You might know Talib Kweli from the duo Reflection Eternal, one of the great underground 90s hip hop groups. Or maybe you know him as one half of Black Star, with Mos Def being the other half. Or you might know him from his solo work, which is extraordinary, especially 2002's Quality. If you don't know him from any of these, you should get to know him.
And this is a good place to start! He's released a mix tape in advance of his new album, Prisoner of Conscious, and the mix - and the first track - take its inspiration from last year's masterpiece Attack the Block. I haven't listened to the whole thing yet, but that first track is killer, and the rest that I've heard are quite good as well. And I've discovered that YouTube rapping sensation Mac Miller is actually guesting on stuff from real rappers, which is kind of mind-blowing.
Click here to listen to the mix tape, which is available for free download.
About the Author: A ten year veteran of writing for the web, Devin has built a reputation as a loud, uncompromising and honest voice – sometimes to the chagrin of his readers, but usually to their delight.
