This is off his new Train of Thought rarities series. Was this ever released prior to this? It sounds like a much younger Kwe.
I'm excited to see what else gets released in this series. Hopefully we get some never-before-heard stuff and maybe some higher quality versions of stuff that has been kicking around the web for the last decade plus.
"You can take an African out of Africa, but you can't take Africa out of the African" Afro-Americana/Afro-Caribbana/Afro-Latino unite. We are ALL Black!
8. "RE: I dig this. I don't know what you guys are talking about tho..." In response to Reply # 5
Aside from having an oddly specific definition for the word 'much' (which you just had to set me straight on without being any more specific than greater '>8 years'), you're also wrong. I would say this sounds like Quality-era Kweli. Let me backtrack: Hey I could be wrong too. At least I have a working definition of 'much'.
14. "Just listened to this whole album." In response to Reply # 0 Fri Aug-28-15 10:49 AM by Brew
Obviously I'd heard some of the stuff before (namely 2000 Seasons, Wack N*ggaz and Fortified Live) but the rest I hadn't heard. I liked pretty much all of it. Wish he made the album longer with more unreleased stuff. My favorite is probably Boomerang (just one of those classic old Rawkus-style Kweli posse cuts, dope lyrics, laidback beat...) with honorable mention to Bright as the Stars and Tryin to Breathe with Killer Mike.
Was interesting to hear another Quik collabo on here, likely from the Quality lost sessions.
I think someone in here already asked but do we have a breakdown of production credits and time periods for these tracks? I could venture a guess on all of them so I'd like to see how good my aim is.
Anyway I know people like to give Kweli a ton of shit around here but this dude really is one of the unsung lyricists of our era. It's true that he does sometimes push too hard to get too many words into a line but for the most part, he flows well and his rhymes are just about ALWAYS on point. I think he deserves way more credit as a writer.
17. "I can take a crack at dating them." In response to Reply # 14 Fri Aug-28-15 11:38 PM by phemom
1. Space (produced by Dave West) (very old, pre Black Star old) 2. 2000 Seasons (prod. by Hi Tek) (the first song that put Kweli "on" so to speak) 3. Bright As The Stars - Black Star (prod. by Ayatollah) (b-side on a Black Star single) 4. Wack Niggaz feat. Common, Kanye West & Consequence (prod. by Kanye West) (Quality era, used on a billion mixtapes. I added it to my Beautiful Mixtape Volume 1. I believe it's first appearance was on Consequence's "Take Em To The Cleaners" mixtape) 5. Boomerang- featuring NIKO IS, K'Valentine & Cory Mo (prod. by Cory Mo (This is very new, like from last year maybe...I'm pretty sure this is from Cory Mo's album) 6. Ocean Song feat. Mela Machinko (prod. by Rahki) (This one is from 2014's "The Cathedral" mixtape) 7. 7:30 feat. RES (prod. by DJ Quik) (This was actually on The Beautiful Mixtape Vol 1...I guess it's rare because a lot of people don't know Quik & Kweli made more than 1 record together) 8. Fortfied Live feat. Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) & Mr. Man (prod. by Hi Tek) (Classic Kweli here) 9. Tryin To Breathe feat. Killer Mike (prod. by Midi Mafia) (This was gonna be on The Beautiful Struggle, but was apart of the leak w/o Killer Mike's verse) 10. Distractions (prod. by Oh No) (This was from the POC sessions, Kweli put this out inbetween singles when the album wasn't done yet...the OG artwork for the song is in the POC booklet so I'm guessing it got replaced towards the end)
I would like to hear the other records Kwe has with Patrick Stump and the Southern Smoke mixtape that never dropped (it was Kweli,Strong Arm Steady & Jean Grae over southern beats, apparently some BS with DJ Smallz happened and Kweli scrapped it...but he did put out a couple songs from it).
I got my own rarities tape I'll post in here with some of Kweli's stuff most forgot about if anyone wants it.
18. "RE: I can take a crack at dating them." In response to Reply # 17
>1. Space (produced by Dave West) (very old, pre Black Star >old)
Interesting! I would've pinned this for Quality error.
>2. 2000 Seasons (prod. by Hi Tek) (the first song that put >Kweli "on" so to speak)
This is my favorite hip-hop song of all time so I was aware of the time frame for it. Glad to once again have the version without Evil Dee yelling over the beat for the first minute and a half. I had this version on an old computer.
>3. Bright As The Stars - Black Star (prod. by Ayatollah) >(b-side on a Black Star single)
Right - figured this one.
>4. Wack Niggaz feat. Common, Kanye West & Consequence (prod. >by Kanye West) (Quality era, used on a billion mixtapes. I >added it to my Beautiful Mixtape Volume 1. I believe it's >first appearance was on Consequence's "Take Em To The >Cleaners" mixtape)
Also interesting. I had heard this sometime around the time Eardrum came out so I assumed it was from that album's cutting room floor stuff.
>5. Boomerang- featuring NIKO IS, K'Valentine & Cory Mo (prod. >by Cory Mo (This is very new, like from last year maybe...I'm >pretty sure this is from Cory Mo's album)
SUPER interesting. I pinned this for early 00s. No idea why, probably the nature of the beat. Sounded like early Kweli/Hi Tek work. Anyway this is my favorite from this album.
>6. Ocean Song feat. Mela Machinko (prod. by Rahki) (This one >is from 2014's "The Cathedral" mixtape)
Gotcha. I pinned this as being very recent so I was accurate here.
>7. 7:30 feat. RES (prod. by DJ Quik) (This was actually on The >Beautiful Mixtape Vol 1...I guess it's rare because a lot of >people don't know Quik & Kweli made more than 1 record >together)
Cool. Would've guessed Quality era just because of the Quik involvement. I have the Beautiful Mixtape Vol 1 somewhere but I guess I didn't listen to it haha.
>8. Fortfied Live feat. Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) & Mr. Man >(prod. by Hi Tek) (Classic Kweli here)
Yea knew this of course.
>9. Tryin To Breathe feat. Killer Mike (prod. by Midi Mafia) >(This was gonna be on The Beautiful Struggle, but was apart of >the leak w/o Killer Mike's verse)
Yea there was a "Beautiful Struggle" drop in there somewhere so I knew this one.
>10. Distractions (prod. by Oh No) (This was from the POC >sessions, Kweli put this out inbetween singles when the album >wasn't done yet...the OG artwork for the song is in the POC >booklet so I'm guessing it got replaced towards the end)
Oh sad. I like this one.
>I would like to hear the other records Kwe has with Patrick >Stump and the Southern Smoke mixtape that never dropped (it >was Kweli,Strong Arm Steady & Jean Grae over southern beats, >apparently some BS with DJ Smallz happened and Kweli scrapped >it...but he did put out a couple songs from it). > >I got my own rarities tape I'll post in here with some of >Kweli's stuff most forgot about if anyone wants it.
I'd love that. I probably have a lot of it somewhere myself but as stated above, old computers...so I probably haven't heard a lot of it in years. Listened to "Right About Now" recently which I'm a big fan of.
20. "Here you guys go. " In response to Reply # 19 Wed Sep-02-15 10:59 AM by phemom
Figured a tracklist would help too.
The first one I used the Rarities album cover. There some overlap with Kweli's release here too.
Space Distractions Back It Up Accountable (Feat. Chace Infinite & Strong Arm Steady) So Disgusting I'm On One Remix (Feat. Cy Hi Da Prynce) Outstanding (Feat. Ryan Leslie) GMB Ocean Song Word Is Flesh Beautiful (Feat. Big K.R.I.T., Outasight & Mela Machinko) Boomerang (Feat. Niko Is, K'Valentine & Cory Mo) 5AM In Brooklyn Fly Away (Apollo Brown Remix) Upper Echelon (88-Keys Top Tier Remix) (Feat. Nemo Achida) Push Thru (Marco Polo Remix) (Feat. Curren$y & Kendrick Lamar)
The Second I titled it "Cold Rain"
Revolution In Sound (Feat. Leela James) Abra Cadraba Hope The Ones (Feat. Jean Grae) What I Feel Battle Raps (Feat. Krondon & Jean Grae) Manage Your Anger Lie Alot Hit The Floor (Feat. Kwame) None Of Us Are Free (Feat. Bun-B) Me 4 Me Momma Can You Here Me Stay High (Feat. Ras Kass) Ready 2 Rock If (Feat. Asheru & Ken Starr) Fallen Stars Gridiron (Feat. Krondon & Phil Da Agony)
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