soon the new day

Talib Kweli feat. Norah Jones - Soon The New Day
Its tricky being socially conscious rapper. In terms of the fickle hiphop audience, there's a fine line between communicating a message and being too preachy. Some mainstream artists confess to dumbing down lyrics - which may be a cop out for their laziness. But invariably your favorite rapper's favorite rapper is Talib Kweli. Jay-Z and 50 have both given him major props. It doesn't suprise me that Kweli doesn't get much street love, but it irks me that some alternative rap people find him self-righteous. Or when they feel betrayed when he tries to reach for a bigger audience. I just appreciate his positive presence and have been a fan since his Black Star days and of course "Train of Thought". Here's a throwback:
Talib Kweli feat. Hi-Tek - The Blast

Diggin Questlove's reinterpretations of Pharrell's last album. The live instrumentation of the Yessirs give it a warmer organic feel that was lacking on the original. P may sound better when produced by someone other than himself. Pretty funny for a "superproducer".
P & The Yessirs - How Does It Feel