Talib Kweli - Gravitas Album Review

Talib Kweli - Gravitas



This album was released a little while ago (Dec 13th) but I've wanted to do a review and never been a better time and it allows me to shed some light on some unbelievable Hip Hop music. My goal with this review is to turn one of you on to one of the best lyricists ever and one of the last true emcees left. Kweli truly challenges listeners to listen to his words, decipher, and makes a better person through his music. He makes you challenge the way you think about Hip Hop.

This album is a great bounce back album after Prisoner of Consciousness which wasn't his best work. His flow was there (always is) but the production and his attempt to try and go into a different lane really didn't work. So for Gravitas Kweli reached out to Qtip to executive produce the whole album and it became one of Kweli's best in the process of the creation. It is one of if not his best produced albums I've heard from him IMO and that's why I wanted to review it on here. A note on my review, since this one is so well produced beat wise I am gonna include the producer of each track, again for Kweli this is a very important aspect of his music because his flow is always impressive and always there.

Tracklist:

1. Inner Monolouge (Prod. By Khrysis) - Starting off with 9th Wonders fellow producer of the Justus League and a raw young beat maker whose projects include Masta Ace, Sean Price, and Jean Grae, Tyson crafts a nice intro track with a piano riff mixed with singing and Keli's flow. A nice starting track allowing TK to intro himself going more of the braggadocios style he excels in. A perfect meld of music for the intro.

2. Demonology (ft. Gary Clark Jr & Big K.R.I.T., Prod. By Lord Quest) - One of the rawest tracks I've heard from Kweli in a long time. Quest had an easy time mixing the awesome blues guitar playing by Clark Jr , the singing riff and the banging back beat. Then both Kweli and KRIT kill it lyrically. It is one of many standout tracks on this project. We get jewels left and right lyrically on this one.

3. State of Grace (Ft. Abby Dobson, Prod by Lord Quest) - A much better example of Quest crafting a beat without as much help lol. This is a very thought challenging track Kweli uses to tell a story of a female who has holds a rap artist on a pedestal only to be invited backstage, turn down his advances and called a "bitch" and how it affects her. This beat is phenomenal and Kweli rides it perfectly to tell this story and Abby does a great job on the hook. A great track Kweli uses to shine on the way he did on earlier albums but lately has gotten away from, I really liked it and his last verse speaking on the current state of Hip Hop is a seminal moment on this album.

4. Violations (Ft, Raekwon, Prod by Thaddeus Dixon) - The Chef brought one of his newer producers with Dixon and this one also is a raw arse beat for sure and TK and Kwon going back and forth on this track is a DREAM COME TRUE for me. Two of the best lyricists alive today and both trying to outdo the other really molds this track with the complex beat Dixon provides. Another standout track everyone should give at least one listen.

5. Rare Portraits (Prod. By Oh No) - Another well crafted beat by a fairly new producer from Gangrene (with Alchemist). It is amazing how many beats and producers Qtip brought to this project. Another light piano riff with a heavy back beat and TK is just riding this beat to kind of explain some history of a few artists and Rawkus and just makes this track stand out with his flow on this one. I know I'm saying every track is a stand out but it is amazing how many of those tracks are on this album.

6. New Leaders (Ft. The Underachievers, Prod. By Statik Selektah) - This one is more of letting Underachievers shine but the track is a classic Statik beat crafted around the hook. TK spits a quick 10 bars then sounds off on the hook proclaiming "I'm looking for some new leaders" then moves aside and lets them take over. It is a whole track crafted around the new rap group. To me its the only track that doesn't let TK shine enough but it still fits with him crafting the hook.

7. The Wormhole (Prod. by Oh No) - Starting off with a Tupac sound bite about the Illuminati and then the raw beat kicks in. This one isn't as good of a beat by Oh No than the other two. Kweli uses this track as a soapbox for the history of the masons and gives the listener the history of how the government turned it into something "wicked". Another thought provoking track by TK. This style reminds me a bit of Immortal Technique I like it and its a side we don't see much from Kweli.

8. What's Real (Ft. RES, Prod. by Rich Kidd) - Kidd is one of the young beat crafters a few heavy hitters from the North have used like Busta and Drake as well as a few newer artists like K-os. This is another beat crafted around the hook and a newer sound again we don't hear from Kweli and he usually does a nice job riding any beat and this is no exception despite his lack of experience with these type of beats. RES is on point on this as well.

9. Art imitates Life (Ft. Black Thought, Rah Digga, & ALBe. Black, Prod. By Oh No) - One of the best tracks on the album. Oh No impresses me on this album with his beats, and this one is probably the best one, it is the perfect combo of delicate and raw mixed with a strong beat in the fore front to match Kweli and the features on this track. All of them kill it especially Digga my goodness and even Kweli takes a back seat on this one kinda surprising. A big time stand out track for me.

10. Lover's Peak (Prod. by 6th Sense) - A classic Sense beat using the sample from "Loving You" perfectly to go with a nice play on the word "Love" by Kweli. A shortened track but it is a nice one even if it is only one verse by TK. A perfect sort of intro into the final track

11. Colors Of You (Ft. Mike Posner, Prod. By J Dilla) - He finishes this amazing album on a Dilla beat and he absolutely kills this beat like only Kweli can. Everything from Posner's singing to Kweli's hook to his ridiculous verses to a classic Dilla beat makes this track a perfect ending to an unbelievable album.

This album ranks up there as one of my favorite solo Kweli albums and I hope he uses Qtip's executive production more on future projects. I really don't have any issues with anything on this album and being one of my favorite artists already he crafted an 11 track masterpiece that I believe will be a classic Talib Kweli album in time. You guys really should at least DL it and listen or like I have go buy it and listen even if you don't particularly like Kweli (don't know why anyone who likes Hip Hop wouldn't) or especially if you haven't heard or listened to any other Kweli albums. My hope in doing this review again is to make his amazing music more aware on here.

Grade - A+

Next up: Young Money - Rise of an Empire Deluxe Edition (should be interesting lol)