Ear Drum is the third album from solo artist Talib Kweli. It was released on the 21st of August on his own record label Blacksmith Records. Warner Bros. Records will distribute the album. The featured artists consist of Jean Grae, UGK, Raheem Devaughn, Kanye West, Roy Ayers, Norah Jones, Coi Mattison, Lyfe Jennings, Dion, Will.I.Am, Sa-Ra, KRS-One, Musiq Soulchild, Strong Arm Steady, Sizzla & Justin Timberlake. The album is packing a big line up who all combine with Talib to make this good album. With production also by the following Hi-Tek, Kanye West, Battlecat, Terrace Martin, Kwamé, DJ Khalil, Madlib, will.i.am, Pete Rock, Just Blaze, A Kid Called Roots, Sha-La Shakier, Nick Speed & Swiff D The album isn’t lacking on the production front either. Talib Kweli is well known for his releation ship with Mos Def yet he is not featured on the album this came as a surprise to me I was expecting Mos Def to be on the album.

With the first released track from the album being “Listen” Talib was set to make a real nice album. Now with the album out officially its only a matter of time before it debuts onto the billboards. The album is worthy of top 10 in my opinion. So lets talk tracks. The hot and the not so hot.

The hot track’s for me are “Listen”, “Hostile Gospel pt.1”, “More Or Less” (Featured Video) & “The Perfect Beat” These are all I-pod worthy on there own. Combined with the rest of the album they all make the album something unique. With a feeling to the production and lyrics that has not been on the charts for awhile. The album has the same feeling Commons Finding Forever did that feeling of going back to some real lyrical material not some pop music.

The not so hot track’s “Country Cousins” & “Stay Around”. "Country Cousins" was just not Talib Kweli for me it was to southern with the UGK performance on it and I didn’t feel like Talib went well with the track. "Stay Around" was another track is just felt was boring and had no vibe or significance to the track.

So my overall review of this album is that Talib maybe tried a bit to hard to incorporate to many sides of today’s hip hop into his line up and album. Where as some of his tracks showed that old school hip hop that we all grew up to listening to and vibing with. Lucky for him there where more of the old school tracks of true hip hop which brings this album threw to being a good album. Its not a classic or something that’s amazing but it’s a average album.

Rating:  4 out of 6 shots.

Track Listing:

1. Everything Man - Talib Kweli 
2. My Weather Report - Talib Kweli 
3. Hostile Gospel, Pt. 1 (Deliver Us) - Talib Kweli 
4. Say Something - Jean Grae, Talib Kweli 
5. Country Cousins - Raheem DeVaughn, Talib Kweli, UGK 
6. Holy Moly - Talib Kweli 
7. Eat to Live - Talib Kweli 
8. In the Mood - Roy Ayers, Talib Kweli, Kanye West 
9. Soon the New Day - Norah Jones, Talib Kweli 
10. Give 'Em Hell - Lyfe Jennings, Talib Kweli, Coi Mattison 
11. More or Less - Dion, Talib Kweli 
12. Stay Around - Talib Kweli 
13. Hot Thing - Talib Kweli, will.i.am, 
14. Space Fruit (Interlude) - Sa-Ra, 
15. Perfect Beat - KRS-One, , Talib Kweli 
16. Oh My Stars - Talib Kweli, Musiq (Soulchild) 
17. Listen!!! - Talib Kweli 
18. Go with Us - Talib Kweli, Strong Arm Steady 
19. Hostile Gospel, Pt. 2 (Deliver Me) - Talib Kweli, Sizzla 
20. Nature - Talib Kweli, Justin Timberlake