The News: Talib Kweli unleashed a new single on his site She’s My Hero this week and will play a DJ set at Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday, October 26th.

As anyone vaguely aware of Talib Kweli knows, the man can spit with the best of ’em and arguably offers more thought-provoking words per song than anyone in the game.  The lyrics of Palookas from 2011’s Gutter Rainbows – “You ain’t gotta verse better than my worse one” – would sound like empty boasting from just about anybody else.

Kweli put on an exhibition at the Highline Ballroom in February as he wrapped up a sixteen date tour introducing his  album with Styles P called The Seven.  Kweli made his first mark in ’98 with the potent Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star and he reached back to that album during the set for K.O.S. (Knowledge of Self).  It’s been a great ride since and as the artist has taken more control of all aspects of record-making and its subsequent promotion, he’s entered an especially fruitful period.

One misconception about the BK MC is that he doesn’t vote so I asked him, in the aftermath of the recent election, to clarify his position.  In fact he does vote when he views it as meaningful as he explains in the video below featuring bonus bits of the conversation we had backstage at the Highline Ballroom after the show on Friday, February 10th.  (It also includes remarks about the mixtape that came out last year Awful People Are Great At Parties and  how he and Styles inject culture into their music.)  Not only does Kweli vote, he’s been to the White House and conferred with President Obama!  He spoke about that, his old Black Star bandmate Yasiin Bey – formerly known as Mos Def – and a handful of other issues in an interview with the UK online platform Acton Entertainment also embedded below…

Go to #9 Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

As anyone vaguely aware of Talib Kweli knows, the man can spit with the best of ’em and arguably offers more thought-provoking words per song than anyone in the game.  The lyrics of Palookas from 2011’s Gutter Rainbows – “You ain’t gotta verse better than my worse one” – would sound like empty boasting from just about anybody else.

Kweli put on an exhibition at the Highline Ballroom earlier this month as he wrapped up a sixteen date tour introducing his forthcoming album with Styles P called The Seven.  Kweli made his first mark in ’98 with the potent Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star and he reached back to that album during the set for K.O.S. (Knowledge of Self).  It’s been a great ride since and as the artist has taken more control of all aspects of record-making and its subsequent promotion, he’s entered an especially fruitful period.

One misconception about the BK MC is that he doesn’t vote so I asked him, in the aftermath of the recent election, to clarify his position.  In fact he does vote when he views it as meaningful as he explains in the video below featuring bonus bits of the conversation we had backstage at the Highline Ballroom after the show on Friday, February 10th.  (It also includes remarks about the mixtape that came out last year Awful People Are Great At Parties and  how he and Styles inject culture into their music.)  Not only does Kweli vote, he’s been to the White House and conferred with President Obama!  He spoke about that, his old Black Star bandmate Yasiin Bey – formerly known as Mos Def – and a handful of other issues in an interview with the UK online platform Acton Entertainment also embedded below…

Alway a pleasure to catch Styles who I had a chance to interview recently and K’Valentine was fab too.  She is one to watch!

Living Colour Covers Biggie In Stand Against Gun Violence – Who Shot Ya Mixtape Coming Next Month

Living Colour have offered a sneak peek at their new video that will accompany their song Who Shot Ya to be released on September 9th as part of an Andre Betts produced mixtape that will also include contributions from Chuck D and Black Thought. The name of the mixtape is also Who Shot Ya and not “Mixtape” as reported by Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. The cover of the Notorious B.I.G. track that originally appeared in ’95 is a powerful statement and vocalist Corey Glover, guitarist Vernon Reid, bassist Doug Wimbish, and drummer Will Calhoun are just the guys to serve it up. I spoke with them about it after their show at City Winery on Wednesday evening, August 17, 2016.

I have enormous RESPECT for these guys as artists and as people and our conversation was significant to me personally. It was meaningful not only because I enthusiastically support what they are trying to accomplish in speaking out against gun violence but also because Living Colour was the first major band that I interviewed as a college radio DJ. It was live on the air at WICB in 1991. I listened to the, gasp, 25 year old interview recently and one thing that knocks me out about it is that Fishbone is mentioned. None other than the bone will be sharing the stage with Living Colour next Sunday the 28th as part of the Afropunk Festival. In fact, Will explained that they would be playing in various permutations with members of Fishbone, and – it keeps getting better – Bad Brains. The three bands will be collaborating with each other in what one must figure will be a never to be repeated event. This is not to be missed!

Something else that I got a boot out of is after the interview with all four members wrapped up on Wednesday night, I got to speak with Doug Wimbish a little bit and enjoy some brief recollections of his days as a session man in the house band of Sugarhill Records. It’s him playing arguably the most famous bass line of all time, White Lines by Melle Mel! He was also on The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five among a million others. Something Doug told me that I didn’t know was that he was guy who, years before he joined the band, took Mick Jagger (who he played with on Primitive Cool among other things) and Jeff Beck to see Living Colour at CBGB. This moment was also referenced in the ’91 interview as it was a key one in getting their career rolling…

Vernon mentioned that they had recently received a verse from Talib Kweli that was too late to be included on the mixtape coming out next month. That could very well inspire a part two to the Who Shot Ya project. In any case, Living Colour is putting the finishing touches on their next studio album, Shade, that we can expect in early 2017.

Here’s a bonus bit: Corey speaking about The Notorious B.I.G….

Not a lot of hip hop goes on at The Blue Note but Talib Kweli moved in for four shows over two nights last week following a similar run in February.  The Brooklyn-raised MC known for his thoughtful, politically-charged rhymes, entered the game in 98 with the potent Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star.  It’s been a great ride since and as the artist has taken more control of all aspects of record-making and its subsequent promotion, he’s entered an especially fruitful period.  He put out no fewer than three albums last year: Train of Thought: Lost Lyrics, Rare Releases & Beautiful B-Sides Vol. 1, Fuck The Money, and Indie 500 with the man out of North Carolina 9th Wonder.  During the shows, he touched upon those as well as material from throughout his career and some new stuff as well.

Kweli will be doing a handful of shows at SXSW later this month and we can be optimistic about the release of a new album called Radio Silence soon.