Talib Kweli, Bun B, Jasiri X, Immortal Technique, DJ Needlez, Common, Pharoahe Monch, Kendra Ross
FUBAR
08/09/2015 08:00 PM CDT
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Supporting Acts: Hosted by Tory Russell
Talib Kweli
If skills sold, Talib Kweli would have been one of the most commercially successful rappers of his time. As it was, however, the earnest MC became one of the most critically successful rappers of his time, which dawned in the late '90s when he rapped alongside Mos Def and DJ Hi-Tek as part of the group Black Star. This trio of up-and-comers and their widely acclaimed self-titled 1998 album debut helped make Rawkus Records one of the premier hip-hop outposts of the late '90s. In the process, they ushered in a short-lived "hip-hop" revival that took the music back to its roots, and thus away from the increasingly extreme and widespread gangsta motifs of the time. Black Star and their label, Rawkus, provided a clear alternative not only to gangsta rap but also to the watered-down and overly calculated pop-rap of Puff Daddy and his ilk. In 2000, Kweli and Hi-Tek then followed up this wide-ranging critical notice with a second acclaimed release for Rawkus: their Reflection Eternal album, which firmly established them apart from Mos Def, who enjoyed plenty of his own acclaim. For a moment there, Kweli and his Rawkus peers seemed like a full-fledged movement -- a return to the sort of hip-hop associated with the so-called golden age. However, it wasn't to be. Rawkus somehow lost its momentum, and its roster sadly dispersed, leaving Kweli on his own to carry the torch. He steadily continued his output, beginning with Quality in 2002, and though he didn't rack up towering sales numbers, he remained a critical favorite. In fact, he just may have been the most admired and respected rapper on the major-label circuit during the mid-2000s, best evidenced by Jay-Z's famous Black Album rhyme: "If skills sold, truth be told/I'd probably be, lyrically, Talib Kweli."
Born in Brooklyn as the eldest of two sons born to college professors, Kweli's first name, Talib, is an Arabic name meaning "the seeker or student," while his last name is a Ghanaian name meaning "of truth or knowledge." He began developing his literary gift in elementary school, when he'd write short stories, poems, and that sort of stuff. It wasn't until years later in high school that he turned to hip-hop as an outlet for his self-expression. There in high school he met a young Dante Smith, better known today as Mos Def. This fateful meeting further drew Kweli toward hip-hop, and another fateful meeting further convinced him that he had a bright future as an MC. During a 1994 trip to Cincinnati he met Tony Cottrell, aka DJ Hi-Tek, who at the time was part of a local rap group called Mood. Kweli impressed Hi-Tek during their time together, and the DJ invited the MC to guest on several tracks for Mood's 1997 album Doom. Shortly afterward, Kweli and Hi-Tek formed a partnership as Reflection Eternal and recorded "Fortified Live," which a then-fledging Rawkus label released on its first Soundbombing compilation.
A year later in 1998, the two invited Mos Def into the mix, and the Black Star album resulted. And with it came a steady downpour of critical acclaim that turned these guys into media darlings overnight. They might not have sold millions of albums, but Kweli, Hi-Tek, and Mos Def most certainly impressed a great many people, among them critics, fellow rap artists, and a lot of folks who enjoyed a good old-fashioned hip-hop album with an emphasis on beats, rhymes, and life -- not dramatized gunplay or interpolations of proven pop songs. That was the end of Black Star, however. In 1999 Mos Def released his debut solo album, Black on Both Sides, and turned away from music and toward an acting career, leaving Kweli and Hi-Tek on their own. The duo returned to their Reflection Eternal partnership and released an album of the same name in 2000. It spawned a few minor hits: "Move Somethin'" and "The Blast."
When Kweli returned with his Quality album in 2002, things had changed a bit. For one, he was truly solo. Mos Def was long gone, and Hi-Tek was off focusing on his own solo career as a for-hire producer. So Quality featured Kweli collaborating with a host of different artists, among them a young and promising yet still largely unknown producer named Kanye West. "Get By" was the fruit of Kweli's collaboration with West, and it became the rapper's biggest hit to date, aided quite a bit by a non-album remix featuring Jay-Z of all people. The remix got a lot of radio play, but still, Quality didn't put up Jay-Z numbers and Kweli remained a critical favorite, a reputation cemented all the more in late 2003 when Jigga gave him the aforementioned high-profile shoutout in "Moment of Clarity."
All of this set the stage very well for The Beautiful Struggle, which dropped in fall 2004. The expectations for the album were gargantuan because of the Jay-Z rhyme, and also because a great many hip-hop disciples felt Kweli was long overdue for a commercial breakthrough. The album was undoubtedly his most commercial effort to date, featuring a few token radio-ready hook singers like Mary J. Blige and Anthony Hamilton, not to mention a roster of hitmaking producers like the Neptunes, Just Blaze, and Kanye. It was also Kweli's most self-conscious to date, however, as it was well apparent that the commercial pressures had begun to affect his mindset, for better or worse. He responded by splitting from his distributor, Universal, and signing with Koch. Right About Now was released in 2006. In anticipation of his next solo release, the rapper collaborated with producer Madlib on the digital-only Liberation, which was made available as a free download during the first week of 2007 on the Stones Throw website.
~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
Bun B
Rapper Bun B (born Bernard Freeman) rose to fame in the duo UGK. Bun B and Pimp C formed UGK in the late '80s when their former crew, Four Black Ministers, fell apart. Based in Port Arthur, TX, UGK signed with Jive and with 1992's Too Hard to Swallow began a series of Southern gangsta rap albums that were successful sellers. Bun B formed the side project Mddl Fngz in 2000, but his main concern was still UGK. Things came to halt in 2003 when Pimp C was sentenced to eight years in prison on an aggravated gun assault charge. Bun B carried on solo, making numerous appearances on other artists' tracks and then in 2005 releasing both the mixtape Legends and his debut album, Trill, a Top Ten hit. With Pimp C seeing early release in late 2005, Bun B returned to UGK and a self-titled double album from the duo dropped in 2007. Tragedy struck in late 2007 when Pimp C died suddenly, leaving Bun B to return to a solo career. His second solo album, II Trill, arrived in May of the next year. Trill O.G., his third solo album, was released in August of 2010.
Immortal Technique
"Born Felipe Coronel in a military hospital in Lima, Peru, in 1978, Immortal Technique moved to Harlem with his parents when he was two years old. At age nine he started rapping, though he didn't start to take it more seriously until he was in high school. Despite the fact he was in and out of trouble throughout his teenage years, Tech was accepted at Penn State University, but before he could get through much of college, he was arrested and eventually ended up spending a year in prison. It was there that he began to study the lives and teachings of black and Latino revolutionaries like Che Guevara and Malcolm X, as well as to devote himself to writing songs. Out in 1999, on parole, he moved back to New York, where he spent his days working various jobs and his nights battling other rappers, a forum that allowed him the opportunity to show off his aggressive, vituperative style.
Concerned that he was being pigeonholed as a one-trick pony, Tech set about writing complete tracks, finding beats to accompany them, and eventually releasing his debut, Revolutionary, Vol. 1, in 2001 (an album that was later re-released by his own company, Viper Records, in 2004 and Babygrande in 2005). The record, plus his indefatigable work ethic, earned him local recognition and a spot as The Source's "unsigned hype" in November 2002, and the following year he issued his second album, Revolutionary, Vol. 2. Although he promised his third release would see the light of day in 2005, it wasn't until the summer of 2007 that -- besides a few singles and mixtapes -- fans got any new material from Immortal Technique, coming in the form of the full-length The Middle Passage." - Marisa Brown, AllMusicGuide
Common
With his multi-Grammy Award winning music career, continued work in film and television, and multiple written works, Common has emerged as one of Hollywood's most sought after leading men.
His numerous previous accomplishments in film and music include starring on the silver screen in films such as SMOKIN ACES, AMERICAN GANGSTER, WANTED, TERMINATOR SALVATION, DATE NIGHT and JUST WRIGHT. In 2004,... he partnered with Chicago native and rap music mega-star Kanye West to produce the album BE, which went on to garner four Grammy Award nominations. In 2007 COMMON released his critically acclaimed seventh album Finding Forever where it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart and it went on to earn a Grammy award. His eighth album, Universal Mind Control, was released in 2008 and was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Rap Album.
COMMON will next be seen starring alongside Ashton Kutcher, Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Jessica Biel and Hilary Swank in New Line's NEW YEAR'S EVE. Directed by Garry Marshall, this romantic comedy will premiere on December 9th, 2011. Also due out in 2011 is the much anticipated AMC series, "Hell on Wheels." COMMON plays the role of "Elam," a freed slave who comes west in post-Civil War America seeking work on the Transcontinental Railroad. COMMON has also recently finished filming the Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture fantasy film THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN alongside Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton and Ron Livingston. Next up COMMON is set to start filming alongside Danny Glover and Michael Rainey Jr. in L.U.V. as "Uncle Vincent," a troubled ex-con who finds companionship with his shy 13-year-old nephew.
Prior to acting, COMMON rose to prominence as one of hip hop's most poetic and respected lyricists having recorded over eight albums and garnering multiple Grammy Awards. COMMON'S highly anticipated ninth album, The Believer, The Dreamer, will be released by Warner Bros. Records in November, 2011. The first single from the album, "Ghetto Dreams" featuring Nas, was recently released. The single artwork features a rare photo of Common and Nas from a video shoot in the mid 90's.
COMMON also offers an even younger generation a better understanding of self respect and love, by utilizing the cultural relevance of hip hop in the children's books he has written. His first book, entitled The MIRROR and ME, teaches lessons of life, the human spirit, and human nature. His follow-up book I Like You But I Love Me was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and in 2008 he released his third book, M.E. (Mixed Emotions). COMMON will soon add to this list of accomplished written works with his revealing memoir, One Day It'll All Make Sense. Every aspect of his life's journey is unveiled in this deeply personal account of who COMMON is and the people, faith and events that have shaped and molded him into the award-winning, critically acclaimed conscious artist of today. This memoir will be on shelves beginning September 13, 2011 from Atria Books.
In addition to his music, film, and literary pursuits, COMMON has been the face, voice and inspiration behind some of the largest consumer brands in the country. COMMON was the voice of Gatorade's G Series Sports Drink commercial that was launched during Super Bowl 2010. In 2009, he was announced as the face of the new Diesel men's fragrance Only the Brave and he partnered with Microsoft as the inspiration and one of the designers to launch their Softwear clothing t-shirt line.
COMMON is a regularly requested guest speaker known to motivate and empower collegiate minds while speaking at prestigious universities across the country. In 2000, he launched the Common Ground Foundation, whose mission is dedicated to the empowerment and development of disadvantaged youth in urban communities by mentoring in three areas: character development, creative expression and healthy living.
Whether inspiring audiences through music, movies, television, books or his foundation, COMMON continues to break new ground, and remains to be one of hip-hop's most innovative, positive voices.
Pharoahe Monch
"Fuck you know about struggle?" Pharoahe Monch's bold but rhetorical query opens the title track to his fourth collection of lyrical land mines, PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The line dares the listener to keep tumbling down the rabbit hole with the Queens, NY MC as he tackles familiar themes of gun violence, heartbreak and redemption but this time in the first person.
In 2011 the rapper and singer born Troy Donald Jameson unyoked himself from the confines of record industry contracts and declared his independence. The aural record of his resistance, W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) sits as a testament to the resilience of a wordsmith dedicated to his evolution despite the odds.
But his freedom came with a price.
"While W.A.R. was one of my best selling records and my first independent…I'm still spending for videos, marketing," he explains of his tour of duty. Monch had released three albums as part of the group Organized Konfusion and two as a solo artist prior to W.A.R. "When you're independent you've got to get up in the morning, open that store, lift that gate. The traveling was exhausting. It left me drained."
Monch has never made a secret of his battle with asthma and the lung disease literally came for this throat while recording one of "W.A.R.'s" standout songs, "Still Standing" featuring Jill Scott. But what some may not know is that, years before that incident his breaths almost stopped permanently.
"I was in the hospital for two weeks and they had me on steroid medications intravenously and one of the side effects is severe depression," he reveals. "I didn't make the correlation to the meds until I was going four our five nights without sleeping."
The depression was so severe that family friends had to stand watch over him fearing what he might do to himself. It wasn't until a visit to the dentist that Monch was told that the combination of medications he was taking created the side effects, which included suicidal thoughts.
"I could feel the monkeys jumping off my back," he says of the Dr.'s revelation. "I just melted on his desk and I started balling. I could breathe. I didn't know what was crippling me. I couldn't figure it out until he pointed it out."
Experiences like these are what still motivate Pharoahe in the studio today. With the success of "W.A.R." he knew that he could not let another long stretch of time pass before he gave his fans more music.
"One of the things I'm able to do is pull from my experiences," he says of "Broken Again," the first song recorded for what was originally to be an EP. Where Monch is usually either a confident romantic or a raunchy lothario on records about women, this song finds him surprisingly vulnerable in a place where he doesn't have the answers.
"The story is metaphoric because the girl became an addiction. She helped me mask everything I was dealing with like a drug would do, and when it didn't work out it was hard for me to mend from that…"
"Broken Again" is complemented by equally introspective sonic time stamps like "Rapid Eye Movement" (featuring Black Thought) "D.R.E.A.M." (featuring Talib Kweli and produced by Lee Stone) "The Jungle" and "Times2" produced by Marco Polo.
However, by the end of the album a sense of fear sets in that we've reached the end of a journey as well, that the demons from Monch's dystopian nightmare have emerged victorious.
"If you listen to the skit at the end he gets charged into that facility and he's been there for a long time. When he wakes up the laws have changed and he's placed under arrest for what's in his head," says Monch of the dystopian theme. "This is possibly my last Pharoahe Monch album."
But what does 'last' mean for a meta-MC who habitually leaves self-referential Easter eggs linking his past and present like strands of DNA? On the aforementioned title track where he outlines his struggles with mortality he leaves us with a semblance of hope as he says, "do not despair, breathe, fight/ because there is more life to live…believe."
With self-preservation as a prime directive, Monch has finally made peace with his internal affairs and his desires. Having identified the impact the war has had on his psyche, the fight will continue but on his terms.
"To get in there and put my fuckin' soul on these songs…that's what it's about."
Venue Information
FUBAR
3108 Locust St.
St. Louis, MO 63103
http://www.fubarstl.com/