Talib Kweli

Sean Paul, Talib Kweli, Ravi Shankar

Back in the early 2000s, Sean Paul's dutty rock dominated the airwaves and party playlists all over the world. Sean Paul is making somewhat of a comeback with a new album that nobody knew was released this year. We'll see if the tracks on Tomahawk Technique are good enough to still make people drop ... More >>

Rapper Mouse Powell on an AZ Hip-Hop Education

Back in the early 2000s, Sean Paul's dutty rock dominated the airwaves and party playlists all over the world. Sean Paul is making somewhat of a comeback with a new album that nobody knew was released this year. We'll see if the tracks on Tomahawk Technique are good enough to still make people drop ... More >>

This Has Been a Good Week For Black Star Fans

​It's been a really great week for Black Star fans -- and I'm one of them. Black Star, the 1998 collaboration between Mos Def and Talib Kweli is one of my favorite hip-hop albums. The duo performed "Fix Up," produced by the nearly always awesome Madlib, on The Colbert Report, on Wednesday, October ... More >>

WTFunk Friday @ Stray Cat

​It's been a really great week for Black Star fans -- and I'm one of them. Black Star, the 1998 collaboration between Mos Def and Talib Kweli is one of my favorite hip-hop albums. The duo performed "Fix Up," produced by the nearly always awesome Madlib, on The Colbert Report, on Wednesday, October ... More >>

Talib Kweli

​It's been a really great week for Black Star fans -- and I'm one of them. Black Star, the 1998 collaboration between Mos Def and Talib Kweli is one of my favorite hip-hop albums. The duo performed "Fix Up," produced by the nearly always awesome Madlib, on The Colbert Report, on Wednesday, October ... More >>

Billie Maxwell, Aaron Lewis, Arcade Fire, Talib Kweli and More in This Week's Issue

Billie Maxwell and her family band.​Sarah Ventre went in search of the story of the oldest record ever made by an Arizona artist in this week's issue. Those records were made by original cowgirl singer Billie Maxwell and her humble family band from Eastern Arizona in the 1920s.To do that, Sarah sp ... More >>

April 7 In Blogs: Richard Chrisman, Steampunk, Rachel Austin, El Chorro Lodge, and Boring Proms

​​​In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries:

Incoming: Arcade Fire, Talib Kweli, Bruno Mars, Janelle Monáe, John Vanderslice, Loudness

Loudness​There's lots of big name acts in this week's just announced shows as the always-busy spring slate of shows are finally being announced. The huge Arcade Fire show was gleefully announced last Friday by Martin Cizmar, so I really need not write about the recent Album of the Year Grammy winn ... More >>

Tempe's Super Stereo Getting Lots of Love on MTV.com

Tempe electro-pop act Super Stereo is scoring tons of views over at MTV.com. As of today, their video for "Life Passed me By" is the highest rated on the site, as well as at the top of the "most commented" catergory and second on the "most shared." The video has 12,000 views in three days and is a ... More >>

Curren$y at Clubhouse Music Venue Last Night

"I'll kick anyone out smoking reggie." Those were Curren$y's first words to the audience at the Clubhouse Music Venue on the eventful last stop for the Smoker's Club Tour. The crowd -- mostly flat-brimmed baseball cap clad guys in their early 20s -- received the threat warmly. A few minutes later t ... More >>

What's Selling: Revolver Records

Ratatat's LP4​Revolver Records is often known for having some of the more unconventional lists for their ten best selling records of the week. (Once, their #1 slot was occupied by recordings of street music from an outdoor market in Morocco.)This week, indie cool takes over, with Ratatat on top, T ... More >>

MURS

Ratatat's LP4​Revolver Records is often known for having some of the more unconventional lists for their ten best selling records of the week. (Once, their #1 slot was occupied by recordings of street music from an outdoor market in Morocco.)This week, indie cool takes over, with Ratatat on top, T ... More >>

Talib Kweli Promotes May 29 Anti-SB1070 March, Art Show in New Video

Kweli promotes the big May 29 march in this YouTube shortBrooklyn emcee Talib Kweli, one of the most respected names in hip-hop, known for his collaborations with fellow master of the mic Mos Def in Black Star, has done a video for AltoArizona.com endorsing the massive march to the state Capitol com ... More >>

Talib Kweli

Kweli promotes the big May 29 march in this YouTube shortBrooklyn emcee Talib Kweli, one of the most respected names in hip-hop, known for his collaborations with fellow master of the mic Mos Def in Black Star, has done a video for AltoArizona.com endorsing the massive march to the state Capitol com ... More >>

Russell Brand and Katy Perry Gettin' Hitched

Russell Brand and Katy Perry in front of the Taj Mahal, evidently constructed by Brand.​Does anyone else find this to be a "What the fuck?!?" moment? I was surprised that they were dating, and now just four months later, they're engaged. The most sickening part: The picture you are viewing was p ... More >>

Q-Tip's Do-Over Kills Momentum at Marquee

By Martin Cizmar Q-Tip is a perfectionist. Or so he said Monday night as he derailed his show one song in, taking a five-minute interlude to adjust the sound. “Any of ya’ll bloggers out there? Any bloggers?” he asked. “So when you blog about this, just be a little gracious. ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Monster Commutes, Miniature Tigers, Common and Earth Dance 2008

By Martin Cizmar Q-Tip is a perfectionist. Or so he said Monday night as he derailed his show one song in, taking a five-minute interlude to adjust the sound. “Any of ya’ll bloggers out there? Any bloggers?” he asked. “So when you blog about this, just be a little gracious. ... More >>

Common covers a lot of ground in Marquee show

By Martin Cizmar Q-Tip is a perfectionist. Or so he said Monday night as he derailed his show one song in, taking a five-minute interlude to adjust the sound. “Any of ya’ll bloggers out there? Any bloggers?” he asked. “So when you blog about this, just be a little gracious. ... More >>

Local MC Justus wants you to “get your A’z up”

By Martin Cizmar Q-Tip is a perfectionist. Or so he said Monday night as he derailed his show one song in, taking a five-minute interlude to adjust the sound. “Any of ya’ll bloggers out there? Any bloggers?” he asked. “So when you blog about this, just be a little gracious. ... More >>

Willy Northpole and the Phoenix hip-hop scene explode

By Martin Cizmar Q-Tip is a perfectionist. Or so he said Monday night as he derailed his show one song in, taking a five-minute interlude to adjust the sound. “Any of ya’ll bloggers out there? Any bloggers?” he asked. “So when you blog about this, just be a little gracious. ... More >>

Lupe Fiasco

Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
(Atlantic)

DJ Paul Nice

Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
(Atlantic)

Phoenix Becomes Hip-Hop Central (for a weekend)

Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
(Atlantic)

Radar Love

This time, symphonics meets hip-hop

Spray-On Soul

Getting Up is a flawed but fascinating ode to graffiti 's early years

Dilated Peoples

Thank you for not Pea-ing

Trill Thrills

The Boss Hogg and Aeon Flux of the PHX hit the Hidden House and cop a bag of hip-hop at The Shop

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

The Boss Hogg and Aeon Flux of the PHX hit the Hidden House and cop a bag of hip-hop at The Shop

X-Factor

The Boss Hogg and Aeon Flux of the PHX hit the Hidden House and cop a bag of hip-hop at The Shop

Mixing It Up

Variety is the spice of Coachella

Zion I

True & Livin'
(Live Up)

Dead Prez

RBG: Revolutionary But Gangsta (Sony/Columbia)

Jesus Christ Rap Superstar

Phoenix is the unlikely capital of Christian hip-hop – leading to the not-so-immortal question, Who Would Jesus Diss?

Jaylib

Champion Sound (Stones Throw)

Fade to Black

Jay-Z returns with The Black Album - and renewed disdain for the hip-hop game

Park Rager

Linkin Park's newest album would suck without help from a Valley native

Talib Kweli/Jay-Z

Quality (MCA/Rawkus)

The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse (Rocafella/Island Def Jam)

Hoax, Lies and Audiotape

John Vanderslice is an excellent musician and songwriter. He's also a pretty good prankster.

Hi-Tek

Hi-Teknology (Rawkus)

Open to All

Black Eyed Peas hope they're luckier in 2001 than they were last year

Black Stars

Talib Kweli offers his reflections on the state of hip-hop, Levi's, and the role of MCs in the African-American community