SoundNexx

THE BEAT OF THE EARDRUM!
Where were you when you first heard the emcee Talib Kweli? Notice how I used the word "emcee" and not "rapper" in the question above, because there is a big difference between the two in my opinion. Not bad or good, just different. As I remember it, the first time I heard Talib spit was on that "Soundbombing" mixtape mixed by DJ Evil Dee in 1997! That whole mixtape was hot to def, plus there were plenty of dope freestyles and hard to find classic rap joints on there for sure. Talib Kweli and Mos Def both ripped a few freestyles on there, but it wasn't until I heard the Black Star (Mos Def & Talib) album in 1998 that I realized how dope he really was. Speaking of that, can we get another Black Star album please? Black Star reuniting is long overdoo-doo dammit! A couple of years after Black Star dropped, Talib came back hard with the Reflection Eternal's (Talib & Hi-Tek) debut album "Train of Thought" that definitely solidified his position as a hip-hop icon in my opinion. That track "The Blast" is still one of my favorite hip-hop tracks to this day! The most impressive part of Talib's wordplay is the fact that it can be street conscious and uplifting all in the same verse. Add that to Hi-Tek's solid production, and you definitely have a classic on your hands. Unfortunately, Talib and Tek ended their working relationship soon after the Eternal Reflection project dropped due to internal problems? In an interview I read some years later, Hi-Tek stated that Talib basically told him that he wanted to branch out and work with other producers. He never really gave Hi-Tek a clear answer about why though? So, in 2002 Talib dropped his first official solo album "Quality" without any production help from Hi-Tek. Talib's verbal skills were on point, but the production on the album lacked the potency of his previous works. It actually had me craving for some more Hi-Tek beats. He released his second solo joint "The Beautiful Struggle" in 2004 that had about three different versions floating around due to excessive bootlegging and sample clearing issues. Because of that the final retail album seemed a little unorganized and watered down? I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either!

Now, it's 2007 and after changing record labels and getting refocused, Talib is back with his latest release entitled "Eardrum" to hopefully reclaim his spot in the hip-hop game. I will admit that my anticipation for this album has been pretty high, and after hearing the advanced copy of it I'm pretty pleased overall. Talib is always on point lyrically, so my main concern were the producers handling the beats? This time around Talib has some of the best producers in the game like Pete Rock, Madlib, Just Blaze, Will.I.Am, Kanye and Hi-Tek putting it down lovely! Featured guest on the album include Jean Grae, KRS-One, UGK and Musiq Soulchild. I definitely feel that this is Talib's best solo album to date. The official release date for the new album is July 24th, so keep your ears open and don't miss out!

If you haven't guessed by now, my music vibe is based my current mood and I will be the first to admit that I haven't posted many hip-hop mixes recently, but today I'm back on my HIP-HOP shyt!! I'm calling this slice of underground bliss the "SoundNexx Undaground Haven Mixx!" This one is dedicated to all of my hip-hop headz, bloggerz and my partna TB doing his overseas thang for the Army right now! This joint is filled with plenty of goodies for everyone, so fire up those mp3 players and CD burners up for real. After listening to this mixx (if you feel like it) let me know what tracks you liked or disliked. There is a reason why I am asking you to do this, but if you just want to kopp it and bounce without doing so, I won't be mad at you! You already know my stance on commenting. Also, I realize that some of you challenged suckaz probably can't even write a complete sentence anyway, let alone type one, so I am empathetic for you folks with those deficiencies. SoundNexx is an equal opportunity blog, so all misfits are welcomed with open arms even if one arm is shorter than the other. Have you hugged a misfit today???

Okay, lets continue the journey...MUSIC PLEASE!!

SOUNDNEXX UNDAGROUND HAVEN MIXX TRACKLIST:

01-CESAR COMANCHE - Underground Heaven
02-STRANGE FRUIT PROJECT feat. TONE TREZURE - Crush On You
03-TALIB KWELI feat. KANYE WEST - In The Mood
04-JOHN ROBINSON feat. TIFFANY PAIGE - Behind Me
05-J. RAWLS & HOLMSKILLIT - Gentle Rain
06-RAASHID - Duck Duck Duck
07-TALIB KWELI feat. PETE ROCK - Electrify
08-CHAPTER 13 - Keep It Moving
09-POLYRHYTHM ADDICTS feat. PHONTE - It's My Life
10-KAY - TGIF
11-MOKA ONLY feat. JAY DEE - I Could Give A __
12-J DILLA - The $ (Lootpack Remix)
13-JAYLIB - The Mission (Stringed Out Remix)
14-MARCO POLO feat. MASTA ACE - Nostaligia
15-VON PEA - Need 2 Know
16-CRITICAL ACCLAIM - Wallflower
17-PHAT KAT - True Story Part 2
18-TANYA MORGAN - Walk This Way
19-SEAN PRICE - One
20-JAZZY JEFF feat. J-LIVE - Practice
21-PHAROAHE MONCH - So Good

THE SAFE HAVEN IS HERE!