m known for kicken niggas out the club like Michael Richards”.

5. Country Cousins ft. U.G.K. & Raheem Devaughn (Produced By AKidCalledRoots and Sha-La Shakier)
Finally a track with a creative concept and some creative guest appearances from those underground kings Pimp C and Bun B. This is hands down the best song on the album and arguably one of the most original songs in hiphop. Talib, Bun B, and Pimp C all come correct on this talking about their respective differences on being from Brooklyn and Port Arthur and how they still got love for both North and South. Ahhh how the civil war should have ended.

6. Holy Moly (Produced by Pete Rock)
WTF. This is the gayest song title in hiphop history and not to mention the worst beat ever. I have no clue how Talib picked this beat out of Pete Rock’s stash. I mean this is Pete Rock. It seems like he made this beat in fruity loops and even recorded the song in there too. Definitely a song this album could have done without, probably only made it for the Pete Rock recognition.

7. Eat to Live (Produced by Madlib)
Whoa. I had no clue Madlib could make beats, cause this joint is banging. This song is okay, it’s like the anthem for the school breakfast club. Again though, Talib is talking about some other people’s struggle, your parent’s are both university professors Talib you ain’t never went to bed hungry man. Be real.

8. In the Mood (Produced by Kanye West)
A respectable jazzy beat courtesy of Mr. West. Talib gets his mack on, which again is so believable. Yeezy pretty much outshines Kweli, but that isn’t a surprise. Really this track has no distinct topic, just some abstract for the hell of it kinda joint. I also have no clue why some old guy comes on at the end of track saying, “wow that was a nice track”. insanity.
Worst Line: “Really these dudes sweeter than mango”

9. Soon the New Day ft. Norah Jones (Produced by Madlib)
Now really Talib gets his mack on. This time though his verses are hot he raps, “the clan of the cave bear, used to use a club to hit her drag her by the hair/ still use a club to get her a martini or a beer/ try to get her home try to put the smell of sex in the air”. Madlib again with a fresh beat. Best line: “Maybe then she’ll realize her own beauty/ baby you star, not just a star in some dudes home movie.”

10. Give ‘Em Hell ft. Coi Mattison & Lyfe Jennings (Produced by Terrace Martin and Battlecat)
Now this song is hella fresh. Finally a rapper openly saying all religions are essentially teaching the same thing and specifically criticizing religion’s (read: Christianity and Islams) role in contributing to the most war’s in human history. Personally, I fully agree with Talib here, religion is just a man-made concept that only seeks to divide us in an already divided world. But I digress.

11. More or Less (Produced by Hi-Tek)
This song is such a banger it’s not even funny. This song could have been on Reflection Eternal. Hook is real nice and Kweli delivers lyrically.

12. Stay Around (Produced by Pete Rock)
A great track about the common criticisms Talib is used to getting. Damn he even addresses his off beat flow, how gay he sounds when getting his mack on, and the debacle that was “Back Up Offa Me” of his last album. Only thing I love more than introspective verses, is when a rapper can get introspective with themselves in the most objective way possible -even when they put themselves under the microscope.

13. Hot Thing (Produced by Will.I.Am)
The second you here this beat you know Will.I.Am produced this cause this sounds like something that Fergie featuring the Platinum Eyed Peas would waggle over. Lyrically, Talib gets his mack on again. Wtf. Is this dude looking for groupies or more groupies? There all studying Talib like your ass should have.

14. Space Fruit (Interlude) (Produced by Sa-Ra)
This is that Starbucks music right here. Not that I’ve ever been. No really, I’m Sooooooo Hood.

15. The Perfect Beat ft. KRS-One (Produced by Swiff D)
This beat ain’t perfect, but it damn sure knocks. Pretty much a song about the beat (yes you read that right) which isn’t a bad idea as the damn instrumental outshines both Professor Kweli and the Blastmaster here. I’m pretty sure KRS-One is going senile.

16. Oh My Stars (Produced by DJ Khalil)
You actually get sucked into this track by some random kid rappen’. This is a cute track about Talib’s daughter. Nothing too serious, just playful lyrics.

17. Listen (Produced by Kwamé)
Polka-dot fresh Kwamé laces Talib here. Beat is bouncing nice. But that’s about it. Lyrics are far from captivating and there really is no subject matter discussed here, we do find out that “blacksmith is the movement”. Nice to know…17 tracks in.

18. Go With Us ft. Strong Arm Steady (Produced by E. Jones)
Another real hot beat with rappers yappen about nothing. Really wtf. Guest appearances do nothing other than show Talib how to flow on beat. But he won’t get it.

19. Hostile Gospel Pt. 2 (Deliver Me) ft. Sizzla (Produced by DJ Khalil)
This song is fire. Talib is in classic form here and the Sizzla feature works. No clue why this is a part 2, part 1 should have just been scrapped.

20. The Nature (Produced by Justin Timberlake, co-produced by Eric Krasno and Adam Deitch)
“Expect the Unexpected” are Kweli’s first words here. Couldn’t have said it better myself. This is JT’s attempt at some artistic integrity and Kweli flexing his networking skills as the rapper uber-commercial artist say they listen to in interviews. Best line: “We in a different world like Dwayne Wayne”.