Talib Kweli

Talib Kweli is a hip-hop artist from New York City who has built a reputation for himself over his decades long career as one of the more talented and socially aware rappers of his generation. Born and raised in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn to an English professor mother and a university administrator father, Kweli was drawn to Afrocentric hip-hop at an early age. Honing his rapping skills throughout his teens, Kweli would eventually partner with his friend and fellow rapper Mos Def to form Black Star. The duo released its debut album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, in 1998 and the LP helped rise both rappers to the forefront of the national hip-hop scene. Kweli released his debut solo album, Quality, in 2002 and the LP helped further solidify the talented rapper's standing as an artist who's grounded understanding of culture, race and class is reflected in his music.