Bangin' on your Eardrum

-David Finn

Sometimes I wonder how I appear to be the only person who feels this way, but I have become completely and utterly sick of “mainstream,” radio hip-hop. I don’t say this merely to seem like a cool kid who’s into a different kind of music than everybody else; really, the music just seems to speak for itself. Crank that soulja what? Move my body like a cyclone? A bay bay?

However, in the epidemic created by Hurricane Chris, Soulja Boy, T-Pain and others, I found the anecdote to save true hip-hop in the form of Talib Kweli’s new album, “Eardrum.” The original “BKMC” or Brooklyn emcee, whose name translates to “seeker of knowledge” in Arabic, is more lyrically concise than just about any rapper you will hear on the radio today. And in short, his songs focus on things bigger than the latest dance move. This qualifies under the notorious category of a “conscious rapper,” an artist who spreads knowledge and awareness about important issues. Conscious rappers are close cousins to political rappers, who focus solely on political issues and nothing else, such as Flava Flav’s old group Public Enemy.

After enjoying critical success on duo albums with Mos Def and Hi-Tek, respectively, and a good deal of praise on his first three solo albums, Talib left his record label to create one of his own, Blacksmith Records. Eardrum is his first release on this new label.

From the first track of the album, “Everything Man,” Talib articulates his understanding that not everyone will enjoy his album, saying “Yeah, they say you can’t please everybody,” in the first line. Unlike most hip-hop records nowadays, Eardrum addresses some of the date’s most pressing issues. This is exemplified on songs like “Eat To Live,” which speaks on the problem of poverty facing the world, as well as on “Hostel Gospel” and “The Nature.” Insightful lyrics and crafty wordplay along with quality production by Kweli and others help make the songs enjoyable to listen to, as opposed to coming off as didactic or preachy like the music of some other conscious rappers.

Don’t get me wrong though; there are plenty of songs for mainstream hip-hop lovers as well. The album’s guest list includes legendary rap group UGK, ladies’ man Justin Timberlake, super producers Just Blaze and Pete Rock, and the immaculate Kanye West. Songs featuring these artists, such as “Country Cousins,” “In The Mood” and “Hot Thing,” come off as obvious attempts at trying to crack the code of conventional radio hits. However, they dare not stoop to the level of “We Fly High,” retaining a quality of lyrical preciseness and purpose. The top track on the album has to be “Listen!” which has the perfect combination of mainstream production, a banging bass line with up-tempo beat, coupled with strong lyrics and a palpable meaning in the song.

With “Eardrum” appearing to be Kweli’s strongest effort to date, I can only hope he garners some of the respect he truly deserves from the music world. I strongly recommend that you check this album out, whether you buy it from a record store or more than likely download it off the internet.