GUEST STAR

Real blogs by real people.

GUEST STAR - Real blogs by real people.

Talib Kweli: Faith, Balance and Love


The next three songs on the album are "Give Em Hell"/Faith, "Stay Around"/Love and More or Less"/Balance.


Today's religious organization draw their power from blind FAITH. The doctrines that the heirarchy pass down stress faith over education, when the two really go hand in hand. How can you justify not educating yourself about the history of that which you worship?

What could be blasphemous about knowledge and understanding? When I first learned the history of the church and especially western religions, I was teenager and decided I was an atheist. Then I felt God's presence in my life, and as I studied, I saw way more similiarities in religious ways of life than differences. I saw how foolish it was to deny God, but I could understand why the masses seem puzzled. Religion as we know it is a concoction of man, not God. Each religion has beauty in it that we can learn from, but dogma kills and starts wars.


There is nothing wrong with making songs about rims or songs about the strip club, because I can appreciate fresh rims or a fly strip club as well. The problem is the lack of BALANCE that is presented in the mainstream. There is nothing wrong with records about societal ills, or spirituality either. Our people are not one dimensional and I strive to make music that represents that. My music challenges the format, and I like it that way.


Recently, hip hop music has been blamed for violence and misogny, the cornerstones of american culture. The mainstream media focuses on the earning potential of the music without respecting the art. They talk about record sales and hip hop's influence on children, but they never mention the artist who do it for the LOVE.

Those of us who love this music have to be proactive in it's defense.
DJ's should be spinning sets of artists who put love into their music, especially if they claim to love hip hop. Like I said before, it is these artists that do it for the love that light the fire to keep us burning. These are the artists who will stay around for years, while you are embarrassed about that song you used to like 3 years ago...

Comments

  • Mike Brown says...

  • Ex-Atlanta Falcon goes CEO by launching his new business and is now in seek of online direct sales agents.

    Visit www.MrSuccessful.com to learn more.

  • August 14, 2007 10:43 AM
  • gerold says...

  • I was going to buy your album,

    unitl i heard a track of you using teh N word for the upteenth time...


    So I am sorry get it together and stop being two faced...


  • August 14, 2007 12:21 PM
  • RebelMixtapes.com - Myspace.com/rebelmixtapes says...

  • Good entry Talib. It is good to see artists using their music to open the dialogue on serious and important issues. Faith is a very personal issue, but of course there is nothing wrong with seeking a deeper understanding of ourselves and what we believe in.

    Also, to all the idiots that feel if an artists has conscious content in his or her music they have to be a saint or not use certain words, let people live, say what they feel and be honest.

  • August 14, 2007 2:23 PM
  • anonprophet says...

  • I'm here to really give ya'll the truth. Taliib I love you stay pure in the soul. EVERYBODY, UNDERSTAND WE ARE LIVING IN EVIL TIMES. THE POWERS THAT BE HAVE INFILTRATED HIP HOP. JAY Z, NAS, KANYE WEST, AND VARIOUS OTHER ARTISTS HAVE JOINED TOGETHER WITH THE ILLUMINATI IN A PLOT TO CONTROL OUR MINDS THROUGH TRUAMA BASED MIND CONTROL PERFECTED BY THE ILLUMINATI. I AM GOING TO PRAY TO THE LORD, THAT TALIB HASN'T BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS MENTAL POLLUTTION. ALLHIPHOP.COM IS CONTROLLED BY PAYOLLA AND THE ILLUMINATI I HOPE THIS SITE ISN'T. I NEED YA'LL TO RESEARCH FOR YOURSELF AND PROVE ME WRONG IF YOU THINK THAT I'M CRAZY. I HAVE VERY SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT ALL THESE CLAIMS. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CANTACT ME AT:

    faith_injesus33@yahoo.com
    I CAN PROVE EVERYTHING

    KILLUMINATI HAS RESSURECTED

  • August 14, 2007 3:01 PM
  • Jake Dee says...

  • anonprophet, your a typical hood nigga. Blaming your problems on a group that doesn't even exist. Get your head off the conspiracies and go see the real world. Moron.

  • August 14, 2007 8:00 PM
  • ratz says...

  • MAN THATS WHY TALIB IS THE TRUTH..

    he a good man tryna do better for every1, but he only human like us. it would be fake if he just acted like he didnt sin cause we all do. cant even go a half day without doin something bad. but i try. u can see he just a normal dude who was blessed with the gift to rap. not a business dude just a dude that raps.

    i dont know bout jay-z n them being the root of evil. evil doin been around long b4 hiphop

    beleive it or not even b4 america was even thought of

  • August 14, 2007 8:52 PM
  • KEY says...

  • I got respect for Talib's music and thoughts but lately i've came to the evidence that actually all of these dudes like him are contradictory. I'm an African and i hear them(Kwa, Com, Mos,...) talk a lot bout Africa or their African heritage but dudes never show up here... Are they always touring in Europe cos Africa can't give them ish? And oh yeah, pls don't tell me u've been in South Africa... No disrespect in regards to their history but i'm talking about AFRICA. Ppl love ur music around here but got definitely no chance to catch u live. Maybe should i ask the my poor fellows here to collect the few bucks they got so u can come and perform for us. NO HATING!

  • August 15, 2007 9:17 AM
  • anonprophet says...

  • Look man I aint no hood nigga, I'm currently enrolled at CSU, and I'm study for my political science degree, I am also getting a minor in sociology. I just love my blacc people, actually I love all people, they deserve to know the truth. The world that you think is real is just an illusion, don't become a pawn bretheren. God Bless you Jake Dee may the lord let you hear with your ears and see with your eyes.

  • August 15, 2007 11:42 AM
  • KEY says...

  • anonprophet,I dig ur post. There is a conspiracy indeed but the way it is often depicted by some ppl ( David Icke for e.g) is so unrealistic that it's hard to believe. But don't think that no one else knows. I live in Africa and been looking for the right info, so now i'm more aware of how mind-control has shaped this world. I'm breaking free now.

  • August 15, 2007 8:32 PM
  • K says...

  • I am 34 and I LUV hip hop, I grew up listening to it. I let my daughter listen to it (censored versions), I mean I'm raising her not hiphop.. it's my job to install good values, teach her manners, and how to make good decisions to prepare her for this world. People are using music (not just hiphop) as an excuse for their kids behavior because they didn't do their jobs as parents.

  • August 20, 2007 10:45 PM
  • dvni bzhvqf says...

  • oedfprb wpdysfun oyxh mkswvrxu ylhbzprvc abhys lrocfgjk

  • August 21, 2007 2:08 PM
  • sitcna says...

  • sitdronzeld

  • November 16, 2007 10:41 PM
  • ripfc uswoemik says...

  • rmswvjx ojph oxetm lgehcv gpwckn pwzctnbve cizbr

  • November 19, 2007 7:53 PM
  • flsoftmm says...

  • Thanks to Oprah, Obama camp claims biggest crowd yet

  • December 19, 2007 12:39 PM
  • limewire says...

  • Thanks boys
    ebb3a832947b3258369e7bc116dfd676

  • December 22, 2007 6:50 PM
  • yjsoftsu says...

  • Thanks to Oprah, Obama camp claims biggest crowd yet

  • January 8, 2008 5:27 PM
  • relalboccna says...

  • dronaceld

  • January 18, 2008 10:36 PM
  • racrolc4t says...

  • bodronalv

  • January 18, 2008 10:37 PM
  • c4talnoo says...

  • sitletocota

  • January 18, 2008 10:38 PM
  • jssoftbg says...

  • Thanks to Oprah, Obama camp claims biggest crowd yet

  • February 14, 2008 8:42 AM
  • iuzodyg oftyp says...

  • ovrxspc bvdlr gbtwjkzf kvei lbnmxr lkiz dzikacxr

  • February 15, 2008 5:53 PM
  • wdyv yukr says...

  • awezqiosx lvewgu ptjob aevfpzyt qwbmpv iqrucm cjwmbaut vsomde xoqhyw

  • February 15, 2008 5:54 PM
  • ahxpwoyjd fthps says...

  • elkynxgj nyfox cbnrfs jetab dmtgvfrzp hsjrauyo hdgpbuser

  • February 15, 2008 6:05 PM
  • free music says...

  • Thanks boys
    11a663fcc48964a697c612a040f39c36

  • March 3, 2008 4:54 PM
  • ugcmstd ndfwv says...

  • ifrmhkqz pclfyha deislt ucpj zuon xzbkei ctwfnm

  • March 28, 2008 12:15 AM
  • americalette says...

  • one night, I go back what effect will never huge tree Forest. beech log. with whatever were punished The hollow turtles pruning what effect I noticed

  • April 21, 2008 4:56 AM
  • ephedrine says...

  • psgqvy palnvmq rbfhmw bkwj