What advice do you give up-and-coming MCs who pack enlightened messages and who are looking to reach audiences as large as you have?
At this stage you have to create your own niche and use the tools. You used to have to physically participate in the scene — I used to be in the parks and at the record stores. Now it’s completely different. I tell them to look at an artist like Consequence, who’s never been on a major label, but because of the Internet there’s not a kid out there who doesn’t know him.
Train of Thought is my favorite hip-hop album of all time, and i’ve heard a lot of other people say the same. What sort of magic was bouncing around in that studio between you and Hi-Tek?
The truth is that it was more than just magic — it was conflict. We come from different places, and we have different ideas. One thing we have in common, though, is a love for hip-hop, but we even argued about that a lot. There was a lot of back-and-forth nitpicking to make that album sound that real.
You mentioned this past year that there may be another reflection eternal album in the works. Given how much you and Hi-Tek have grown, what would that project come off like?
We signed the deal to do it, and I’m looking forward to finishing it.
Anything else you want to tell me about that?
Nah — not now — but we’ve already done a few songs.
I see your next solo album is called Prisoner of Conscious. Is the title self-explanatory, or is there more to it?
I mentioned that would be a cool title in an interview, but that’s not the title. I mean — it might be, but not yet. It’s a play on words, because being a prisoner of conscious is not necessarily a bad thing. People change in prison — sometimes for the better.
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Music Features
, Entertainment, Hip-Hop and Rap, Music, More
, Entertainment, Hip-Hop and Rap, Music, Justin Timberlake, Mos Def, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Talib Kweli, Talib Kweli, Conscious Rap, Less
