Talib Kweli To Release New Album This July

 •  XXL Magazine  •  by XXL Staff  •  27 Comments

talib-kweli.jpgBrooklyn MC, Talib Kweli, will release his third solo album, Ear Drum, on July 24 on Warner Bros./Blacksmith Music. The LP is Kweli’s first since 2004’s The Beautiful Struggle and will feature production from Kanye West, Madlib, will.i.am and DJ Hi-Tek. “The image of the ear and of the drum, which are powerful enough by themselves, but put them together and it’s an instrument in your body that helps you hear,” Kweli says of the album’s title. “They’re also two very simple, yet powerful words. I wanted to focus on finding a sound that makes you move, and that’s where the word eardrum popped in my head.” Standout songs on the album include “Soon The New Day,” which features Norah Jones, “Say Something” with Jean Grae and “the sexy first single,” “Hot Thing.” “We need to challenge our audience,” Kweli says on the album’s direction. “But we also need to challenge ourselves to know that whatever our new experiences are, we can write about them, be creative, and bring that to an audience without them feeling alienated.”

  • My Effin’ Opinion

    *cue KRS-One*
    “The real hip hop is over here”

  • http://die.com Bol

    first bitches!!!!!!!!

  • sATaLyte

    snooze.

    Why is it whenever people want to say something positive about hip hop they always mention Taleb?

    When this guy makes a hot “solo” song, then we can start looking for him to carry the torch for the music.

    Until then, Future Taleb projects = Enough bricks to build a wall.

  • Real hip Hop

    sATaLyte Says:

    May 1st, 2007 at 12:19 pm
    snooze.

    Why is it whenever people want to say something positive about hip hop they always mention Taleb?

    When this guy makes a hot “solo” song, then we can start looking for him to carry the torch for the music.

    Until then, Future Taleb projects = Enough bricks to build a wall.

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    download “listen”, its the 1st single of the album

  • My Effin’ Opinion

    i love teh cock

  • Were Read 2 Def

    I’ll believe it when I c it.

  • http://adsd.com Hip-Hop Lives (KRS-ONE is back)

    REAL HIP-HOP IS MISSING FROM THE SHELF

  • Knowledge Speaks

    Damn, mayne. He keep pushing this shit back. It was supposed to come out last year, then he pushed it to April, then he pushed it to June 6th, and now July 24th.

  • why o why

    editor: link a song or some shit.

  • why o why

    editor: link a song or some shit.

  • J Millz

    So its really gonna come out july 24th?

  • Face Phoenix

    About Damn Time. I thought this project was going to end up in WB Limbo. Hopefully this is the actual release date and we don’t suffer another push back.

    PS – Any word on Jean Grae’s Release on Blacksmith

  • jada

    CAN’T WAIT D MAN IS A ONE OF D FEW RAPPERS DAT MAKE SENSE.D MAN IS 2 LYRICAL

  • stoneyisland

    Real Mc’s do real things, Talib handle your biz, I will always support your shit sun.

  • Ali

    satalyte u dont know shit…go back 2 ur radio club songs son Talib is tha real deal

  • j.rock

    Talib is a beast on tracks and he is hip-hop.you niggaz need to listen.

  • Smoove21

    the reason so many whack-assed people believe Talib is weak, or any of the sort is because he speakin over they damn heads, if you people jus, listen, to what he is sayin, (oh, i forgot) you guys can’t even compose yourselves to do so, ritalin junkies. You people have the nerve to talk about real hip hop, SUCKAZ. And I’ll spell it the right way, before yall say im crazy, suckers!

  • I aint Mad At Chu

    @sATaLyte

    The label want a song about a bubbly life
    I have trouble tryna write, some shit that bang in the club through the night when people suffer tonight lord knows I TRY…
    -talib kweli

    Talib dont give a fuck bout making dem club bangers/radio hits, he’s a deep dude he gonna say wut he gunna say he dont give a fuck wut you think
    check em out here talkin bout some real shit
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQxSrVY_PzA

  • Spiritual Baller #7

    This album will be a Classic! Just like Reflection Eternal w/ Hi Tek & The Blackstar Album w/ Mos Def !

  • http://www.myspace.com/beatfabrik22 Fabrik

    Talib changed the way I percieve hip hop. This is the truth, LISTEN!!!

    Greetings from Croatia

  • Refugee

    “You gotta listen to hear” I though you’ll knew…. Name me one artist that is in direct communication with his/her fans… name me one artist that puts it all out on a track and spits that knowledge… Name me one artist thats been blessed with talent like Brothda Kweli…. and i i’m talkin about REAL music.. not that junk that leaves the mind unstimulated and rotted with filth and dismay…

  • http://xxlmag.com Red Iculas

    Why is it we have lost all since of grammer these days? Ignorance is taking over I can not stand it anymore. Kids these days are so used to using slang and abbreviations know one knows how to spell or form real sentences. It’s real sad if you think about it and if you can’t figure out what I am saying then include yourself in the ignorant column. Open a book, educate yourself, get a clue!!! To any of you ignorant fools that don’t believe that Talib (not Taleb) Kweli is the truth and he will never sell out to your maintstream hypocrisy, if you don’t know now you know!!! Feel free to contact me on myspace if you disagree.

    Red Iculas aka Brad
    WAKE UP PEOPLE IT’S A NEW DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

  • the frumpeter

    Red Iculas—it’s all sense of grammer and yes, we have, just a sign of the times brother, they say ignorance is bliss and we all know where most of the “hip hop” community gets their shit from:
    50 cent, P.Diddy, Ludacris: these guys and most mainstream “rappers” couldn’t rap their way off a ledge (too bad).
    every rapper sells out to mainstream hypocrisy, the day they sign a record deal.
    but no disrespect to Kweli–he’s a prophet that spits fire and sometimes the ends do justify the means.
    Respect.

  • Joe Kapalski

    Kweli is the shit, and I can’t wait for the album to drop because I been only picking up old albums since 2004

  • http://www.myspace.com/spearmaster Ron White

    Talib, Mos, and Common are my favorite rappers. sATaLyte, Talib has had plenty of solo albums. It shows your knowledge about real hip-hop.

  • Rob C

    This is just Plain and simple, T.K. Greene is the ABSOLUTE TRUTH. No if’s and’s nor but’s about it, he’s exactly what this whole entire industry needs, instead of this brain washing junk that fills the radio waves, that I personally as artist thinks that it’s descreting the true essence of the Hip-Hop art form. (Man, Iwish Pac and BIG was still alive!)

  • cameron

    hip hop is back!talib kweli is one of the best mc’s around right now so hip hop be prepared because kweli is taking over this shit right about now! EARDRUM GET IT!