Talib Kweli

Released: March 10, 2008

Songwriter: Talib Kweli

Producer: Mick Boogie

[Hook]
I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T do you know what that means?
I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T it's Talib Kweli Greene
I write my own rhymes, I write my own checks
And if you're looking for that good I got it on deck
I'm my own man, I'm my own boss
I'm my own man, I'm my own boss
(This is the Amadeus Remix)

[Talib Kweli]
Came with the, rawness on Rawkus
LP had official recordings
Corey Smyth had a Blacksmith office
I was, writing books of poetry like Bert Padell
I saw the wisdom when the curtain fell
Wanna sell like Jay Z, E-40 and Master P?
I respect labels like Stones Throw, ABB
Who stay independent as fuck
Like Def Jux
Nature Sounds, BBE, Babygrande nigga [?]
Duck Down my nigga what?
Drew How what's up
I'm from Brooklyn all day put your lighters up
I saw J Grand at Asylum
We take it back to makin' records days, 'cause he's a vet like I am
I am legend like Mister Cee
What you callin' for is victory
Blacksmith makin' history
And the music influenced by Hieroglyphics
My niggas from the bay stay so sick with it

[Hook]

[Talib Kweli]
(Ay) Keep it live for ya'll niggas
Kweli in the -house like Suave or Swisha-
Flow so vivid
Ain't no gimmicks
Go everywhere cause I know No Limit
So So Def, my life is like a movie
This the storyboard
Down in H-Town with Cory Mo
No I'm not from Houston but I Rap-A-Lot
Bun B holdin' me down I'm goin' back a lot
Word, major label product steady sinkin' like a bag of rocks
Stinkin' like a bag of socks on laundry day
Kweli stay away from the corporate rap
That's a corporate trap
Real niggas don't fall for that
Word, we in the building now there's nothing they can tell us
Bad Boys, the Ruff Ryders and the Roc-A-Fellas
The Slip-N-Slides, the Cash Money and G-Units
Keep movin' the music we love to see you do it

[Hook]

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.

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