“Good things come to those who wait.” That age-old adage has proven itself to be true time after time, and it becomes even more relevant when speaking of Hi-Tek and Talib Kweli, better known as Reflection Eternal.
(more after break)
Releasing their acclaimed Hip-Hop classic Train Of Thought ten years ago, the wordsmith and beat maestro went their separate ways, hooking up sporadically through the years, but nothing solid enough to give people the belief that they would create another Reflection Eternal album— until now.
With the first decade of the 2000’s coming to a close, one of the most memorable moments it will have from a Hip-Hop standpoint will be the return of Reflection Eternal, with their long-awaited sophomore album; Revolutions Per Minute.
As expected, Hi-Tek handles every high hat, sample, snare, and everything else beat-wise while Talib Kweli takes care of the vocal duties. MC guest appearances are kept to a minimum, as the ‘Nati/Brooklyn connection only invite well deserving participants like Mos Def, Jay Electronica, Bun B, and J. Cole.
After the introduction where RPM is defined, Hi-Tek revs up the keyboard-laden backdrop for ‘City Playgrounds’ where Kweli unleashes his usual lyrical tirade. The percussions then come into play on the Res-assisted ‘Back Again,’ as her perfect harmonies blend in effortlessly.
From there, Hi-Tek shows his progress as not only a beat maker, but as a producer with sonic offerings such as ‘Got Work,’ the jazzy feel of ‘Midnight Hour’ (feat. Estelle), the hypnotic sounds of ‘Lifting Up,’ and the simple-but-adequate ‘In The Red,’ all with Kweli taking full advantage in the process.
It wouldn’t be a Reflection Eternal album without a political stance, and that stance happens to be on ‘Ballad Of The Black Gold,’ where Kweli sheds light on the world’s power struggle to control oil. The album maintains its authenticity with strong contributions like the horn-riddled ‘Just Begun’ (feat. Mos Def, Jay Electronica, and J. Cole), ‘Long Hot Summer,’ and ‘Ends’ (feat. Bilal).
The maturation between MC and producer/DJ couldn’t be more evident than it is on Revolutions Per Minute. In most cases, a layoff— especially one of ten years would diminish whatever chemistry existed in the first place, but luckily for fans, Reflection Eternal didn’t suffer that fate.
The only problem with the project is the “what if” factor. What if they continued on making albums throughout the decade, would they still be able to maintain their level of true musicianship?
That’s a question that you shouldn’t kill yourself over, just be happy that you’re hearing now; again for the first time.
