Talib Kweli is one of the most proficient rappers of all time so as a huge fan who is constantly listening to his solo albums and collaborations particularly the Black Star, Reflection Eternal and Idle Warship it was a great honour to interview Talib Kweli. In this interview Talib Kweli speaks about the current state of Hip Hop, why it’s important for him to do hip hop with a real message, his forthcoming offering-Prisoner of Conscious and his views on challenges facing Africa.
Youth Village: You were raised in Brooklyn, how would you describe your childhood?
Talib Kweli: My childhood was like Sesame Street but less singing and counting. Actually it was more like the Electric Company. Do y’all get the Electric Company in SA? Probably not. You should google it. Morgan Freeman is in it, but 70’s Morgan Freeman. It was funky.
Youth Village: Who are your music influences?
Talib Kweli: My musical influences are too many to name. I am influenced by everything I’ve heard and even what I have not heard. Hip hop wise though my earliest influences were KRS One, Q-Tip, early Ice Cube.
Youth Village: What inspired you to pursue hip hop?
Talib Kweli: It was trying to get away.
Youth Village: What were some of the challenges you faced before breaking into the music industry?
Talib Kweli: Trying to find a job. Then I found a career.
Youth Village: Your first collaboration with Mos Def called Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star was well received how did the collaboration come about?
Talib Kweli: Mos Def, who is now Yasiin Bey, was my favourite rapper in 1995. He only had one song out but I looked up to him. We ran in the same circles and eventually became friends. Black Star is the result of that friendship.
Youth Village: What makes Talib Kweli different to other rappers out there?
Talib Kweli: What makes me different? I pull up to the scene with my ceiling missing. So I guess answering questions with other rappers lyrics makes me different.
Youth Village: What drives you as Talib Kweli?
Talib Kweli: The hunger for more. The thirst for love. The will to live. We are all hurtling madly towards death, the only question is who will you be when you get there. aaannnddd scene.
Youth Village: Why is important for you to do hip hop with a real message?
Talib Kweli: I do what I know. If I tried to do corny commercialized music I would suck at it. People like to be dismissive of it but there is an art to making something vapid and catchy.
Youth Village: What is the current state of hip hop?
Talib Kweli: The state of hip hop is great. There is constantly exciting music being made. Too many people define hiphop by what the mainstream dictates to them but that goes against the spirit of hiphop. What I do is hiphop, hiphop that represents the poor, the working class and the elite, and what I do is thriving. Everything else is the alternative. I tour, I sell music, I carve out my living based on the relationship I have with the fans.
Youth Village: With conscious hip hop not selling as much as commercial hip hop. How do you guys generate sustainable income from music?
Talib Kweli: I do interviews for money. So what’s your offer?
Youth Village: [Laughs] I really enjoyed your joint with Curren$y and Kendrick (Push thru) off Prisoner of Conscious what can we expect from Prisoner of Conscious?
Talib Kweli: Many features, but I am still center stage. A lot of music, many musicians came in and played. One of the years best albums, I’ll take the Pepsi challenge any day.
Youth Village: What are you listening to at the moment?
Talib Kweli: The sound of my fingers clickety clacking on this keyboard. I really need to silence this. And Kendrick Lamar.
Youth Village: What is your favourite Talib Kweli album so far?
Talib Kweli: The new one is always the favorite.
Youth Village: Musically you have lately started experimenting with other genres e.g the Idle Warship project …Where is Talib Kweli musically?
Talib Kweli: Right where I wanna be. I have many different influences, and all of them will not fit on the type of albums I’ve been doing under my own name. The departure would be too shocking. So we came up with Idle Warship as a way to get those things out.
Youth Village: In 2010 you did a song called Ballad of the black God off Revolutions per Minute what inspired you to do this song?
Talib Kweli: Lagos man. Nigeria. It’s crazy there, the corruption. Everywhere every government has corruption, but that was the most visible corruption I’ve ever seen. I’m sure there are worse examples in the world still though.
Youth Village: You have travelled Africa a lot what are some of the key issues you think need to be addressed for Africa to be equally prosperous and capitalise on its natural resources and demographic dividend?
Talib Kweli: True representation of African principals and ideals. A classic response to that would be that Africa is a land of many different cultures with different principals, but the original question asked about Africa as a whole. All of us are guilty of adopting European culture. But we must learn how to take the best of that world without losing site of what Africa can and has contributed to the world conversation. Africa has given the most.
Youth Village: How can your fans connect with you and where can they buy your music?
Talib Kweli: www.talibkweli.com you can buy music, see where I will be etc. Or you can hit me up directly on twitter at www.twitter.com/talibkweli or tumblr talibkweli.tumblr.com.
