Talib Kweli

Released: August 21, 2007

Songwriter: Kwame Built By Titan Talib Kweli

Producer: Kwame

[Intro]
This the year of the BlackSmith
Talib Kweli, Kwame, let's go
Listen
Yeah, niggas don't listen
Back in the days we all used to listen
Now shit is so wack, nobody listen
To that real hip hop, yo, listen

[Hook]
Ladies and gentlemen, get ready, here I come
Talib Kweli and I'm bangin' on ya eardrum
(Something I wanna tell you)
Now lemme get up in it, wait, wait, wait, wait

[Verse 1]
Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me ya ears
Start repentin' cause the ending is near
But don't panic, you can't function if you livin' in fear
Pay attention, you gotta listen to hear
(Wait just a minute), who the fuck you think talkin' to?
Put you on hold, get a specialist to walk you through
Kweli, the flow captain of fast and slow rappin'
I'm so crackin', you ain't heard? Ya shit appear like closed captions
King of the bars and I'm goin' hard, pause
All my confidence comes from knowin' God's Laws
Bangin' on the system, fightin' my kinda war
Loud as a whisper, quiet as a lion's roar

[Hook]
Ladies and gentlemen, get ready, here I come
Talib Kweli and I'm bangin' on ya eardrum
(Something I wanna tell you)
Now lemme get up in it, it's for ya spirit so
But y'all hear me though
Get up, get into it and get involved
There's a little something that I wanna spit for y'all
(Something I wanna tell you)
Now lemme get up in it, wait, wait, wait, wait

[Verse 2]
Get it now, get it fast, get it right
Get it big, get it locked, get it done, get it tight
(I think I wanna feel you)
But you don't really hear me though
I spit clearly so it's live outcha stereo
To your heart while it's beatin' in ya chest
When you speakin' to execs and they see behind the desk
To ya spirit, nothing weaker than the flesh
So while you try to keep it fresh, you gettin' deeper into debt
Real hip hop is missin' from the shelf
Yup, it's what you felt when you listen to yaself
Only a few is makin' cuts that's spinnin'
So before you spend ya hard earned spinach

[Hook]
Ladies and gentlemen, get ready, here I come
Talib Kweli and I'm bangin' on ya eardrum
(Something I wanna tell you)
Now lemme get up in it, it's for ya spirit so
But y'all hear me though
Get up, get into it and get involved
There's a little something that I wanna spit for y'all
(Something I wanna tell you)
Now lemme get up in it, wait, wait, wait, wait

[Verse 3]
You love the sounds comin' out your speaker
I spit rounds like a nine millimeter
The youth today, they frown at the teachers
They ain't down with no leaders
They don't wanna wait (just a minute)
They like, "What? Nigga, wait right there"
I got 'Reservoir Dogs', you'll be missin' a right ear
Get it clear, I figure it's my year
I'm everywhere, makin' appearances in nigga's nightmares
Hear the word, peep the flow, check the cadence
What you heard as a pro, I'm so amazing
Don't front, girl, you know it's ya favorite
New Kweli, yo, they runnin' out of patience

[Hook]
Ladies and gentlemen, get ready, here I come
Talib Kweli and I'm bangin' on ya eardrum
(Something I wanna tell you)
Now lemme get up in it, it's for ya spirit so
But y'all hear me though
Get up, get into it and get involved
There's a little something that I wanna spit for y'all
(Something I wanna tell you)
Now lemme get up in it, wait, wait, wait, wait

[Outro]
Yo, don't it sound so good to you?
It's the return of the greatest, y'all
Talib Kweli, BKMC
BlackSmith is the movement, BlackSmith is the music
Whatchu ridin' for?
Whatchu livin' for?
Whatchu dyin' for?
(I think I wanna feel you)
Bangin' on ya eardrum, yeah

Wait now, wait now, wait now for a minute
Listen
Wait now, wait now, wait now for a minute

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 Yasiin Bey (then known as Mos Def) and DJ Hi-Tek as part of the group Black Star.

Talib is known for his numerous collaborations with other artists like Kanye West, Common, Madlib, Bilal, The Roots, Dead Prez, Q-Tip, John Legend, the list is endless. He has also embraced a whole new generation like Blu, Kendrick Lamar, Curren$y, and Ab-Soul.

Kweli has recently spearheaded a direct-to-fan means of distributing his music via his new site #KweliClub. Check it out to get his latest music including many free downloads.

more tracks from the album

Eardrum

From the albums

Talib Kweli popular songs

Listen!!!Talib Kweli

Talib Kweli

Eardrum