Product Description

After various twelve inch releases with the hip hop label Rawkus, Talib Kweli releases his first full length solo album'Quality'. Steering away from the usual New York rap sound championed by the likes of Jay-Z, Nas, and Sean Combs, Kweliuses spiritual and political lyrics mixed with tough hip hop to get across his positive messages. The album also features guest appearances from Mos Def, Xzibit, and Pharoahe Monch.

Track Listing

1. Keynote Speaker - Talib Kweli, Dave Chappelle
2. Rush - Talib Kweli
3. Get By - Talib Kweli
4. Shock Body - Talib Kweli
5. Gun Music - Talib Kweli, Cocoa Brovaz
6. Waitin' For The DJ - Talib Kweli, Bilal
7. Joy - Talib Kweli, Mos Def
8. Talk To You (Lil' Darlin') - Talib Kweli, Bilal
9. Guerrilla Monsoon Rap - Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, Black Thought
10. Put It In The Air - Talib Kweli, DJ Quik
11. The Proud - Talib Kweli
12. Where Do We Go - Talib Kweli, Res
13. Stand To The Side - Talib Kweli, Novel, Vinia Mojica
14. Good To You - Talib Kweli
15. Won't You Stay - Talib Kweli, Kendra Ross

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44434 in Music
• Released on: 2002-11-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 65 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Quality is the first solo album proper from New York rap moralist Talib Kweli and it confirms his position as one of the most literate rhymers to have emerged from the hip-hop underground in the last decade. Expanding on the sound ethical template laid down on his 2000 collaboration with Hi-Tek, Quality spells out Kweli's responsible worldview without coming on as holier-than-thou. "Joy" might find him teaming up with old comrade Mos Def for a track about the joys of fatherhood, but Kweli is no sap. It's just that when it comes to confrontation, this rapper uses reason to confound his critics. "Kurt Loder asks me what do I say to a dead cop's wife?/ Cops kill my people every day, that's life" he raps, on "The Proud". And a track with The Roots Black Thought and fellow Rawkus name Phar! oah Monch, "Guerrilla Monsoon Rap", is a evocative overview of the hip-hop death-wish that sees "rappers spitting nails into their own coffin". Production-wise, too, this is impressive stuff: a revolving team lays down new-skool instrumental tracks that skip between leathery Led Zeppelin rock riffs, holy gospel harmonies, and musky funk numbers with an ear for the eclectic. "When I came out niggers didn't understand it at first," Kweli admits on "Rush". Few will have that problem with this excellent, accomplished record. --Louis Pattison

Customer Reviews

New Talib
Is much better than old Talib, although he's still pretty impressive here! There's some glimpses of what Talib is capable of, but it doesn't instantly engage me in listening, as Ear Drum did. This is a great album however you look at it though, with some great beats, a strange intro from Chappelle, and some intelligent and good Backpack rhymes.
If you've been into Talib for a while then i would get this, but if you're just starting your Talib collection get Eardrum, as you'll like it better!
I've listened to it three or four times now and it's getting better with each listen. There's no doubt that Talib is a very skilled lyricist, but the album doesn't quite match up to his skills all the way through, it sort of loses momentum half way through.
A good buy, but don't be expecting a classic

Talib's best
brilliant, worth the money for good to you, the proud, guerilla monsoon, get by, joy- any of these alone. 14 songs of genius. probably the best song for song album i own, apart from the tipping point.

Lyrical Genious
Talib Kweli is like a ghetto/lyrical shakespeare
The tracks are not only written soo well, the beats are soooo Captivating you will be singing along alllll day!!
A MUST buy..... especially for teh track called "Get By"
Buy it for that alone