“Ya’ll wanna hear some real music?” Through Tuesday night’s show, Talib Kweli wasn’t shy about repeatedly whipping the crowd into a frenzy with this line. And each time he followed through, unleashing killer solos from his band, a great guest appearance, or some of his trademark rhythmic flow.
Every hip-hop fan has been to a certain kind of disappointing show—one with a lone computer playing tracks seemingly straight from the album, while the MC’s muffled lyrics bounce over a too familiar beat. Now, I’ve got nothing but great things to say about Talib Kweli’s frequent collaborator DJ Hi-Tek—in fact, I’ve heard they put on a great show just as a duo—but with a full band in tow as well as multiple guests, Kweli’s concert really was a great display of—his words—real music.
Though he is touring to support his new delivery Gutter Rainbows, Talib was not shy about digging through his catalog for gems from LP’s old and new. He killed “Definition” from his days performing with Mos Def as Black Star, had the crowd belting the hooks to “Going Hard” from 2004’s The Beautiful Struggle, and “Strangers” off of his recent album with Hi-Tek as Reflection Eternal, and even whipped out an “Eleanor Rigby” cover leading into “Lonely”, released on his first mixtape in 2004. J Dilla tributes, Kanye tracks, new Idle Warship songs, singles, deep cuts…the list goes on. Talib’s setlist was that of a savvy hip-hop veteran having a blast on stage with his own excellent discography.
Another big plus was the guest appearance of Jean Grae, who has appeared on a number of Talib’s albums (including Gutter Rainbows, check out the track below), and is signed to his label Blacksmith Records. She pumped the crowd’s energy up another level for a few songs mid-set, including the highlight, “Black Girl Pain”, the track she was featured on from Beautiful Struggle. A hip-hop veteran, Grae’s flow combined with her sense of humor on the mic is a blast to watch—I’d go to a show of hers anytime.
Kweli later brought out another collaborator, Res, for the end of his set. She provided a number of silky-smooth hooks, though the only song I would’ve skipped all night was her straightforward cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” That said, sitting through "Dreams" was worth it for her performance singing the hook on the obligatory encore of the 2002 hit “Get By.” Even during a song that he could easily be tired of by now, Talib Kweli brought musicality to the show. After the first chorus, the band transitioned into the source of its piano sample, Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman,” with Res doing a solid job covering for a legend. With tons of raw talent, musical creativity, precise rhymes and an arsenal of great beats, Talib Kweli has it all.
