Today, Oct. 3, marks the birthday of New York rapper Talib Kweli, who now turns 43. Whether if it was solo, or with producer Hi-Tek as Reflection Eternal, or with Mos Def as Black Star, the Brooklyn native has been killing the game for at least 20 years now.

Since bursting onto with Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bery) 20 years ago, Kweli has released critically acclaimed albums like Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black StarTrain of ThoughtQuality, The Beautiful Struggle and many more. For years Kweli has been one of the true leaders and innovators of hip-hop. Talib has solidified himself as one of rap's best conscious MC's with recent albums like Gutter Rainbows, Prisoner of Conscious and Gravitas. His most recent album Indie 500 with 9th Wonder, dropped in 2015.

Talib has also led the pack in living his lyrics by taking part in activism efforts, especially in the wake of the ongoing police brutality in America. Earlier this year, Talib and Styles P teamed up for a joint EP entitled The Seven with features from Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, Rapsody, Common and Chris Rivers. Showing that their lyrical prowess is as magical as ever, the two constructed a focused and entertaining EP to speak for the marginalized right now.

Continuing his musical momentum, Kweli dropped off his latest LP, Radio Silence, in November 2017.

Happy Birthday, Talib Kweli!

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