Reflection Eternal

Released: October 17, 2000

Featuring: Dave Chappelle

Songwriter: Talib Kweli

Producer: Hi-Tek

[Intro: Dave Chappelle]
This is Nelson Mandela
I represent Johannesburg, South Africa
When in Africa chilling out
I listen to Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek
Reflection Eternal

[Verse 1: Talib Kweli]
Yeah, yo Tone we celebrating; get your brother in here
Raise your glass up (raise it up)
Yo, this goes out to everybody who was down with us
Since "Fortified Live" to "2000 Seasons", "The Manifesto"
From 1-9-9-5 to 1-9-9-9 to 2000
All of y'all I got one question:
Are you ready? Hell yeah, say "c'mon"
To all my people where you at?
Put your fists up
We gon' twist up, say "c'mon, c'mon"

[Chorus: Talib Kweli]
Experience the "Train of Thought"
Hop aboard, c'mon
Experience rocking with the Re-flec-tion
E-ternal, c'mon, yeah

[Verse 2: Talib Kweli]
This dedicated to everybody who came up to me
And who came up to Hi-Tek after the shows
We came to your town you showed us love (one love)
Everybody would ask us when the album was coming out
And I said "when it is finished!"
Ayo, ayo I'm on the grown
This is for y'all, one love!
All the political prisoners, social prisoners
Freedom fighters, graffiti writers, grassroots organizers
(Raise it up) All y'all
Everybody in the spot, everybody say "Real Hip-Hop"
(Real Hip-Hop) Say "Real Hip-Hop" (Real Hip-Hop)
Yep, like that

[Verse 3: Talib Kweli]
All the black families hustling
Single moms, single dads in the house
Parentless children, we see y'all, I'm with y'all
All the ballers, players, revolutionaries, gangsters
We don't represent the streets
We represent the folks in 'em!
(Uh-huh) Whether you're materially rich, spiritually rich
Yo, yo, yo-yo-yo
I'ma send this out to all my comrades in this music:
Spit Kickers, Native Tounges, The Soulquarians
Wanna battle, yeah
The beacons of light throught the dark tunnel
A lot of stars is trekking
Ain't nothing final about the frontier
"Train of Thought" came to take you there, yeah
"Train of Thought" came to take you there, yeah
The "Train of Thought" came

[Chorus: Talib Kweli - fade out]
Experience the "Train of Thought"
Hop aboard, c'mon
Experience rocking with the Re-flec-tion
E-ternal, c'mon, yeah

Reflection Eternal is a rapper/producer duo consisting of Brooklyn MC Talib Kweli and Cincinnati-born producer Hi-Tek.

After first collaborating on Black Star, which Hi-Tek produced various tracks for, the duo released their debut album Train of Thought in 2000 to critical acclaim.

Though Hi-Tek and Talib would continue collaborating on each others albums, the duo would not release another album until 2010. Their 2010 effort, Revolutions Per Minute, though not quite matching the acclaim of their first effort, was very well received and featured perhaps their best-known single—“Just Begun,” featuring Yasiin Bey, J. Cole and Jay Electronica.

more tracks from the album

Train of Thought

From the album

Train of Thought (2000)

Reflection Eternal popular songs

Experience DedicationReflection Eternal

Reflection Eternal

Train of Thought