Album Review: Talib Kweli - Prisoner Of Conscious

Through his 15-year career, New York rapper Talib Kweli has barely put a foot wrong, a long line of solid solo and collaborative albums testament to this. Yet going by the title of his fifth album, Prisoner of Conscious, the 'conscious rapper' tag has been somewhat of a cross to bear. This hasn't forced him into pulling out the guns, drugs and hoes though; in fact, lyrically it's more of the same well-thought-out brilliance, over a varied selection of beats that generally steer clear of trends.

First single, the soulful Push Thru, proves this, matching Kweli with a well-suited sparring partner in Kendrick Lamar, just one of a smorgasbord of guest MCs. Acknowledging legendary hip hop moments of the past, Turnt Up gives a big nod to Eric B and Rakim while the spacey, '80s electro synths of the Harry Fraud-produced Upper Echelon pay tribute to Masta Ace's classic subby-rattler Born To Roll. The ladies become Kweli's (very respectful) focal point over several songs, the aroused Come Here features soulsta Miguel, while Hamster Wheel tells the story of a woman caught in a self-destructive cycle. Venturing outside his own backyard, High Life co-opts some awesomely funky afro-beat while Favela Love sojourns to South America with vocal help from Seu Jorge.

Though the set does run out of steam a little in its second half, possibly off the back of his constant changing of focus, tracks like Human Mic and It Only Gets Better remind us why we fell in love with Kweli in the first place and provide the comfort that somebody is still producing music from the heart, rather than for the wallet.