Wednesday March 5, 2003 fi t d oS michigandaily.com mae@michigandaily.com 5 By Joseph Litman Daily Arts Writer Call it skill, call it game, call it whatever, but be sure to call Talib Kweli's talent something that denotes its exceptional abundance. A gifted word- smith who seems to never waste a bar, the New York MC is one of rap music's finest and most intellectu- ally provocative rhymers, and his lyrical prowess has earned him a devoted following and placed him among hip-hop's "socially conscious" luminaries. Sharing that distinction with Kweli are a handful of elite acts, like Common, and both men will be featured attractions tomorrow night at Detroit's State Theater. Gang Starr will also be performing at a show certain to please real hip-hop fans. Kweli, who spoke to The Michigan Daily last week, is clearly excited about the performance. "(The show) is just some real hip-hop shit. It's a pretty long show, so people should be prepared for that. However, it's not long and boring; it's long and good," he said. "I try to throw a party with my show." The party atmosphere created results from Talib's remarkable ability to engage fans with his music. "I try not to make music for the audience; I try to make music for myself. The only way that you can be true to yourself as an artist is if you make music for yourself and then let the audience relate to that. If you make music for specific audiences, they're usually sophisticated enough to see through that." Measuring the sophistication of the hip-hop audi- ence is a difficult task. As hip-hop has permeated society, the culture's growth has raised a plethora of issues that require complicated responses. One such topic is the direction in which the music is headed. "I see hip-hop going wherever the people are, whatever the people demand," Kweli said. "Right now, whatever Nelly is putting out is something that the people are demanding. He came out with a song TALI that was a hit and it just became a ALB phenomenon. And since (he and Uni- COMM versal Records) have been ableto GANG capitalize on the phenomenon. He At the Sta touched a nerve and hip-hop is going to be wherever the people are." Those people are, at times, nott with Kweli, who has not enjoyed the Clear Channel same commercial success as a Nelly. Compounding that problem, even loyal fans have at times been disappointed with Kweli, like this sum- mer when they disapproved of a new song, "Gun Music," before fully understanding its meaning. "There are people in the so-called 'conscious music' that are just as close-minded as people who listen to 'commercial music,"' said Kweli. "In the summer it was a little tough because people auto- matically assume that I'm not allowed to use the word 'gun,' that I'm so positive that I can't even say something that might have a negative connotation." ,..:., ..:r . a xi. ... , ..:.. . :.. Courtesy of OkayPlayer Practice? We're sittin' here talkin' about practice?i . CODY CHESNUTT T THE HEADPHONE MASTERPIECE READY SET Go! RECORDS By Joseph Litman Daily Arts Writer "Seinfeld" was not particularly popular when it debuted. No one owned J5's Jurassic 5 before they heard Quality Control. And the Toronto Raptors let Tracy McGrady leave but held onto Vince Carter. Rarely are people cognizant that they are witnessing greatness in its nascent stages, yet when we can lis- ten to a record or watch a perform- ance excited by our belief that we're onto something that will become exceptional, that feeling is almost as great as its inspiration. Hopefully the previously documented episodes of myopia will prepare everyone for Cody ChesnuTT's The Headphone Masterpiece, then, because the record should engender in listeners a won- derful, enthusiastic optimism. Normally, calling one's own work a masterpiece would be presumptuous, an exercise in self-aggrandizement. However, ChesnuTT's self-conferred title is apt because the 36-song, two- disc record (a plurality of tracks are roughly two minutes or less) displays a sonic diversity and ingenuity seldom heard. Drawing from a wide array of sources, Masterpiece gives listeners smooth jazz, energized rock, snarling funk and tough hip-hop that all benefit from and show off ChesnuTT's incred- ible musical gifts. His ability to deftly combine styles and sounds indicates a musical mind that seems difficult to harness for an album; ChesnuTT's music oozes talent and ideas. Those unimpressed by the album's creative melodies and well-blended rhythms may instead admire that Ches- nuTT recorded this release entirely in his bedroom and plays every instru- ment save for saxophone. That Masterpiece was cooked up in ChesnuTT's bedroom does detract from the album in some ways because the record's primary defi- ciency is its sound quality, which at times is grainy. However, Master- piece is literally its creator's demo tape and perhaps that distinction can at least explain, if not excuse, the album's lacking production quality. On no song is that tinny sound more apparent than "The Seed," a song which ChesnuTT performed with the Roots on their record Phrenology. The disparity in the sound quality between the versions is stark. As interesting as the melodies and rhythms are Masterpiece's lyrics. Sim- ply, ChesnuTT seems to be an idiosyn- cratic blend of spirituality, testosterone and intelligence. This intriguing per- sonality is readily apparent on tracks like "Boylife in America," in which ChesnuTT says, "All I want is pussy / Give me some religion," and "When I Find Time," a song in which he speaks to the rigors of daily routine, flippantly remarking, "I don't have time for apologies and puppies." Brazenly listening to The Head- phone Masterpiece will be counter- productive for those interested in this record, so they should be sure to find time. In addition to the sound quality, the record's disjointed flow may dis- turb some people because there real- ly isn't continuity throughout the album. However, that aspect of the record only reinforces ChesnuTT's potential, serving as proof that his musical interest and talent are vast enough to be overwhelming. Maybe it isn't so hard to recognize greatness. RATING: * * * * I 01 atf at OC elI The rush to judgment that proved to be hasty is symptomatic of a mass U.S. audience that often lacks patience. Subjecting Kweli to such unfortunate behavior has especially threatening consequences, though, because anything that might encourage the MC's silence - though he'd likely be undeterred - would deprive hip- hop of a much-needed candid and honest voice. Demonstrating how he's gar- (WELl, nered his reputation for intelli- N AND gence and thoughtfulness, Kweli STARR discussed the meaning behind his e Theater latest single, "Get By." "I specifically choose to address t 7:30 p.m. the black condition around the 0 world in my music, because there is Entertainment not enough of that in the main- stream, and it needs to be dealt with because it is a serious issue. But when I say 'we' in that sense (of coping with life's stresses), I am talking about all people. Getting by is a con- stant struggle, something that everybody, regard- less of race, deals with." Kweli's unabashed opinions also cover ongoing topics of conversation ranging from his responsi- bility as a role model given his profession - "I think that there is a responsibility, but I wouldn't put that on everybody" - to Eminem's potential role in the co-optation of hip-hop. "Honestly, of course (Eminem is a vehicle for co-optation), to a certain extent, but I don't think anybody realizes that more than Eminem, and I think it's kind of irrelevant to discuss that because that's so far away from the real issues in our cul- ture. Part of the reason that he sells millions of records is obviously because he's white, and obvi- ously because white kids who buy hip-hop music relate to him, and that's why you see him on the award shows and everything. He realizes that and he wouldn't be where he is if he weren't one of the best MCs to ever do it, and he also realizes that." Speaking further about the issue's nuances, Kweli continued, "You could make the argument that Vanilla Ice was good for the culture because he brought hip-hop to a whole bunch of people who didn't give a fuck about it before. It's about where someone's heart (rests), and you take every- thing as it is. If Eminem can rhyme, that's all we should be dealing with." Through his Nkiru bookstore and community center, Talib has also tried to reach more people and develop a context in which they can under- stand and enjoy hip-hop and black culture. Some of that culture's finest music and its most ardent supporter will be on display tomorrow night. From the classic style of Gang Starr to the boundary-pushing growth of Common, there will be something for all hip-hop heads. As for Kweli? Obviously, he speaks for himself. 0 0 0 0@ *w':t~: V 5 4 317 S. Stat (734) 665- Customer Service Survey. Thinking about Switching? Now is the time with these great prices. e St. 4990 Answer these questions and get a FREE BLUEBOOK OR 10% OFF KODAK FILM for your Spring Break pictures. Return this survey to Ulrich's or Michigan Book & Supply to take advantage of this great deal. 1.) Would you buy other university school apparel in addition to University of Michigan? Yes L NoQ 2.) What would you like to see Ulrich's and Michigan Book & Supply carry in the future? 3.) 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