Listen up suckas. Leave the Escalade in "park." Drop the entourage at the club. Check the bling at the door. Talib Kweli is back to pull listeners out of the hype and give them a new piece of his mind with his latest album, Right About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD.
On Right About Now, Kweli downshifts to a slightly less refined sound, walking the line between raw, underground sounds and mainstream influences. The new album includes a mixed bag of new tracks, mix-tape work and outtakes from his eagerly anticipated 2004 album, Beautiful Struggle, where Kweli enlisted the help of R&B diva Mary J. Blige and producer Kanye West, but this time around the rapper is less concerned with what's going on beneath his words. However, that's not to say the album does not supply its fair share of colorful beats.
The album looks beyond past struggles of the artist and draws listeners into the place Kweli finds himself "right about now." It employs catchy hooks and calls upon old friends, building on his past work and emphasizing Kweli's lyric-dropping ability. The result: a well-rounded album of equally strong tracks that make picking a favorite a daunting task.
Kweli brings listeners up to speed on the title track, "Right About Now," and wastes no time breaking down racial stereotypes in "Drugs, Basketball & Rap." Set amid a punchy bass line and clapping rhythm, the rapper offers a few words to the ignorant crowd who often point to sports and music as key areas of success among black community. He entreats them to look beyond their assumptions with each repetition of "there's more to us than that." Kweli further displays his freestyle prowess by somehow managing to work "Lemony Snicket" into the lyrical mix. The artist's social commentary continues on "Fly That Knot." A horn intro adds flavor and quickly drops into a heavy-hitting bass, resurfacing with each passing chorus.
Kweli later returns to his roots on the up-tempo blend of hip-hop and fanfare, "Supreme Supreme." The track features help from Kweli's former collaborator, Mos Def. In the '90s, the duo worked alongside Cincinnati-rapper Hi-Tek in the group Black Star. The group gained critical acclaim for their old-fashioned style in a time when gangster rap and manufactured pop-rap dominated the scene, but eventually split up to allow time for solo endeavors. However, when listening to the chemistry between the flows of each respective artist on "Supreme Supreme," it's hard to believe the rappers parted ways years ago.
The album shows Kweli's softer side and takes an Eminem-style turn on "Ms. Hill," his tribute to former voice of the Fugees and solo success, Lauryn Hill. The rapper does not, of course, take his admiration to the extreme, fanatic tone presented in Eminem's "Stan," but strictly offers his support to Hill, not only as an individual, but also as an artist. He looks past speculation surrounding Hill's virtual disappearance from the music scene and provides the encouraging words, "You give us hope, you give us faith, you're the one." As an interesting side note, Kweli adds a soft sample to the track from an unlikely avenue — the words of a folksy, rock artist. He speeds up the chorus of Ben Kweller's "In Other Words," (Another night slips away / in other words, I should say / there are no words, you should say / there are no words) to offer the ultimate compliment.
Although Right About Now makes use of material that was left out of past albums, this disc effectively showcases the talent of Talib Kweli and makes it no wonder he's gained the support of Kanye West and even shout outs from Jay-Z. This album is definitely worth listening to — even among those lacking rap "cred." Where else can one find references to Harry Belafonte, E! True Hollywood Story and camera cell phones within the confines of 12 short tracks?
Grade: B
