Jimmy Fallon kicked off 2012 in style last night with a fervent appearance by Black Star. Performing alongside The Roots (sort of a given these days), Mos De–err Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli knocked out the lead single from their upcoming Aretha Franklin-inspired mixtape, “You Already Knew”. While Bey always spits a solid rhyme, Kweli’s lines felt emotionally charged. Together, they still act as a hip-hop enigma, which only adds to the already mounting hype for their long awaited followup to their 1998 debut. Until then, however, check out last night’s performance, in addition to a web exclusive clip of “Little Brother”, all below courtesy of The Audio Perv.

“You Already Knew”:

“Little Brother”:

The music portion of South by Southwest 2012 runs March 13-18th in Austin Texas. Today, the festival revealed another batch of 2012 acts, with Built to Spill, The Magnetic Fields, Stars, Metric, Thomas Dolby, and Delta Spirit leading the way.

Other newly confirmed notables include Lee Fields and the Expressions, Talib Kweli, Grimes, The Big Pink, Oh Land, Screaming Females, Dan Mangan, Gross Magic, Ganglians, Daughter, The War on Drugs, Blood Orange, Bleached, Suckers, Spector, Miracles of Modern Science, Ear Pwr, Beach Fossils, Prince Rama, Zeus, and Zorch. For all the latest lineup news and updates, be sure to bookmark our South by Southwest page on Festival Outlook.

Also, as announced last week, Bruce Springsteen will serve as next year’s Keynote Speaker.

Registration for SXSW 2012 is now ongoing, with various types of badges to chose from. Click here for all the details.

In the world of Talib Kweli and Yasiin ‘Mos Def’ Bey, today is actually Black Star Friday. A clever play on words, yes, but the legendary hip-hop duo has also made Black Friday 2011 one of their most fruitful days in years, with a double dose of new music. Their new single, “Fix Up”, which was first debuted on The Colbert Report last month, was released digitally through iTunes this morning. Now, through their official website, Black Star have revealed plans for a new Aretha Franklin-inspired mixtape, with our first taste coming via an OhNo-produced track titled “You Already Know”. Stream the cut below and/or download your own mp3 for the price of an email address.

There’s no word on when the mixtape will arrive, so stay tuned for additional details. In the meantime, fans in Los Angeles and New York City can see the duo live in the coming days:

Black Star 2011 Tour Dates:
12/03 – New York, NY @ Best Buy Theater
12/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia

After canceling their first set of U.S. tour dates, hip-hop duo Black Star (Talib Kweli and Mos Def) have scheduled another round of shows in the U.S. and Canada for November and December (via Exclaim!) This month, the pair have gigs in Toronto, ON, Montreal, QC, and two dates in San Francisco. Then, in December, they’ll hit up New York City and Los Angeles. Check out the entire tour schedule below.

Following the tour schedule is the pair’s performance of “Fix Up”, which they debuted on The Colbert Report last month.

Black Star 2011 Tour Dates:
11/12 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
11/13 – Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia de Montreal
11/15 – San Francisco, CA @ Mezzanine *
11/16 – San Francisco, CA @ Mezzanine *
12/03 – New York, NY @ Best Buy Theater
12/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia

* = w/ Los Rakas

Black Star, the all-star collaboration of Talib Kweli and the dude soon to be known as Yasiin, have added dates to their ongoing U.S. tour. The trek, which is part of Rock The Bells’ recently launched club and theater series, now runs through mid-November and sees Kweli and Mos Def hitting every House of Blues known to man. Find their complete touring schedule below, along with the video for their classic track, “Definition”.

Black Star 2011 Tour Dates:
09/21 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall
09/22 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
09/23 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
09/27 – Miami Beach, FL @ The Fillmore
09/28 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
10/05 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
10/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ House of Blues
10/29 – Los Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
11/03 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
11/04 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
11/05 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
11/11 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room

Idle Warship, the genre-bending hip-hop act comprised of rapper Talib Kweli and indie soul singer Res, released their good-time-with-a-slice-of-consciousness debut with the Party Robot mixtape in October 2009. Now, almost two years better, the duo return with their proper debut LP in Habits of the Heart, set to be released on October 24th via Kweli’s Blacksmith Records.

Time spent away working on the new album sees the outfit continue their highly explorative ways, lead in part by the album’s first single, “Laser Beams”. Sounding straight out of a groovy ’60s spy thriller, the track exudes the dance party vibe without losing that all-important substance. Give it a spin below.

“Laser Beams”

And if one sample wasn’t enough, the band also debut a video for “System Addict”. It too is a blast of funk, this time with a deciedly heavy female empowerment spin to it.

Habits of the Heart Tracklist:
01. Enemy
02. The Floor
03. God Bless My Soul
04. Are You In (feat. Kay Cola)
05. System Addict (featuring Jean Grae and Jay Knocka)
06. Laser Beams
07. Covered In Fantasy (feat. Chester French and John Forte)
08. Rat Race
09. Katya (feat. Michelle Williams)
10. Beautifully Bad
11. Driving Me Insane
12. Burning Desire (bonus track)

Rock the Bells, the annual, traveling hip-hop festival, has entered its eighth year. Following up a lauded 2010 series that boasted Snoop Dogg performing Doggystyle and A Tribe Called Quest reuniting for Midnight Marauders, among others, this year’s four-city, month-long concert series takes that concept a step further. At least 11 acts (varying slightly by date) have performed their classic albums on this year’s tour, largely representing an era of hip-hop that took place from the years 1993 to 1998.

Consequence of Sound was on hand for the New York leg of the festival series, where the action played out across two main stages. The larger Rock the Bells Stage hosted hip-hop legends and modern R&B greats from Nas and Black Star to Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. The 36 Chambers Stage was home to numerous Wu-Tang Clan affiliates from GZA to Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, as well as other iconic East Coast hip-hop acts including Mobb Deep and Black Moon. Side stages included the Paid Dues stage, which put the spotlight on underground and up-and-coming acts such as Big K.R.I.T. and Immortal Technique, and the Grindtime stage, which hosted DJ performances.

Governors Island provided an ideal spot, merely a 10-minute boat ride from Battery Park, although attendees had to deal with hour-long ferry lines on the Manhattan side. Still, thousands of NYC-area music fans found themselves in a festival-sized venue within the city limits, catching some of the 90′s biggest names in hip-hop flash back to their most classic cuts. Even though Rock the Bells is making stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Boston, New York City is where many of these artists call home, and so the entire day seemed to celebrate just how special New York hip-hop was in the mid-late ’90s and how important it continues to be.

-Austin Trunick
Staff Writer 

Black Star – Rock the Bells Stage – 2:25 p.m.

Photo by Jake Cohen

“That’s the second time we’ve played that song in 10 years.”

Despite any number of acclaimed solo albums, film roles, and TV appearances, to some people Mos Def and Talib Kweli will always be Black Star, the independent hip-hop duo that released one brilliant, self-titled album in 1998. Despite issues with boat transportation to Governors Island that caused many festival-goers to miss the day’s first few sets, the pair kept the energy level high for the smaller-than-normal early afternoon crowd. Knocking out most of their singular LP, Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star, highlights included the anti-violence sermon “Definition”, the NYC street life tale “Respiration”, “Thieves in the Night”, and the salacious “Brown Skin Lady”. While they let on that they hadn’t played some of the material in quite some time, it was hard to hear any rust in their rhymes.

Both artists’ solo careers were also represented during their performance: Kweli dropped his 2002 single “Get By” from Quality, while Mos Def took on Black on Both Sides’ “Umi Says” from 1999. The duo repeatedly promised a sequel Black Star record in 2012. For many of the gathered fans in the audience, the new year won’t come soon enough. -Austin Trunick

GZA - 36 Chambers Stage –  3:55 p.m.

Photo by Jake Cohen

“Sometimes we gotta flash ‘em all back, remind them where it all started.”

GZA may be the festival’s longest-tenured veteran on the nostalgia circuit, as he’s been performing Liquid Swords in its entirety on tour since 2007. While other performers can sometimes come across as a bit rusty on their classic album’s lesser-regarded tracks, The Genius has been knocking out all of the songs from his seminal LP long enough to have each line down tight. He gave the best renditions of classics such as “Duel of the Iron Mic” and “I Gotcha Back” that this writer’s ever seen, despite the searing afternoon sun. There were a decent number of cameos from his various Wu-Tang brethren and affiliates: Killah Priest hung out onstage through the bulk of his set, giving support on most songs and taking on his featured track from Liquid Swords, “B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)”. RZA rushed the stage for a surprise appearance on “4th Chamber”, which sent the audience into a roar of cheers. Some time was even taken to pay tribute to Ol’ Dirty Bastard by rolling into a rendition of “Shimmy Shimmy Yah” with the departed’s son, Young Dirty, who bears an uncanny resemblance to his father both in looks and in stage antics. GZA departed from the Liquid Swords playlist a few times, including a crowd-pleasing section of the Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)staple “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta Fuck Wit” and an amped-up run-through of his own “Alphabets” from 2008’s Pro Tools. -Austin Trunick

Cypress Hill – Rock the Bells Stage –  4:00 p.m.

Photo by Jake Cohen

“Yeah, I’m started to feel this spliff right here. I’m starting to settle into it. Y’all settlin’ into your high?”

Cypress Hill took the stage minutes before 4:20, as if there were any other time they could possibly start. Still, despite the kitsch factor of being the big pot-smoking act of the day, B-Real and Sen Dog threw down a classic set, drawing from their 1993 triple-platinum album, Black Sunday. Improving on the album’s original track order, the boys from L.A. crafted a set with a natural flow and arc, centered around B-Real’s lighting up a spliff before heading into “I Wanna Get High” and “Hits From the Bong”. For these acts playing full albums, an unexpected divergence was often an exciting highlight, and that was certainly the case when Cypress Hill’s turntablist, DJ Hitman Julio, and percussionist Eric “Bobo” Correa played a duet of old-school 80s hip-hop beats and Latin-flavored hip-hop drums, ending with a dramatic percussion solo that got the crowd going. The group amped up the intensity with “Cock the Hammer” and “A to the K”, and of course, closed with their mega hit, “Insane in the Brain”. -Jake Cohen

Black Moon – 36 Chambers Stage – 5:25  p.m.

Photo by Jake Cohen

“It ain’t over when the sun goes down, because that’s when the Moon comes up.”

Black Moon’s Buckshot was a constant force through all of the group’s 1993 classic, Enta Da Stage, pacing the platform and raising the audience’s excitement levels on heavy-hitting jams like “Who Got da Props?” and “Powaful Impak!”. Onstage, Black Moon’s live band included two saxophonists, keyboards, electric guitar, drums, and a bass player; the live instrumentation added an extra level of vitality to the proceedings, and the group gave shout-outs to jazz forefathers Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong. The bass groove that kicked through “How Many MC’s…” was a highlight–enough to make you stop and recognize the value of a little bit of funk in a song. Other notable tracks included “Make Munne” and “Buck Em Down”.

Never the most prolific group, Black Moon has only released two albums of new material in the 18 years since their landmark Enta Da Stage, and none since 2003’s Total Eclipse, but that may soon change: “New Black Moon record coming soon,” Buckshot promised toward the end of their set, “called Dark Side of the Moon. Because we’re all about that dark shit. We’re all about that real nighttime shit.” -Austin Trunick

Erykah Badu - Rock the Bells Stage – 5:45 p.m.

Photo by Jake Cohen

“There will never be another Baduizm. There will never be another 1997.”

Not many artists can pull off elegant, sexy, and eccentric at the same time. Not many artists are like Erykah Badu. She ran through most of her landmark, genre-defining, neo-soul album Baduizm, and her six-piece live band and four backup singers brought a funky, smooth groove to the late afternoon show. Needing a few songs to get warmed up, Badu really got things going with “Appletree”, giving the song a much stronger push than the slick album version and displaying some scat-singing acrobatics. Her performance generally took the album tracks a touch faster and harder, perhaps to bridge the gap between the more hardcore hip-hop acts and herself. Her introductory quote was dead-on: More than other classic 90s albums, Baduizm seemed to capture a very particular moment in African-American music, when female artists were trying to navigate the territory between R&B, jazz, soul, and modern hip-hop. Yet, of the two late 90s female singer/rappers, Badu was overshadowed by Lauryn Hill’s outstanding set.  -Jake Cohen

Mobb Deep - 36 Chambers Stage – 7:00 p.m.

Photo by Jake Cohen

“What we gonna do right now is go back!”

Havoc and Prodigy, the Queens, NY, duo better known as Mobb Deep, took the 36 Chambers Stage just as the sun was disappearing behind Erykah Badu’s set across the festival grounds. Joined onstage by regular contributor Big Noyd, the pair ran through cuts from their acclaimed sophomore effort, The Infamous, as well as choice selections from their more recent albums and solo discs. Those hoping for cameos by the original featured guests on The Infamous’s “Eye for a Eye (Your Beef Is Mines)” or “Right Back at You” (Nas and Raekwon & Ghostface, respectively) might have been a little let down given those guys’ proximity at the time, but they were likely too busy prepping for their own sets coming later in the night. Mobb Deep’s Rock the Bells set left little other reason to disappoint, as Havoc and Prodigy energetically tore through all of the album’s best songs, just killing “Survival of the Fittest”, “Temperature’s Rising”, and their dark classic, “Shook Ones Pt. II”.

If that weren’t enough, Prodigy took off with “Keep It Thoro”, the lead single from his solo debut, H.N.I.C.. Latter-day Mobb Deep tracks performed included “Quiet Storm” from 1999’s Murda Muzik and a hard-hitting version of Amerikaz Nightmare’s “Got It Twisted”, driven along by a cranked-out Thomas Dolby sample. -Austin Trunick

Ms. Lauryn Hill – Rock the Bells Stage – 7:45 p.m.

Photo by Jake Cohen

“People always say, ‘You do the old stuff, but you don’t do it in the old way.’ Well, tonight we’re gonna do the old stuff in the old way.”

Lauryn Hill has taken a lot of flack (no pun intended) over the past 10 years. Since leaving the Fugees and dropping her monumental solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she’s been the subject of nasty rumors and unfortunate stories, both of which have contributed to her stepping out of the public eye. But make no mistake about it: Lauryn Hill still knows how to throw it down, to belt it out, and to sing tenderly. Her Rock the Bells set was a powerful, dynamic, passionate performance, showing off her soulful vocals and her strong rapping abilities. Her set began with an energetic version of “Lost Ones” and continued running through The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill with a heartfelt “Ex-Factor” and a spirited “To Zion”, during which she repeatedly implored, “I trusted you with my heart!”, straining her voice and making her audience feel the heartbreak. Her hit single “Doo Wop (That Thing)” came next, flying by at a fast clip with high energy as Hill jumped around the stage and the crowd swayed their arms.

Photo by Jake Cohen

After fixing some monitor problems and blowing up the crowd with “Doo Wop”, Hill found her confident stride, and her performance kept growing stronger as it went on. She wowed the crowd with the lyrical acrobatics of “Final Hour”, finding that hardcore attitude that was a crucial part of the powerful Fugees sound. But even an intense version of “Forgive Them Father” was overshadowed by the evening’s biggest surprise: two thirds of a Fugees reunion, as Hill was joined (unannounced, she said) onstage by Pras Michel. The part of the crowd milling about the middle of the concert field immediately gravitated to the main stage while Hill showed her strongest rapping of the night, taking Wyclef’s verse on “Fu-Gee-La” and then throwing down a ripping “Ready or Not”. For her encore, Pras and Hill gave the audience an energetic “Killing Me Softly”. On this night, it seemed as though Ms. Lauryn Hill re-educated the audience, reminding us that she still knows how to crush it. -Jake Cohen

Childish Gambino – 36 Chambers Stage – 8:35 p.m.

“Latin girls see my face and call it Jupiter /
Latin girls see your face and call it stupid-er.”

Childish Gambino is the hip-hop project of comedian/one-time-Spider Man candidate Donald Glover, who currently appears on NBC’s Community. Taking his emcee name from an online Wu-Tang name generator, Gambino was far and away the only rapper at Rock the Bells dropping references to Shining Time Station. Or Amelie. Or Huey Lewis. Or Smurf villain Gargamel. Roughly one third of the small crowd that chose to forego Lauryn Hill to catch him seemed to be caught off guard during the initial part of his set. (More than a couple shouts of “Get off the stage!” were thrown his way.) At first, it’s hard to tell whether he’s a joke rapper or just one with a lot of genuinely funny rhymes. On further inspection, the needle points firmly toward the latter, and Gambino won over a lot of his detractors with overflowing energy and wit, climbing up the amplifier stacks and wearing his voice raw on self-released tracks such as “Do Ya Like” and “Put It in My Video”.

Besides, any emcee who can drop a line about “eating more pussy than Alf” and keep a straight face deserves any props that come his way.-Austin Trunick

Raekwon & Ghostface Killah  - 36 Chambers Stage – 9:35 p.m.

Photo by Jake Cohen

“Then analyze my soundtrack for satisfaction/ 
You adapt like a flashback chain reaction.”

Deservedly headlining the 36 Chambers stage, Wu-Tang Clan members Raekwon and Ghostface Killah took the stage to perform the former’s 1995 solo record, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…. Rock the Bells attendees were forced to make the difficult choice between this set and Nas’s going on across the field; those who stuck were treated to a Wu-Tang mini-reunion, with Masta Killa and Cappadonna joining at different parts of the set. Despite sound problems that stalled out the setlist and forced Ghostface to spend five minutes mid-show on a mic check, the hip-hop veterans successfully banged out old, crowd-pleasing favorites such as “Incarcerated Scarfaces”, “Criminology”, and “Ice Cream”. Before Raekwon or Ghostface even took the stage, Supernatural warmed up the crowd with his virtuosic freestyling and spot-on, chameleon-like impersonations of Slick Rick, Busta Rhymes, and Biggie Smalls. In a fun bit of audience interplay, the nimble-mouthed MC had the crowd hand shirts, drinks, or any other object to him onstage, which he then incorporated into his freestyle. -Austin Trunick

Nas - Rock the Bells Stage – 9:55 p.m.

Photo by Jake Cohen

“Life is good. Life is beautiful. But sometimes, life’s a bitch!”

After grabbing the main headlining spot following a number of schedule rearrangements, Nas found himself with the biggest and most hyped-up crowd of the night. Taking full advantage of his hometown show, Nas dropped the first three tracks from his debut album, Illmatic, featuring many of the original MCs and DJs. After throwing down “N.Y. State of Mind”, “Life’s a Bitch” with AZ, and “The World is Yours” with Pete Rock, Nas gave the stage over to Pete Rock and DJ Premier for a quick battle mini-set. While it was cool to hear this club-style exchange on the grand proportions of Rock The Bells, it also seemed to suck the energy out of the set, thinning out the crowd eager to catch an early ferry back to Manhattan. However, any early departures missed the biggest party of the night, as Nas ramped it up and kept it going for almost another hour. He re-emerged from the intermission clad in camouflage, filled the stage with guest MCs and his cheering entourage, and ventured well beyond the confines of Illmatic. The intensity and energy reached a fever pitch with “Hate Me Now”, while Nas capitalized on Lauryn Hill’s presence to partner up on “If I Ruled the World”. With the stage set up to mimic the Queensbridge Houses projects, Nas blew up a NYC-sized celebration with a NYC-sized set. -Jake Cohen

The Culture of Rock the Bells

Gallery by Jake Cohen

[nggallery id=256]

Blakroc, the insane collaborative project that combined the rock fury of The Black Keys with the crisp rhymes of Raekwon, RZA, Mos Def, and Q-Tip, among others, appears set for sequel. According to the trailer below, a second Blakroc album is coming soon; this time around, The Black Keys will apparently be joined by hip-hop titans Talib Kweli and Wiz Khalifa, along with buzzworthy emcees Curren$y, Jay Electronica, and The Cool Kids. Not surprisingly, the trailer also confirms that a lot of pot was smoked during the recording sessions.

The Black Keys’ other new album, the Danger Mouse-produced one, is also coming soon. So you Black Keys fans are spoiled rotten.

The 31st annual CMJ Music Marathon takes over 75 New York City venues between October 18th and 22nd. Last year saw 1,300 live performances, so here’s about 3% of the talent filling this year’s bill: Wild Flag, Portugal. the Man, Handsome Furs, CSS, Neon Indian, Talib Kweli, EMA, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and Pharoahe Monch.

Also confirmed to play are Zola Jesus, Eleanor Friedberger, Dum Dum Girls, Memoryhouse, Datarock, Sea of Bees, Art Vs. Science, The Wombats, Metronomy, Givers, Class Actress, Viva Brother, Davila 666, US Royalty, Parlotones, Kvelertak, Kermit Ruffins, and Jean Grae. More lineup announcements will be made in the coming weeks and you can stay up to date on all the latest news by bookmarking our Festival Outlook.

In addition to performances, CMJ 2011 will also offer film premieres, 70 speaking panels, an Entertainment Business Law Seminar, mixers, Q&A, and more.

CMJ 2011 badges are now available for purchase on the festival’s website. Along with the ‘Full’ and ‘VIP’, this year also offers the ‘CMJ Showpass,’ which allows access to all CMJ Music Marathon showcases and Film Festival screenings.

On the road to releasing his newest effort, The Less You Know, The Better, Bay-area producer Josh Davis, better known as DJ Shadow, has ironically already dropped 20% of the tracks off the September 27th release. Following the premieres of “I Gotta Rokk“, “I’ve Been Trying”, and “I’m Excited” across the blogosphere, plus a spot on the summer’s IDENTITY fest (watch the video below), Shadow is debuting yet another track early: “Stay The Course”.

First spun Monday evening during a guest appearance on Andy Rourke’s Jetlag show on East Village Radio, “Stay The Course” is a stripped down, old-school hip-hop instrumental that carefully contours the verses of featured emcees Talib Kweli and Plug One, aka Posdnuos of De La Soul. Check out the track via our friends at Some Kind of Awesome, and make sure to peep the album’s complete tracklist below.

The Less You Know, The Better Tracklist:
01. Back To Front (Circular Logic)
02. Border Crossing
03. Stay The Course (feat. Posdnuos of De La Soul) & Talib Kweli)
04. I’ve Been Trying
05. Sad And Lonely
06. Warning Call (feat. Tom Vek)
07. Tedium
08. Enemy Lines
09. Going Nowhere
10. Redeemed
11. Run For Your Life
12. Give Me Back The Nights
13. I’m Excited (feat. Afrikan Boy)
14. I Gotta Rokk
15. Scale It Back Feat. Yukimi Nagano (of Little Dragon)
16. Circular Logic (Front To Back)
17. (Not So) Sad And Lonely

The first half of the trek will offer Raekwon and Ghostface Killah performing Only Built for Cuban Linx and Mobb Deep reliving The Infamous. The second half, which will begin September 16th, will see the reunited Black Star performing Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star. Tickets for all shows are now on-sale, and you can scroll below to find out who’s performing where.

Guerrilla Union and House of Blues Entertainment’s new venture doesn’t end there though. Billed as the “North America’s premiere live hip hop partnership,” the deal promises 150 shows in 44 venues in over 30 markets with dozens of club and theater tours annually. Not only is Rock The Bells involved, but so too are hip hop festivals like Paid Dues, Spring Gathering and Smokeout.

Rock the Bells 2011 Tour Dates:
08/12 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues *
08/13 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues *
08/14 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues *
08/16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theater of the Living Arts *
08/20 – San Bernardino, CA @ Rock the Bells Festival
08/21 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues *
08/22 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues *
08/27 – Mountain View, CA @ Rock the Bells Festival
08/30 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room *
08/31 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s *
09/01 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall *
09/03 – New York, NY @ Rock the Bells Festival
09/06 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues #
09/07 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues #
09/08 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues *
09/08 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues #
09/11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theater of the Living Arts #
09/13 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues #
09/15 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle *
09/16 – Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues *
09/16 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room #
09/17 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore *
09/17 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s #
09/18 – Washington, DC @ The Fillmore #
09/20 – Mansfield, MA @ Rock the Bells Festival
09/21 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall #
09/22 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues #
09/23 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues #
09/25 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues #
09/27 – Miami, FL @ The Fillmore #
09/28 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle #
09/29 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore #
10/01 – Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues #

* = Raekwon and Ghostface performing Only Built for Cuban Linx, Mobb Deep performing The Infamous
# = Black Star performing Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star

All four of the United States’ major musical festivals tapped a hip hop headliner in 2011, but there’s only one festival that truly embodies the spirit of the game: Rock the Bell. Once again, the annual hip hop festival series is bringing a who’s who of the rap world to venues on both coasts with a lineup topped by Miss Lauryn Hill, Cypress Hill, Nas, Black Star, and Raekwon & Ghostface.

As was the case last year, a number of the headlining acts will be performing albums in full, with both Hill and Nas confirmed to be performing their respective breakthrough debuts. Also, Cypress Hill will relive their 1993 multi-platinum album Black Sunday, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star will tackle their 1998 self-titled debut album, and Raekwon & Ghostface will team up to play Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.

Other notable acts include Erykah Badu, Mobb Deep performing The Infamous, The GZA performing Liquid Swords, and Immortal Technique. A number of up and coming MCs are also on the bill, including Slaughterhouse, Mac Miller, Curren$y, Freddie Gibbs, and Macklemore.

While the full album sets are already in their second year at the festival, festival promoters will use 2011 to christen a brand new stage Along with the already-established Paid Dues Stage and Rock The Bells Stage, this year’s edition will feature the 36 Chambers Stage, which will feature four members of the rap group Wu-Tang Clan and Wu-esque acts as chosen by curator and Wu sensei/member RZA. Several of the festival’s stops will also feature the Grindtime Stage, which houses battle rap performances. Check out the entire lineup below.

This year’s festivities will feature four dates over the course of one month, kicking off in San Bernadino, CA on August 20th. After hitting San Francisco one week later, Rock the Bells will then head east for stops in New York City and Boston on September 3rd and 10th, respectively.

General on-sale for the festival goes down June 4th; get your tickets here. As always, stay tuned to our Festival Outlook page and the official Rock the Bells site for more info and updates as they’re announced.

Lineup:
Ms. Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill +
Nas – Illmatic +
Cypress Hill – Black Sunday +
Erykah Badu *
Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star +
Raekwon & Ghostface Killah – Only Built for Cuban Linx +
Mobb Deep - The Infamous +
The GZA – Liquid Swords +
Immortal Technique
Slaughterhouse
Mac Miller *
Curren$y *
Souls of Mischief – 93 ‘til Infinity +
Black Moon
Childish Gambino
Blu & Exile
Fashawn
Random Axe *
Masta Killah – No Said Date +
Evidence *
Macklemore *
Freddie Gibbs
Roc Marciano

+ = full-album sets
* = performance on select dates only

Hosted by:
The RZA + MURS 3:16 + Supernatural

Rock the Bells 2011 Dates:
08/20 – San Bernardino, CA @ San Manuel Amphitheater
08/27 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
09/03 – New York, NY @ Governor’s Island
09/10 – Boston, MA @ TBA

Everything kicks off tonight, when Kweli hits the stage in Reno, NV. He’ll then follow up with stops all across California, including an appearance at this weekend’s Paid Dues Festival where he’ll be reuniting with Mos Def for a Black Star performance. As we inch closer to late spring, the tour will head out east, beginning with a stop in Columbus, OH on April 15th. After tackling much of the midwest, Kweli will travel from Marine to Florida, playing Boston, New York, and D.C in between, before wrapping May 7th in Orlando. Up and coming Fresno-based rapper Fashawn is set to share the stage on a number of dates.

If you’re looking for tickets, they can be purchased from the respected venue’s websites listed below. You could always try Seat Geek, too.

Talib Kweli 2011 Tour Dates:
04/01 – Reno, NV @ Knitting Factory
04/02 – San Bernardino, CA @ Paid Dues Festival *
04/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia
04/04 – Costa Mesa, CA @ Detroit Bar
04/05 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
04/06 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
04/07 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
04/08 – Phoenix, AZ @ Venue of Scottsdale
04/09 – Ventura, CA @ Magestic Theatre
04/10 – Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theatre
04/11 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
04/15 – Columbus, OH @ Skully’s
04/16 – College Corner, OH @ Hannon’s Camp America
04/17 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
04/18 – Louisville, KY @ Headliners
04/19 – St. Louis, MO @ Pop’s Nightclub
04/20 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theatre
04/21 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
04/22 – Urbana, IL @ The Canopy
04/23 – Madison, WI @ Capitol Theater
04/24 – Minneapolis, MN @ Epic
04/26 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
04/28 – New York, NY @ SOB’s
04/29 – Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall
04/30 – Albany, NY @ SUNY Albany
05/01 – Newark, DE @ Delaware U
05/02 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Note
05/03 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
05/04 – Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
05/05 – Nashville, TN @ Limelight
05/06 – Charlotte, NC @ Amos Southend
05/07 – Orlando, FL @ Firestone Live

* = As Black Star

So it should come as no surprise that Gutter Rainbows, his fifth solo effort, is underground gold. The fact that Rainbows was released on Kweli’s Blacksmith label shouldn’t brand this as a strictly independent release, though. The production is far from independent, and is actually second to none, with rich soul-sampling provided by illustrious underground hip-hop names like 88-Keys, S1, and Ski Beatz.

After a brief intro, Kweli wastes no time getting to the major motif of the album, on the title track: “‘Cause the way I approach it is from another angle, I stay in the streets and notice the gutter rainbows. It ain’t no pot of gold, it’s where the product’s sold. It’s where we lock and load, cop that rock then roll.” Kweli does what he’s done best for years: keeping the rap game real. It’s not about how much Gucci he rocks. It’s not about the models on his private jet. It’s about life. More specifically, it’s about street life: the harsh realities of drugs, violence, death, and depression. In his own words, “This ain’t fashion rap, I’m bringin’ the passion back.”

The album isn’t an instant classic by any means, but if it lacks at all, it certainly isn’t in the area of passion. Kweli spits verse after verse of raw, emotionally gripping rhymes that capture the essence of the real world. It’s tough to hear his words and consider him anything but the greatest of modern philosophers. He jumps from topic to topic, pointing out infallible truths about life that make you take a second look at the way things are, and the way they ought to be. It’s the beauty of Talib Kweli, what’s made the man a legend.

The Queens native has never forgotten his roots, or bought into the bogus ideals that are consuming modern hip hop. It’s almost a spiritual experience to hear him preach about the streets. But if you’ve heard any other Kweli recording, you already know this. This album is just a further manifestation of the man’s innate ability to weave a perfect rap around topics that are inordinately heavy. Gutter Rainbows is full of  his trademark greatness, and as such will go forward as yet another stunner for those who are familiar with him.

For those just beginning their path to righteousness via the words of Mr. Kweli, this album may seem a bit jumbled. It is not as accessible as some of his previous efforts, particularly The Beautiful Struggle and Eardrum, which were brimming with club beats multiplied in strength by his cunning wit (though tracks like “Cold Rain”, “Self Savior”, and “Wait For You” hit their mark here).  Often times, the album feels as though he’s trying harder to create anti-ignorance propaganda than he is trying to create music. A few Rainbow tracks (“I’m On One”,  and “Tater Tot” especially) are almost completely devoid of  musical integrity. It feels like Kweli is focusing too hard on the words and not hard enough on the potency of the music itself on this record, but even Bob Dylan has been guilty of that a couple of times in his career.

It’s free-thinkers like Kweli and Dylan that push their respective genres forward, as well as remind everyone what their genre should be about. And while it feels almost sacrilegious to compare the two, it’s not hard to see where the similarities lie. These are two men working hard to make people think, really think, about the way things are and the way they ought to be. In that right, Gutter Rainbows is the ultimate success. However, in terms of accessibility, he’s done better work, and this release will probably just go down as a good, but not a great Talib Kweli album.

South by Southwest‘s 2011 lineup gets more ridiculous with each passing day. Now, The Strokes are confirmed to play a free show at Auditorium Shores on Thursday, March 17th, while Duran Duran will grace Stubbs one day earlier. Also, according to Austin 360, the legendary Wu-Tang Clan will play alongside Fishbone and Yelawolf for a showcase at the Austin Music Hall on Wednesday night.

Other new additions to the bill include Trentemøller, Talib Kweli, The Knux, Tinie Tempah, Mister Heavenly, The Secret Sisters, The New Mastersounds, Glasser, Daedelus, and Asher Roth. Plus, rising hip hop collective Odd Future will make an appearance, according to member Hodgy Beats.

The music portion of South by Southwest 2011 runs from March 16-20 in Austin, Texas. Head to our Festival Outlook to peep all one trillion acts confirmed to play, then hit up sxsw.com for ticketing info.

Talib Kweli and Raekwon don’t have a lot in common musically. For instance, one’s known for being a socially relevant and conscientiousness MC, while the other has a lot of rhymes that involve the distribution of illicit materials (we’ll leave it to you to guess who is who.) However, both are equally talented and on the verge of dropping new LPs. So, with Kweli’s Gutter Rainbows out on Janaury 25th, and Raekwon’s Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang dropping March 8th, the two are unveiling new songs from their respective records. For your listening pleasure, both Kweli’s “I’m On One” and Raekwon’s “Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang” can be streamed below. There’s something for everyone in one convenient post. Isn’t it great when we can all get along?

Talib Kweli – “I’m On One”

Raekwon’s “Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang”

While a lot of us are busy figuring the odds for Coachella 2011, we shouldn’t sleep on another festival happening in California: the 6th annual Paid Dues Festival. Organized by rapper Murs & Guerilla Union, the festival goes down April 2nd at San Bernadino, CA’s Nos Events Center. The official lineup hasn’t been revealed yet, but Murs along with Immortal Technique and a reunited Black Star (Mos Def & Talib Kweli) have been confirmed as three headliners (via okayplayer). A Guerrilla Union pre-sale begins Friday, December 10th via Ticketfly, with a public on-sale to follow on December 11th.

Stay tuned for more updates as they’re announced.

The release is actually made up of a few new-ish tracks as well as some older ones. Opener “Shiny Suit Pt. 2″ is a version of the same track by Jay Electronica, where Estelle delivers a few verses while Legend does his soulful singing thing.  Next up is “You Are” from Estelle’s 2008 LP Shine and then “Freedom”, which is a remix version of “Free” from Estelle’s debut, The 18th Day, with a newly added verse by Talib Kweli. After that, it’s another The 18th Day track in “Hey Girl” and a cut from Legend’s 2008 Evolver, “No Other Love”. Wrapping up the album is “Come Over”, once more from Shine, before the album ends on a new track from Estelle’s upcoming LP, All Of Me, in the form of “Fall In Love”.

Download the entire EP here. We’re pretty sure this is a better deal than that $200 TV you woke up at 4 a.m. to get.

Sing And Flow: The Duets Tracklist:
01. Shiny Suit pt.2
02. You Are
03. Freedom f. Talib Kweli
04. Hey Girl (Original)
05. No Other Love
06. Come Over f. Sean Paul
07. Fall In Love

Talib might be making a run at that throne in 2011 when he releases his latest solo effort Gutter Rainbows due out Janurary 25th. The album will be released on Talib’s new imprint, Talibra. Below is “Cold Rain”, the first song released from the album which features production by Ski Beatz. If this is what’s in store for the rest of the album, Ye and Jay better watch the throne, indeed.

The PR for the album claims that “the album will be a digital-only release in North America and available in all formats in the rest of the world,” which implies that dropping the extra coin for an import might seem worth it/necessary.

Other producers on Glitter Rainbows include S-1, M-Phazes, Shuko, Blaqthoven, KHRYSIS!, Maurice Brown, E. Jones, Nick Speed & Ty Neg.  Again, Talib is where Kanye got his start, so listen up to his ear.

Keep an eye out for the tracklist and for sure more leaks as they come.  For now, turn it up:

It’s another Saturday release for Kanye‘s G.O.O.D. Friday music series, but this one was totally worth the wait. For G.O.O.D. Friday, pt. 14, the Chicago MC has dropped the Talib Kweli and Consequence-featuring, Q-Tip-produced “Chain Heavy”. Originally rumored to be included on the Chicago MC’s forthcoming album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, the track is now slated to appear as a bonus cut on the album’s deluxe edition. But thanks to the magic of G.O.O.D. Friday, you can check it out now below.

Check Out:
“Chain Heavy” (feat. Talib Kweli and Consequence)

The album, Kweli tweeted, is called Gutter Rainbows. If you’re not as book smart as we are, the title’s a reference from Catcher In The Rye. The non-Mos Def half of Black Star also announced a few names involved in production, including Ski Beatz, Hi-Tek, and S1.

No word on a release date, but Kweli did hint that it’d be “available sooner than you think.”

As always, stay tuned for more news as it’s announced, ya phonies.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to fly with Kweli. Yesterday, the Twitter account  RealTalibKweli posted, “Uh, no I don’t know abt this..” in response to inquiries about the show. Later that day, the same account posted “Promoters getting reckless. I will not be hosting anything at Conga Room LA Friday and there’s no Black Star show in Oakland July 31s” and “No black star show in Hawaii either. Hey promoters I’m in Black Star. You have to ask me first. And I have to say yes.”

Promoter Another Planer Entertainment was contacted by CoS and two representatives confirmed the shows, with one saying that “he (Kweli) signed a contract and tickets go on sale Sunday.” They were unaware of this Twittering and seemed confident that the show is happening, so take it for what it is. Regardless, we’ll have more updates on the situation as they’re revealed.

Beyond the overarching album concept, the point of the album is that you take Kweli and his counter-mainstream flows and put them together with the intricacy of Hi-Tek’s behind-the-board skills. The problem is that it doesn’t always match up so well. It’s not that the production work is bad; it’s solid, with small variances throughout while maintaining a level of consistency, and with the right amount of catchiness. But the production value seems to be so minimal, specifically in the first few tracks, that things don’t connect like they should. “Midnight Hour”, even with the sexy satin tinge of Estelle, sounds like any ’60s-sampling hip-hop track from circa 2004. “Just Begun” has a beat that is like bad smooth jazz on a loop and that burns and eats its way into your brain. Want to know what Mos Def was saying by the final verse? Me too. But Hi-Tek isn’t simply to blame. Kweli is a veteran of the game, and with that said, the lack of variances in his flow can be a hindrance. In the most basic sense, Hi-Tek seems to be a big fan of heavy rhythms on loop. “In The Red” and “So Good” work well because there’s more playfulness in Kweli’s delivery, more shifts in tone and the way in which he delivers the lines, in order to brilliantly counter his partner’s often monotonous style.

But the tracks that work the best are the ones that find that happy middle ground between interesting production and showing off the flow of Kweli. “Strangers (Paranoid)” and “Got Work” are worthy of some marathon head-nodding in that they tow the ever-important line between being something of straight sonic flash and something with substance that deserves to shine. Even then some of the album’s better selections stem not from the dynamic between Kweli and Hi-Tek, but rather from their guests. “Midnight Hour” fails because there’s nothing interesting from utilizing Estelle; “Get Loose”, which features Chester French, is, if nothing else, interesting. Estelle was in her comfort zone of sorts, while bringing in this pop-dance version of The Zombies creates a song that is nostalgic in the best kind of way: dirty and rhythmic, like from a seedy club on the wrong side of Pasadena. That and you have Bun B rapping about AIG in the aforementioned “Strangers (Paranoid)” and sometimes you can see the value of having a diverse group of friends.

Because its successes and failures correspond near perfectly with the successes and failures of the album as a whole, we come to the album’s concept at last. While Kweli is notorious for his social awareness and conscientious rhymes, much of the success in the album doesn’t come in the form of crazed rants about technology and the inadequacies of modern man (the end of “Get Loose”). Instead, it’s the light touch, like the balance that’s struck between telling a compelling story of a simple charcater and critiques against the world at large in “My Life (Outro)”, where the whole concept shines the brightest. But in much of the album, the record has found itself simply skipping.

Watch for yourself below, courtsey of The Audio Perv. Revolutions Per Minute, Reflection Eternal’s first studio album in 10 years, is now available for purchase at your favorite music retailer. In support of the release, the duo is on tour all summer.

On the over-the-hill yet sober front, Scott Weiland and Stone Temple Pilots managed to make it through a performance of “Between The Lines”, the first single off the band’s forthcoming, self-titled sixth studio album. Yep, Weiland even kept on his shirt the entire time. Go figure.

And of course, as previously mentioned, perhaps the biggest highlight of the evening came in the form of Mumford & Son’s performance of “The Cave” on the music machine that is Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. J-Fal wins the night? No surprise there.

Watch clips from Reflection Eternal, Damian Marley & Nas, and Stone Temple Pilots’ respective performances below. Mumford & Sons here.

Reflection Eternal w/ Estelle – “Midnight Hour”

Damian Marley & Nas – “As We Enter”

Stone Temple Pilots – “Between the Lines”

Hat tip to The Audio Perv for video support…

Unsurprisingly, “Ballad of the Black Gold” is a political track about the negative influence of oil drilling. It’s got an interesting beat, a mix of hip-hop and a traditional march featuring snares galore. Kweli sings the chorus, but the melody that really sticks is the background loop featuring distorted sampled female “na na na” vocals. Don’t take my word for it, however, hear for yourself below.

This past Friday, something around two thousand students gathered at Chicago’s Riviera Theatre, where bright yellow school buses juxtaposed themselves against beatnik, zombie-looking drug dealers. Pretty picture aside, the long line that jettisoned out of the rundown venue’s doors created quite the chaotic scene under a marquee that listed: Passion Pit & Talib Kweli.

Although 20 minutes late, rapper Talib Kweli arrived to friendly vibes. Hundreds of twentysomethings, mostly those in the front, followed his every command as he blasted through an hour set that honestly felt like 30 minutes. Kweli stuck close to his past material, naturally whisking through his supporting work (including Kanye West’s “Get Em High”), though he did leak out a few goodies off his forthcoming Reflection Eternal record, Revolutions Per Minute. Keep your ears out for “Strangers (Paranoid)”, a track that not only drove the crowd into a frenzy, but brought a round of applause, too.

Some short change later, the opening notes of “I’ve Got Your Number” rung out, calling forth the Boston band that’s been sweeping the live scene for the past year. It took some time to hear ‘em actually play, given the crowd’s deafening screams, but a minute or two in, things turned from a choir of fans into an all-out dance party. Stuck behind his synthesizers, Ayad Al Adhamy set the pace for the evening, managing to segue “Make Light” into “The Reeling” flawlessly and without skipping a beat, which kept frontman and vocalist Michael Angelakos on his toes.

“I have a little bit of a sinus infection,” Angelakos admitted, throwing out the first of many thanks to the Northwestern-flavored audience. Despite his illness, the now-lanky singer (Seriously, touring has stretched him bone thin!) paraded about the stage — at one point going so far as to climb the stage’s right speaker — and hit most of the high scaling notes. Impressive? We’ll go with damn endearing.

Most present will argue that the group’s agreeable encore of “Sleepyhead” birthed the night’s major highlight. Keep in mind that every soul in attendance demanded it. However, the initial closer of “Smile Upon Me” into “Little Secrets” saw the set truly peak. When Angelakos screamed out, “I want every person to put their hands up,” the audience did him one better. They chanted along, they threw their fists up, and they danced the best way a predominately white crowd could.

Kudos Northwestern, ice cream social this was not.

Photography by Heather Kaplan.

Passion Pit setlist:
I’ve Got Your Number
Make Light
The Reeling
Moth’s Wings
Swimming in the Flood
To Kingdom Come
Let Your Love Grow Tall
Folds in your Hand
Smile Upon Me
Little Secrets

Encore:
Sleepyhead
——

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Coodie and Chiki have collaborated for videos such as Kanye West’s “Through the Wire” and “Two Words” (feat. Mos Def). Coodie and Chike continue their use of black and white videography, New York City Skylines, and archived footage to seemingly convey the connection and influence these artists share with early hip-hop. Not to go unmentioned, the single also highlights another great collaboration between fellow Black Star emcees Mos Def and Talib Kweli.

Mos Def upcoming tour dates below; Tickets available here.

Mos Def 2010 Tour Dates:
01/07 – New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
01/23 – New York, NY @ Apollo Theater
01/27 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus *
01/30 – New York, NY @ Nokia Theater Times Square *
02/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero

* = w/ DOOM

Speaking of the duo’s forthcoming album, like most hip-hop efforts these days, the followup to 2000′s Train of Thought is not only a long time coming, but has already experienced its fair share of delays. Revolutions Per Minute, which originally due out before the end of 2008, is now scheduled for next February. So far, two singles from the effort, “Back Again” and the Mos Def-aided “Just Begun” have proceeded the release.

“Metro” is a great example of that. The Berlin original is already frantic and energetic like the movement of a bullet train, but they haven’t gone overboard with it, instead gradually shifting things up to create an even more kinetic experience. “World on Wheels” musically is like faintly techno old school Afrika Bambaataa. Plus, Saul Williams’ bit adds an angry club version of some David Byrne sing-screaming. “The Warship” blends parts of Edwin Starr’s “War” and Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” into a militaristic call for action that commands head-nodding galore. It’s a completely older Kweli song without a lot of the dance and electro tinge to it. “Steady”, which samples the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams”, is a impactful example of the sonic representation of their aim; it’s spun from a pretty dark song into something sort of elegant and sinister and mechanical before winding down, complete with the record skipping off into oblivion.

Kweli has always been known as a conscientious rapper, but with this album he learns to have fun while still being insightful and having depth. “Screamin’ “, featuring MC Chris, is a party record about abandoning reason for a hedonistic club experience; having a king of nerdcore brings a new perspective to the closed-off nature and social standards of hip-hop in general. Same goes for “Girls on the Dancefloor”. It’s less of a condemnation and more of this darkly poetic, intriguing look at the whole culture in the same way as American Psycho glorifies the yuppie culture; there’s an underlining wave of faceless and meaningless abandonment. “Party Robots” is another example of the dual existence; all about having fun and being a slave to the rhythm, it’s also a critique on the mindlessness of much of the club/party scene.

Worry not, though; despite the depth, the album’s full of lots of numbers that rumble with the sound of Prince-tastic beats processed through computers and the menacing movement of heavy drums. “LA Famous” is a banging example of the kind of disgusted worship of all that is shiny and fake. It’s built like some top 40 female pop goddess number with a posh synth line and lots of buzzing noises and predictably funky drum machine. It’s hard to tell if it’s a legitimate satire or celebration. Graph Nobel’s much more intense and real and less of the dainty pop queen that is portrayed in the song. It totally blurs the line of their insightfulness and total abandonment.

And speaking of Nobel, consider her a wellspring of female fury from here on out. “Bedroom Lights” shifts between a vocodered Nobel calling out from the dark to her Wonder Woman-esque accusations, separated by Kweli’s verse of a gameless man over a chirp-heavy DIY bedroom beat ripped from an arcade machine. “Fyah” is arguably where the voice of Nobel really shines. It’s the utter sweetness and vulnerability and emotional richness that would make Gwen Stefani circa Tragic Kingdom feel like weeping. But she also shows a tougher side with a verse in “Screamin’ “. It’s a straight-up rhythmic assault that flows like a streetwise seraphim. Undoubtedly part of what lets her step up is having to match wits with a legend like Kweli. One of the more interesting ways Nobel stands out is the seemingly insecure touches. “Black Snake Moan” finds the man and woman in a duel of overt sexiness. Graph totally wins by thrusting her heels into the ground and pulling him into her perverted den: a new spin on the whole gender dynamic of hip-hop, set to the sounds of some old roadhouse blues explosion.

While the idea of Kweli moving toward the clubbin’ direction may be a sign of the apocalypse for some, this is an album of balancing acts and of mining the past and braving the future.

Download:
Party Robots