Talib Kweli ready to break out, again

Talib Kweli is trying hard to achieve the success he's been so close to for so long. The talented-yet-inconsistent Brooklyn MC will release his sixth album, Eardrum, on August 21, and the Kweli camp promises that it will be a career-defining record. The album boasts guest spots from Norah Jones, Justin Timberlate, and KRS-ONE, plus production help from Kanye West and will.i.am. Cool, but forgive us if we don’t think Kweli’s recent sound bites sound particularly inspired.

"The image of the ear and of the drum are powerful enough by themselves, but when you put them together, it's an instrument that's in your body that helps you hear. They're also two very simple, yet powerful words," Kweli says. Um, whatever you say, Talib.

No one can accuse Kweli of not trying. Along with Eardrum there is “The Story of Blacksmith,” a 15 part “text novella” written by Kweli and Blacksmith Music, which will available to fans who subscribe via text message. By texting “Talib” to 50505, people can sign up to receive one chapter of the novella each week on their mobile device of choice.

That’s not all. Kweli will soon be providing “The Words of Eardrum” on his website, giving fans more information about the tracks on Eardrum.

Related links:
TalibKweli.com
Talib Kweli MySpace
Catch Talib Kweli this summer on the Rock the Bells tour

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