As the final concert in Hobart and William Smith Colleges’ 2007/2008 "Live From Geneva" music series, national hip-hop recording artist Talib Kweli will present a concert at the Smith Opera House. Opening the show is Broadcast Live.
Talib Kweli is one of the most critically respected rappers of his time, which dawned in the late ’90s when he rapped alongside Mos Def and DJ Hi-Tek as part of the group Black Star. This trio of up-and-comers and their widely acclaimed self-titled 1998 album debut helped make Rawkus Records one of the premier underground rap outposts of the era. Kweli and Hi-Tek then collaborated as a duo on "Reflection Eternal" (2000), which firmly established them apart from Mos Def, who had gone solo. For a moment there, Kweli and his Rawkus associates seemed like a full-fledged movement -- a return to the sort of hip-hop associated with the so-called golden age. But Rawkus lost its momentum, and its roster dispersed, leaving Kweli on his own to carry the torch. He continued his output, beginning with a proper solo debut, "Quality" (2002), and though he didn’t rack up towering sales numbers, he remained a critical favorite. In fact, he was one of the most admired and respected rappers on the major-label circuit during the mid-2000s, best evidenced by Jay-Z’s famous "Black Album" rhyme: "If skills sold, truth be told/I’d probably be, lyrically, Talib Kweli."
When Kweli returned with his "Quality" album in 2002, things had changed a bit. For one, he was truly solo. Mos Def was long gone, and Hi-Tek was off focusing on his own solo career as a for-hire producer. So "Quality" featured Kweli collaborating with a host of different artists, among them a young and promising yet still largely unknown producer named Kanye West. "Get By" was the fruit of Kweli’s collaboration with West, and it became the rapper’s biggest hit to date, aided by a non-album remix featuring Jay-Z. The remix received radio play, but still, "Quality" didn’t put up Jay-Z numbers and Kweli remained a critical favorite, a reputation cemented all the more in late 2003 when Jigga gave him the aforementioned high-profile shoutout in "Moment of Clarity."
All of this set the stage very well for "The Beautiful Struggle," which was released in 2004. The expectations for the album were gargantuan because of the Jay-Z rhyme, and also because a great many hip-hop disciples felt Kweli was long overdue for a commercial breakthrough. The album was undoubtedly his most commercial effort to date, featuring a few token radio-ready hook singers like Mary J. Blige and Anthony Hamilton, not to mention a roster of hitmaking producers like the Neptunes, Just Blaze, and Kanye. It was also Kweli’s most self-conscious to date, however, as it was apparent that the commercial pressures had begun to affect his mindset. He responded by splitting from his distributor, Universal, and lying low for a while, releasing a stopgap mixtape, "Right About Now" (2005) via Koch.
In anticipation of his next solo album, Kweli collaborated with producer Madlib on the digital-only "Liberation," which was made available as a free download during the first week of 2007 on the Stones Throw Web site. Finally, in August of that year, Kweli issued the full-length album "Eardrum" on his own label, Blacksmith, via a partnership with Warner Brothers. Debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and selling about 60,000 copies in its first week, "Eardrum" has become Kweli’s best-selling album and features beats from not only Madlib but also Hi-Tek, Kanye West, Pete Rock, and will.i.am, among others, and features guests like Norah Jones, UGK, Justin Timberlake, and Strong Arm Steady.
The "Live from Geneva" series is made possible with a grant to Hobart and William Smith Colleges by the New York State Music Fund.
Tickets go on sale during intermission at the Donna the Buffalo/Keith Frank concert, February 15. General admission tickets only will be available on-line at www.TheSmith.org starting at 11 p.m. All tickets will be available starting February 19, during regular business hours, at The Smith box office, The College Store, and by calling 315-781-LIVE or toll-free 866-355-LIVE (5483).
Closed on February 18 for President’s Day, regular Smith box office hours are weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The Smith accepts MasterCard, Visa and Discover.Images
National Hip-Hop Recording Artist to ...
Date and Time
Friday Apr 18, 2008
8:00 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Friday, April 18th at 8pm (doors open at 7pm)
Location
Smith Opera House82 Seneca StGeneva, NY
Fees/Admission
General admission tickets are $25; $15 for students
Website
Contact Information
315-781-LIVE or toll-free 866-355-LIVE (5483)
