Beautiful Struggle

Talib Kweli | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 28, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rawkus / Umgd
• ASIN: B0002XL22U
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (129 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,524 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Talib Kweli's sophomore solo album arrives with considerable fear that his mainstream aspirations may turn off longtime fans (ah, the curse of the conscious rapper). However, the album isn't as crassly commercial as some might complain. To be sure, The Beautiful Struggle could stand more consistency, and the album's production is a primary liability: songs like "A Game" and "Going Hard" weakly ape current fads while "Around My Way" inadvisably interpolates the Police's "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic." That said, the balance of the album still holds up to scrutiny. Kweli might cut a party track ("We Got the Beat") and puff up his street cred ("Back Up Offa Me"), but much of The Beautiful Struggle articulates itself with emotion and intellect: "I Try," "Ghetto Snow," and "Black Girl Pain," for example. Like Kweli's debut Quality, this follow-up falls considerably short of classic status, but it still suggests some moves in a promising direction. --Oliver Wang

Product Description

This version of "Beautiful Struggle" includes one exclusive bonus track that features Mos Def. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 Stars - A solid effort and a good album., April 11, 2005

By 

A. D. Schutz "adskdr" (Springfield, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beautiful Struggle (Audio CD)

Talib Kweli is an artist who cannot escape his past. Much like Nas, he made the "mistake" of having his earliest works attain almost classic status (Black Star and Reflection Eternal). These gems have raised expectations to the point that excellence is expected from his devoted fan base. The first few times I listened to this album, I was not impressed. It was only after giving it a couple months when expectations had died down that I was able to appreciate BS, and felt moved to write this review. Having gotten his strongest mainstream endorsement to date on Jay-Z's Black Album, Kweli attempts to toe the line between the underground that got him there and the mainstream appeal he apparently craves. The results are a mixed bag, which seemed not to satisfy either camp.

As a huge fan of Kweli's earlier work, I feel that the mainstream attempts were more unsuccessful. The worst of these was the Mary J. Blige-assisted I Try, a blatant Get By rip-off. The song seems so formulaic and forced, as opposed to its predecessor's beautiful optimism. An additional disappointment comes unlikely enough from the Hi-Tek/Kweli Back Up Offa Me. With the chorus constantly repeating this phrase, the whole song seems somewhat mundane.

The disappointments are clearly outnumbered by the Beautiful Struggle's good-to-great tracks. On the Neptunes-produced "Broken Glass," Kweli flexes his storytelling muscles, spinning an enthralling tale of a girl's selling of herself. Black Girl Pain is a beautiful, moving tribute from Kweli to his daughter (with a stellar appearance from Jean Grae). Common and Anthony Hamilton lend their voices in Ghetto Show, and John Legend does the same in Around My Way. Both these songs are solid, if unspectacular. Just Blaze continues his quest to become 2005's best producer with Never Been In Love (the current, Andre 3000-esqe video). When the album concludes with the title track, it feels like Kweli and Hi Tek have recaptured their magic, and are both on top of their games. Kweli's wordplay vacillates throughout the album, but is at his best when introspective and observational rather than trying to make people dance or braggadocios.

Overall, this album works best when you go into it with no expectations. I can honestly say that it will probably be appreciated more after time passes: not because it is groundbreaking or revolutionary, but because it is just not as bad as its detractors (spurned Black Star fans) say.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Talib Kweli - The Beautiful Struggle, February 9, 2005

By 

Tha Realest (Greensburg, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beautiful Struggle (Audio CD)

After releasing his first solo album in 2002, Talib Kweli returns with his follow "The Beautiful Struggle" in fall 2004.

1. Going Hard - Good beat, Talib rips up the verses, great hook - 5/5

2. Back Up Offa Me - Not really feeling the beat, Talib comes nice, hook is alright - 3.5/5

3. Broken Glass - Nice beat, Talibs flows are on point, good hook - 4.5/5

4. We Know (Featuring Faith Evans) - Beat sucks, Talib doesn't disappoint, Faiths hook is great - 4/5

5. A Game - Alright beat, Talib comes good, hook is good as well - 4/5

6. I Try (Featuring Mary J. Blige) - First single off the album, good beat, Talib comes correct like usual, Mary comes nice on the hook - 5/5

7. Around My Way (Featuring John Legend) - Good beat, Talibs lryics and flows are on fire, John Legend comes with one of the best hooks of the year....one of the best tracks off the album - 5/5

8. We Got the Beat (Featuring Res) - Great beat, Talib is on fire once again, Res comes great on the hook...this song really gets you pumped up for a fight or competetion - 5/5

9. Work It Out - Not feeling the beat, Talib comes alright, hook isn't good - 3/5

10. Ghetto Show (Featuring Common & Anthony Hamiliton) - Good beat, Talib and Common come with one of the best collaborations of the year, hook is good - 5/5

11. Black Girl Pain (Featuring Jean Grae) - Good beat, Talib and Jean both come nice, hook is good - 5/5

12. Never Been In Love - Good beat, Talib comes nice, hook is good - 4/5

13. Beautiful Struggle - Wack beat, Talib doesn't disappoint on the final track, but the hook is a let down - 3.5/5

Overall: 56.5/65

4.5 Stars

Almost all of Talibs verses are solid but some of the beats and hooks are lacking. All he needs to do is improve both of those two parts and keep his lyrics how they are and his next album will be classic.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars the beautiful struggle is a struggle, November 4, 2004

By 

the philly icon (philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beautiful Struggle (Audio CD)

Talib Kweli is one of the nicest mc's in the biz. his metaphors are on point and he really makes you think we he's rhymin'plus Talib is an excellent battle rapper as well, though we haven't seen that side of him since "train of thought". now he drops his fourth LP (or third, some may or may not count "blackstar")and this one was a surprise.

(lyrically) Talib kweli lyrics on this album are no surprise. he spits superb social commentary on the state of black folks and our never ending struggle for recognition. and his metaphors and lyrical attack on negativity is as strong as ever. but it seems that Talib may be tired of being over looked by mainstream radio because he has a couple of party joints on here which really caught me by surprise. a party song on a Talib album really dosen't fit, so it's almost like he wanted to please the mainstream crowd and still rep the underground. i'd rather he stay away from that urge to be recognized by the mainstream because he has an underground fan base who'll support him. he also dosen't come off as strong as he did on "Quality" and nowhere near as strong as on "Train of Thought" other than those lil smugges he keeps his head focus. Common makes an appearance which always brings up the value of an album and new comer Jean Grea lends her beautiful lyrics to the project as well, plus Mary J and Anthony Hamilton show up too.

(production) the beats on this album is what brings it down to 3 stars. the beats only start to get good halfway through the album, and by that time it's over. Hi-tek, one of my favorite new-school producers, very surprisingly worked at half his USUAL potential. he did three tracks and the only one thats bangin is the last track "beautiful struggle" the other two are,for Hi-Tek standards,pretty lame. the neptumes did a track, albeit a diff. style, but even their time may be up. the only person who came through is Kanyé West wit "i try" which is simply genius and a fairly new team named midi mafia wit "black girl pain" which is perfect. Hi-Teks "beautiful struggle" adds too the highlights as well as "ghetto show" by supa dave west.

Decent lyrics but lazy production the first half through pins the 3 star rating. I can't wait until Talib is re-uinited fully with Hi-Tek to become Reflection Eternal again so they can create another masterpiece like "Train of Thought"