Talib Kweli Biography
Talib Kweli (Talib Kweli Greene) is an American hip hop rapper, recording artist, entrepreneur, and social activist. Kweli earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def when they formed the group Black Star.
Kweli’s musical career continued with solo success including collaborations with producers and rappers Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Pharrell Williams. His most recent solo album is titled Radio Silence, released in 2017. In 2011, Kweli founded his own record label, Javotti Media.
Age|How Old is Talib
Talib Kweli was born on October 3, 1975, in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S . He is 47 years old as of 2022
Net worth
Kweli has an estimated net worth of $4 million dollars as of 2023.
Talib Kweli Family
Talib Kwelwas born to Brenda Greene (mother) and Perry Greene (father). His mother is an English professor at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York and his father is an administrator at Adelphi University.
Read Also:Nicki Minaj, Mansion, Pregnancy, Husband, Latest News
Talib Kweli Sibling
He has one sibling Jamal Greene (brother). He is a professor of constitutional law at Columbia Law School, a graduate of Yale Law School, and former clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court.
Talib Kweli Education
Talib Kweli attended Cheshire Academy which is a boarding school in Connecticut. He later joined Brooklyn Technical High School, and he went on and joined New York University where he studied experimental theater.
As a youth, he was drawn to Afrocentric rappers, such as De La Soul and other members of Native Tongues Posse with whom he met in high school. He was previously a student at Brooklyn Technical High School before being academically dismissed.
Talib Kweli Wife|Divorce|Dj Eque
Talib Kweli has been married to DJ Eque since May 9, 2009.In February 19th 2021,Cynthia Greene(Dj.Eque),filed for a divorce.The couple claimed that their marriage had been enstranged since 2015.
Children
He has two children Amani Fela Greene (son) and Diani Eshe Greene (daughter).
Talib Kweli Music career
Early career (1997–2001)
Talib Kweli made his first debut music in 1997, with featured five appearances on Doom, he had an album by Cincinnati, Ohio group Mood.
In Cincinnati, he met DJ Hi-Tek and two collaborated on a few well-received underground recordings as Reflection Eternal, including “Fortified Live” (1997), and “B-Boy Document 99/Chaos” (1999, featuring The High & Mighty).
Rawkus Records Collaborative Projects (1998–2000)
He reconnected with Mos Def with whom they formed Black Star with. He then brought along Hi-Tek to produce their only album, in 1998 Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star.
The album, released amidst of late ’90s renaissance of conscious, Afrocentric hip hop, was hailed by critics and achieved modest mainstream success.
Hip Hop For Respect (2000)
He organized an EP, Hip Hop for Respect, which was therefore organized by Mos Def and Kweli to speak out against police brutality, specifically, in the case of Amadou Diallo.
The project was released on one EP for Rawkus Entertainment. On February 4, 1999, Amadou Diallo was shot 41 times by four police officers while reaching into his pocket for his wallet.
Diallo was unarmed. The project aimed to assemble 41 emcees to represent the 41 shots fired.
Rappers featured on the EP which include Owen Brown, Evil Dee, Kool G. Rap, Rah Digga, Sporty Thievz, Shabaam Sahdeeq,among others.
Red Hot Organization (2001)
In 2001, Kweli and Mos Def contributed to the Red Hot + Indigo compilation album created by the Red Hot Organization.
The compilation was a tribute to Duke Ellington, that raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease.
Black Star collaborated with fellow artists John Patton and Ron Carter to record “Money Jungle”. In 2002, Kweli contributed to the critically acclaimed Red Hot + Riot, a compilation CD created by the Red Hot Organization in tribute to the music and work of Nigerian musician Fela Kuti.
He collaborated with fellow hip hop artists Dead Prez, Jorge Ben, and Bilal to remake the Fela Kuti song “Shuffering and Shmiling”, for the album.
Rawkus Records solo albums (2001–2006)
In 2002, Kweli released his first solo album, which was a move toward a more mainstream sound. He made a total of three performances on Chappelle’s Show.
In his second appearance, he partnered with Yasiin Bey, as Black Star, for the finale of the show’s first season on April 9, 2003. During summer 2004, he and Bob Moore’s Amazing Mongrels supported the Beastie Boys on their “Challah at Your Boy World Tour”.
He responded to Jay-Z’s 2003 song in “Moment of Clarity” in which Jay-Z rapped: “If skills sold, truth be told/I’d probably be, lyrically, Talib Kweli”, in his own track, “Ghetto Show” by stating “If lyrics sold then truth be told/I’d probably be just as rich and famous as Jay-Z.”
In 2005, he had appeared in an episode featuring Justin Timberlake, and Jimmy Fallon.
BlackSmith Records (2005–2009)
In 2005, Kweli released a mixtape-CD off of his newly formed Blacksmith Records.
On December 31, 2006, Kweli released nine songs he recorded with underground producer Madlib for free download in conjunction with the web site for Stones Throw Records, the label to which Madlib is signed.
He released a mixtape containing rare and collaborative songs, entitled Focus.Kweli released his Hostile Gospel video which appeared as the “New Joint of the Day” on BET’s 106 & Park.
He is also a spokesperson and mentor for P’Tones Records a non-profit after-school music program whose mission is “To create constructive opportunities for urban youth through no-cost music programs.” Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek released a second Reflection Eternal album titled Revolutions Per Minute on May 18, 2010.
Talib Kweli Activism
Talib Kweli was with Mos Def, Kweli with whom he organized the Hip Hop for Respect CD and video in 2000, which spoke out against police brutality and specifically about the death of Amadou Diallo at the hands of New York City police.
In May 2005, Kweli and Mos Def gathered with supporters at City Hall to demand that the federal government drop the million dollar bounty that was placed on political activist Assata Shakur’s head and remove her from the terrorist watch list.
He went on and visited the Occupy Wall Street camp in October 2011 to show support for the protestors.
On October 1, 2012, Kweli spoke at a rally at city hall to urge the NYPD police to end their stop-and-frisk policy.
On August 7, 2013, he traveled to Tallahassee to spend a night in the capital building with the Dream Defenders, a group of students that created a sit-in at the Florida governor’s office to protest the state’s stand-your-ground law.
He traveled to Ferguson, Missouri, to join the community in protesting the shooting of Michael Brown.
Talib Kweli Political Views
Talib Kweli is known for his strong political views and activism, including the topics of racial stereotypes and police brutality.
He is an advocate on behalf of political prisoners and a supporter of community organizations like the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. has spoken often to inner-city high schoolers and college students.
He, therefore, urged people to ask hip-hop artists questions in order to engage them politically but warned not to get frustrated if artists do not “give you what you want” in their replies.
Talib said that music artists bear an unfair burden to use their music as a platform because they have the ability to influence more people. Kweli mentions that artists, just like their audience, fall victim to their upbringing.
In 2017, rapper Remedy and Kweli feuded on Twitter regarding Remedy’s pro-Israel political stance, which conflicts with Kweli’s criticism of what he views as Israel’s occupation of Palestine, and his criticism of Zionism.
Talib Kweli Javotti Media
In 2011, he founded Javotti Media, an independent label. Signed artists include Cory Mo, Space Invadaz (Speed Charles Walton III and Donte the Gr8 of MOOD), Jessica Care Moore, K’Valentine and Brazilian MC Niko Is.
Talib Kweli Songs
- Get By Quality · 2002
- Never Been in Love The Beautiful Struggle · 2004
- Hot Thing Eardrum · 2007
- Push Thru
Prisoner of Conscious · 2013 - Waitin’ for the DJ
Quality · 2002 - Around My Way
The Beautiful Struggle · 2004 - I Try
The Beautiful Struggle · 2004 - Good to You
Quality · 2002 - Ms. Hill
Right About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD · 2005 - The Proud
Quality · 2002 - Every Ghetto
Indie 500 · 2015 - Hostile Gospel, Part 1
Eardrum · 2007
TaliAlbums
- Eardrum 2007
- Talib Kweli Radio Silence 2017
- Talib Kweli The Beautiful Struggle 2004
- Talib Kweli Quality 2002
- Talib Kweli Prisoner of Conscious 2013
- Talib Kweli Gutter Rainbows 2011
- 9th Wonder Indie 500 2015
- Talib Kweli Gravitas 2013
- Black Star Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star 1998
Talib Kweli Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtWI_Bdga76/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link