BY TESSA SOLOMON
In the canon of Afrocentric rappers, recording artist/entrepreneur/social activist Talib Kweli can now boast career-defining collaborating with artists like Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, and Just Blaze. But before he was the center of Jay-Z’s Black Album rhyme (“If skills sold truth be told / I’d probably be, lyrically, Talib Kweli”), Kweli was growing up in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Exploring the music scene, he eventually formed Blackstar with Mos Def and their landmark debut album rapidly elevated them to a place of respect and commercial success. Over the years his albums would toe the line between commercial appeal and innovative producing, always retaining his fearless lyricism and provocative beats.
