http://harpmagazine.com/articles/detail.cfm?article_id=5103


Since first hitting widespread recognition with Black Star—his uber-critically lauded trio with Mos Def and DJ Hi-Tek—in 1998, Talib Kweli has married alluring production style with smart, dynamic lyricism. Albums like 2000’s Reflection Eternal and 2004’s The Beautiful Struggle have established him as a beatsmith with both brains and commercial savvy. His new record, Ear Drum, arrives in February, and includes guests Justin Timberlake, Norah Jones, and underground queen Jean Grae. We spoke to Talib on the streets of Los Angeles.

1)I’m from Brooklyn so I’m keen on Caribbean food—jerk chicken, curried snapper, plantains. I like trying out different things on my palate.

2)My father was a DJ. He had a huge record collection that was too big for the basement. There were records stacked all over the house. I used to listen to these records from the ‘50s and ‘60s. The genre didn’t matter. He was into Junior Walker & the All Stars and Bob Dylan, Little Anthony & the Imperials and Bloodstone.

3)I don’t like flies, especially flies in my ears.

4)If I wasn’t doing what I do I’d probably be teaching at a high school. That’s the age the kids need the most work. Both my parents are educators. I don’t think I could have a regular job. I need something that’s rewarding.

5)I like to hike. I’m down here in L.A. and there’s trails all over the place.

6)My best gig was in a train station in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was like Grand Central Station. I went with this activist group, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. I don’t know how they secured a government-controlled train station for us to perform in but they did. It was me, Jeru the Damaja, Black Thought, and Dead Prez, and it was just phenomenal.

7)I’m not really a fan of country music, though I appreciate the sentiment. Country is very similar to hip-hop. Both are very folksy. The stories are similar. But, I’m not a fan of how it hits my ear. And I definitely don’t like heavy metal. Other than that I can appreciate anything.

8)I gotta get off the Red Bull. I’ve been drinking just before I perform and that’s not really a good habit (laughs). I also jump rope before I perform. I did a little bit of boxing training last year and one of the first things you learn is how to jump rope.

9)My first crush on a famous person was either Vanessa Williams or Pebbles.

10)I’d like to do something about AIDS in Africa. That’s where the worst problems with the disease are. There’s a real lack of education or resources even if people know what’s going on.