Liberation (Talib Kweli and Madlib album)

Liberation
Studio album by
Talib Kweli & Madlib
ReleasedMarch 20, 2007 (2007-03-20) (official)
GenreHip hop
Length30:12
LabelBlacksmith Music
ProducerMadlib
Talib Kweli & Madlib chronology
Liberation
(2007) 		Liberation 2
(2023)
Talib Kweli chronology
Right About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD
(2006) 		Liberation
(2007) 		Eardrum
(2007)
Madlib chronology
Beat Konducta Vol 1-2: Movie Scenes
(2006) 		Liberation
(2007) 		Yesterdays Universe
(2007)
Alternative cover

Liberation is a collaborative album by Talib Kweli and Madlib.[1] It was made available as a free download from Stones Throw's Rappcats website, and Kweli and Madlib's MySpace pages for the first week of 2007, beginning New Year's Eve 2007.[2] It was removed about a week later. One cover for the album is an adaptation of a piece by guerrilla artist Banksy, and an alternative cover (given away as a print-ready download) is a collage of Talib Kweli, a dollar sign, and the Statue of Liberty.

Liberation 2 was released in 2023.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllHipHop[3]
AllMusic[4]
HipHopDX[5]
RapReviews.com8/10[6]
Stylus MagazineA−[7]

A.J. Henriques of Stylus Magazine gave Liberation a grade of A−, commenting that "Talib Kweli sounds more energized rhyming over Madlib's production than he has in years" and "Madlib has crafted his most traditionally rappable beats since his work with Lootpack."[7]

It was ranked at 53 on PopMatters' "101 Hip-Hop Albums of 2007" list.[8]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."The Show"2:21
2."Funny Money"3:04
3."Time Is Right"2:17
4."Engine Running" (featuring Consequence)3:39
5."Over the Counter"4:05
6."The Function" (featuring Strong Arm Steady)4:09
7."Happy Home" (featuring Candice Anderson)5:50
8."Soul Music" (featuring Res)2:29
9."What Can I Do?"2:18

References

  1. ^ Bychawski, Adam (January 3, 2007). "Talib Kweli and Madlib release free digital download". NME. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  2. ^ Pareles, John (January 8, 2007). "Critic's Choice: New CDs". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  3. ^ Fofana, Sidik (January 7, 2007). "Liberation". AllHipHop. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  4. ^ Herzog, Kenneth. "Talib Kweli / Madlib - Liberation". AllMusic. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  5. ^ Kameka, Andrew (January 12, 2007). "Talib Kweli & Madlib - Liberation". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  6. ^ Tomer, Matt (January 16, 2007). "Talib Kweli & Madlib :: Liberation :: Blacksmith/Stones Throw Records". RapReviews.com. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Henriques, A.J. (January 16, 2007). "Talib Kweli & Madlib - Liberation". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on January 18, 2007. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  8. ^ Huff, Quentin B. (January 15, 2008). "101 Hip-Hop Albums of 2007". PopMatters. Retrieved May 16, 2016.