Reflection Eternal |
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Fri. November 10.2000 7:45 PM EST |
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Reflection Eternal Deliver Message Of Empowerment On Train Of ThoughtDebut album from Talib Kweli, Hi-Tek imbued with consciousness of pioneering black artists. by Eric Demby |
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Reflection Eternal, the name of the joint project between rapper Talib Kweli, left, and DJ Hi-Tek, comes from the Alice Coltrane book "Monument Eternal." (Anders Jones) |
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Reflection Eternal hope fans who take a ride on their debut album, Train of Thought, will disembark as enlightened hip-hop listeners. The joint project between rapper Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek is deeply imbued with the consciousness of
The pair's name comes from the Alice Coltrane book "Monument Eternal," which Kweli read when he was 14. "She used to talk about astral traveling," Kweli recalled, "being in a meditative state so high you could leave your body and travel in the spirit realm. I've always been fascinated by the concept of being a reflection of our ancestors and reflecting who was there before us, so 'Monument Eternal' became Reflection Eternal." While Cincinnati producer Hi-Tek (born Tony Cottrell) forms the duo's innovative sonic architecture with a diverse array of beats, Brooklyn native Kweli, 25, paints its walls with intricate lyrical graffiti that spawns new journeys with each glance. That their historically informed brand of hip-hop has garnered a legion of fans isn't terribly surprising; that Train of Thought debuted in the top 20 of the Billboard 200 albums chart alongside Mystikal and Ja Rule, to some, is — although Kweli is not among them. "I wasn't surprised, I've been on the road since March," he said, referring to the duo's spot on this summer's Spitkickers tour with De La Soul and to the current Okayplayer tour, on which Kweli is backed up by the Roots. "Hip-hop is a collage of popular music and art and culture, and whether it's how Mystikal sees it in New Orleans or how Ja Rule sees it in Queens or how Kweli sees it in Brooklyn, hip-hop has room for all of it." Personal Revolution What Reflection Eternal have done since their classic 1997 debut single, "Fortified Live," which featured Mos Def and Mr. Man, is convey a message of knowledge through self-determination and pride, with the implicit idea that a community can only be as empowered as its individuals. "The best revolution is a personal revolution," Kweli said, the words streaming out, seemingly faster than his mouth could handle. "If you have information, if you have knowledge, your responsibility as a human being is to share what you have, and that's natural to me." After flying out of the station with a slew of thumping calls to arms, including the album's lead single, "Move Somethin' " (RealAudio excerpt), Train of Thought slows down in the tunnel, and the lights even dim a bit. On "Memories Live" (RealAudio excerpt), Kweli not only encourages tapping into your chi, he also shouts out James Joyce's "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" and thanks his parents for waiting to divorce until he was older. On "For Women," a hip-hop version of Nina Simone's "Four Women," he pays homage to older generations of African-American ladies, and on "Love Language" he recounts his romantic history, with French singing duo Les Nubians supplying a mesmerizing chorus. "I set up the album like how I set up my shows," Kweli said. "I try to come out and set the stage on fire first, so that you pay attention. Once we set you up, we bring you in, so you get to know who we are from the rest of the songs." Creative Tension Train of Thought was a bit late coming into the station. Following the success of "Fortified Live," Kweli and Hi-Tek were set to record their debut album, but Kweli's Black Star project with Mos Def beckoned. After Black Star's album had run its course — in the process establishing both MCs as leaders of hip-hop's new school — Reflection Eternal came back into the frame, but, Kweli said, the focus was off just slightly. "When we came back to make this album," he said, "there were things I wanted to do that he wasn't really down for, and vice-versa. We started arguing a little bit, but that tension is what created the album we have, so I'm glad for that tension." Work on the next Black Star album has already begun, Kweli said. The duo recorded five songs earlier this year, with production duties handled by Hi-Tek, Pete Rock, Jay Dee of Slum Village, 45 King and Diamond D. Kweli also recorded a track called "Sharp Shooters" with the activist New York group Dead Prez, which will appear on the upcoming Lyricist Lounge 2 compilation, due Nov. 28. |
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