Eardrum
Talib Kweli
Jack Says: B
Release Date: 8/21/07
AN OPEN LETTER TO TALIB KWELI:
Dear Mr. Talib Kweli, BK MC,
I’ve got some shit I need to get off my chest. But before I get into it, I just want you to know that I’ve always been a big fan. I remember back in ’98 when you and Mos Def made Black Star and all the critics said you were hip hop’s next great thing. I agreed! I bought all your albums, and I ate them up with gusto. Then, when the critics nitpicked, I stood by you. When they said you weren’t living up to the hype (which they manufactured, by the way – totally unfair), I ignored it. After all, nobody could question your skills. Hands down, you’re one of the most talented lyricists/MCs alive today. They said you couldn’t write a hook. I scoffed. They said you the beats you chose were whack. I pshawed. They said you wrote too many songs for the ladies. I said, ‘Oh well, I’ll throw it on a mixtape for my girlfriend.’
But truth be told, Talib, when they said you couldn’t decide whether you wanted to be a hip-hop entertainer or a hip-hop philosopher, even though I wanted to defend you, they had a point. You’re a smart man. We know that. You’ve got a conscious. That’s obvious. But you’ve always seemed confused. You always say you make music that matters, but do you really want to? Do you want that responsibility? After two solo albums and a bevy of collaborations, that answer still wasn’t clear. So even though I wasn’t crazy about The Beautiful Struggle, your last album, I eagerly awaited Eardrum, you’re newest. I listened to the samples on your MySpace page. I went down to Athens to see you in the flesh on the Virgin college tour. I twiddled my thumbs when the release date was pushed back. But now I have it, I’ve listened to it, and I want you to be the first to know… I’m jumping off the bandwagon. For too long I’ve had your back, waiting for you to find yourself, to come into your own. I’ve probably played it 50 times now, and it’s plain to see that Eardrum is, for better or worse, not much unlike your other albums: a few flashes of brilliance, but more than enough mediocrity, inconsistency and wasted potential.
OK, Talib, so I gave Eardrum a B. It’s above average. Above average?! You were supposed to be hip-hop’s savior! Above average just isn’t good enough for you! You’re capable of so much more! That’s all anyone has been trying to say! And that’s why this relationship has been so hard on me! I know you’ve been under a lot of pressure, and I understand that. Living up to the standard that was set for you probably hasn’t been easy, but I’ve been pulling for you. It’s obvious to anyone that you would be great at anything you do. But you just can’t seem to make up your mind.
Ever since Black Star came out you’ve listened way too much to what people say about you, and that’s more obvious on Eardrum than ever before. And it’s too bad, because the album starts out so strong. I mean, on the first track, “Everything Man,” you come straight out and say, “I try to fit it in the same rhyme but realized / I can’t be everything to everyone at the same time.” Finally! Then, on “Hostile Gospel,” your first words are “I call these rappers baby seals, ’cause they club you to death.” It gave me chills! For two albums you tried so hard, with your Kanye West beats and Mary J. Blige choruses, to make a hit. But that’s never been your thing, and that’s OK. Through the first three tracks of Eardrum, you really had me excited.
Unfortunately, from there on out the album is a letdown. Sure, it has its bright spots. I’ll always appreciate a good Michael Richards reference. But if I had three words to describe Eardrum, it would be something like more of same, or maybe nothing too special. And while your same old, same old is still a lot better than most of what’s around, right now it’s just not enough to keep my attention. I still believe that somewhere deep down in there you’ve got another masterpiece up your sleeve, but as much as it hurts me to say it, Eardrum isn’t it.
Until then,
Jack
Key tracks: “Hostile Gospel, Pt. 1,” “Stay Around,” “Listen!”
I thought this was the best album of 2007.