Talib Kweli

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Why Musicians Matter to the Occupy Movement

​It's been over two weeks since the protest in SF's financial district commenced -- prompted by the occupation of Wall Street that started almost a month ago -- and four days since Oakland joined this now apparently worldwide movement. As we all know, Occupy Wall Street was outright ignored by mai ... More >>

DJ Shadow's The Less You Know The Better: A First Listen

Let's get this out of the way right from the off: DJ Shadow's fourth solo studio album, The Less You Know The Better, won't finally stop long-time fans from requesting that he makes a true sequel to 1996's Endtroducing. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing. (I usually don't have the patience to l ... More >>

DJ Shadow Reviews His Own Discography

DJ Shadow​This week, DJ Shadow released his fourth solo studio album, The Less You Know, The Better. Featuring cameos from Little Dragon, De La Soul, Talib Kweli and Tom Vek, Shadow insists that the album isn't just a snapshot of where he's at as a musician in 2011, but also something that wil ... More >>

Rock the Bells Brings Classic Hip-Hop Debuts to the Stage

The Antidote to Watch The Throne: Why We Need Chuck D's "Notice -- Know This"

Public Enemy's Chuck D​ The luxurious sheen of Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch The Throne has beamed brilliant over the last couple of weeks of the hip-hop hype cycle. But amongst the chatter marveling at the upscale audacity of it all, there came a sobering and grounded moment just before the al ... More >>

Seasunz on Hip-Hop Activism, Spirituality, and Speaking Klingon

​Ashel Eldridge has made the rounds. Otherwise known as Seasunz, Eldridge has emerged as a social and environmental activist, working with groups like Amazon Watch and Project Pink and partnering with Will.i.am to open a youth center in Oakland. And, lest we forget, he also makes music. In ju ... More >>

Lil B's I'm Gay: More Bashful Than Expected

​ I love the idea of Lil B -- a member of Berkeley one-hit wonders the Pack who wasn't gonna go out like that, and has since thrown anything and everything at the wall via Twitter and Mediafire to keep attention, fans and fame -- yet I've scarcely heard a note of his music. Loved his stint on ... More >>

Before Kreayshawn: 10 Underrated and/or Forgotten Female MCs

Kreashawn: Oakland's latest female rap sensation.​Last week, around the fifth time someone sent me a link to Kreayshawn's "Gucci Gucci," I started having a feeling toward the diminutive rapper that was not entirely positive. This discomfort grew a few days later, when she reportedly signed a $ ... More >>

Rap Albums You Probably Don't Know But Should, Part I

Illmatic isn't Nas' only good album, despite what you may have heard​Since many recent Next Big Things in rap have proven disappointing -- see Wale, Asher Roth and B.o.B. -- it might be time to consider the possibility that hip-hop tastemakers don't know what to look for in the first place. T ... More >>

Last Night: Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek at The Fillmore

Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek @The Fillmore May 24, 2010 Better than: promThe Fillmore was a buzz with another all ages fair last night, boasting headliners Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek, also known as Reflection Eternal, to reunite and perform for a large crowd of enthusiastic fans. Doors opened as the v ... More >>

Concert preview: Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek

Rock the Bells Announces Bay Area Dates

Rock the Bells 2007, San Francisco America's premier (and possibly only major) hip-hop touring festival, Rock the Bells, has announced the date and venue for the 2009 edition: August 9, at the Shoreline Auditorium in Mountain View. While ASD much prefers the parking lot of the stadium where the Gia ... More >>

Last Night: The Roots at Davies Symphony Hall

The RootsDavies Symphony HallBetter than: Sitting still for an orchestraLocal music history was made last night as the Roots performed the first-ever hip-hop concert at Davies Symphony Hall as part of SFJAZZ's Spring season. The Philadelphia-bred, Grammy Award-winning group plays in your living room ... More >>

Lyricist Lounge Hits Mighty

  Western Conference: Pacific Division If you were an East Coast head who listened to underground hip-hop in the '90s, you're probably familiar with the Lyricist Lounge. The open mic/live performance event, which began in a small apartment on the Lower East Side, introduced folks to su ... More >>

The Roots discuss hip-hop’s second jazz age

Chela Simone Tonight at Levende

Back to Burn: Chela SimoneLevende Lounge's weekly emerging talent showcase "We All We Got" heats up tonight with an appearance by Chela Simone, one of the Bay Area's rawest female emcees. Imagine the lyrical finesse of MC Lyte with the revolutionary intellectualism of Sister Souljah--but coming fr ... More >>

Hard Truth Soldiers Tour Takes Over SF, Major American Cities

dead prezGenerally, when ASD receives a press release boasting about a show with "arguably the strongest lineup of socially-aware, hardcore hip-hop talent in recent memory," we just shrug it off as pure hyperbole (and yes, to paraphrase Harry Allen, we normally don't believe the hyperbole). But holy ... More >>

Rock the Bells Announces Lineup

EKAphotography Not to be outdone by the massive, monumental Outside Lands lineup, hip-hop's annual extravaganza Rock the Bells has announced its lineup as well: Nas & Damian "Jr Gong" Marley,The Roots, Common, Big Boi, KRS-One, House of Pain featuring La Coka Nostra, Reflection Eternal (Talib Kw ... More >>

Last Night: Hip-Hop Live Tour at the Grand Ballroom with Talib Kweli, David Banner and Little Brother

Last Night: A Special Birthday Appearance by Talib Kweli at Levende Lounge's "Colors"

Talib Kweli, David Banner Play with 10-Piece Live Band at Grand Ballroom in Oct.

Rapper Buckshot thinks, talks, and records for success

Talib Calls Her Invincible

My Tunes: Kelenna Azubuike

Warrior and music lover

Madlib, Stones Throw Brings B-Ball Zombie War to the Independent

Cautiously Extreme

It's Snowing OUTSIDE Ruby Skye, For Once: ICER AIR Plans Event

Chamillionaire

Ultimate Victory (Chamillitary/Universal Motown)

Talib Kweli To Justify ICER AIR Douche Fest

Rock the Bells, The Expendables, New Monsoon -- ASD's Live Music Picks for Saturday, August 18

For Whom the Bottom Line Tolls

Hip hop's big Rock the Bells thinkers break free from industry shackles

Talib Kweli Eardum CD Review: Grade -- C

Unagi emerges from the local hip hop underground

RadioActive

BMMNM Vol. 1 Breakbox

Unquiet Riot

Youngblood Brass Band marches out the jams

Diplo brings along DJ Marlboro for a wild night at the Rickshaw; Bingo is your name-o at the Knockout's "BingoTopia"

Zion I

True & Livin'

Talib Kweli

The Beautiful Struggle

Hear This

Kanye West is everywhere, including Oakland; My Chemical Romance delivers its canned goth-pop

Consequence

Take 'Em to the Cleaners

BeatBox

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Air Apparent

The Justice League and Cafe Du Nord survive the winds of change

The Roots

Phrenology

Talib Kweli

Quality

Brooklyn Prophet

Mos Def adds positive new dimensions to hip hop

Guiding Light