More than a decade after their first collaborations, Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek are each among the most respected in their respective crafts. Kweli is a torchbearer for those craving commercially viable music that matters, while Hi-Tek has been able to deliver impeccable work that ranges from bombastic beats for the most progressive backpack rappers to bone-crushing soundbeds for the gruffest gangster rappers.
But it’s their work together as Reflection Eternal that may ultimately define the legacies of both Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek. And that’s a great thing given the exemplary work both of these masters display on Revolutions Per Minute, a continuation of Grade A musicality.
“My music is music that is often categorized as conscious or revolutionary or political,” Kweli says. “But at the same the time, I strive for — and I think Hi-Tek does as well — entertainment value and musicality, to make you feel good when you hear the music. I think it was important for us to convey that energy, which is a revolutionary energy, and to keep it in musical terms.”
It’s a revolution indeed, and the more revolutions per minute the better..