Sixshot.com: What were you listening to growing up?
Talib Kweli: A lot of Soul and a lot of Jazz, my father collected records from the sixties and seventies, and I also listened to pop radio like Duran Duran, and Cyndi Lauper and stuff like that.

Sixshot.com: Which artist or style do you think has most influenced you?
Talib Kweli: I don't know, there are so many different influences.

Sixshot.com: Ok, Let me know about your new album "The Beautiful Struggle". First off how are your sales going?
Talib Kweli: I am not really sure, I think it did 60,000 the first week but I don't know what has been since then.

Sixshot.com: Who Produced the album, which is your favorite track?
Talib Kweli: Just Blaze, Hi-tek, Dave West (Kanye) West, Neptune's were the producers on it, Featuring Recesse, Jean Grey, John Ledged, Common, Anthony Hamilton, Faith Evans and Mary J. Blige...

Sixshot.com: What is your favorite track on the album?
Talib Kweli: All of them...

Sixshot.com: What track has the most meaning to you lyrically?
Talib Kweli: The last track Beautiful Struggle.

Talib Kweli: Hey Ben your in L.A. right?

Sixshot.com: Yeah.
Talib Kweli: What's up with this dude The GAME, man? (chuckles) you have probably heard to much.

Sixshot.com: I don't know he's like Dr. Dre's new protégé kind of, Lately  just got some tracks sent to me from the Game. I think they are on the website (Sixshot.com) one or two...tracks, to be honest with you I am still trying to figure out if I like it. It seems they are trying to make him the new 50 Cent or something.
Talib Kweli: Okay, Yeah, I figured there was some type of formula. I just heard some stuff. I just heard him on the Jim Jones certified Gangsta shit, I heard so much about dude, I was like what's the deal.. I guess it doesn't really matter these days I guess, they just kind of put the money behind certain people.

Sixshot.com: The right people stick to that guy. The song beautiful struggle has the most meaning to you lyrically, why is that can you explain a little bit.
Talib Kweli:  Like what I am saying, it sums up how the whole album feels to me.

Sixshot.com: How do you define the Beautiful Struggle?
Talib Kweli: You can't appreciate beauty unless you struggle some, somewhere that in it self makes the struggle beautiful.

Sixshot.com: Is there anything else you want to say about your album?
Talib Kweli: I want people to go get it Listen to it and enjoy themselves.

Sixshot.com: They sure they will.

Sixshot.com: What do you think of the state of Hip Hop right now?
Talib Kweli: I think its' pretty good.

Sixshot.com: What do you think the difference between somebody like you who does more conscience music and somebody like Lil' John who does more like hip-hop that you listen to in a dance club?
Talib Kweli: Well, what I like to do is point out the similarities instead of  the differences, there are a lot more similarities between myself and someone making Krunk music then there is differences. The experience we come from is the same it's just we choose to express it in slightly different forms it's still Hip Hop music. To often we focus on the differences and that's what makes the music negative and don't allow it to grow.

Sixshot.com: Conscience hip hop is less aggressive and maybe has a little more of a message than the loud hip-hop music?
Talib Kweli: See, I don't know if it's less aggressive, It definitely has a little more weightier in terms of subject matter, you know it just has more weight, you know but whatever. There's places for all types of music and there is a time and a place for everything.

Sixshot.com: Do you get pressured from record labels to change your style?
Talib Kweli: Nah, sometimes I don't usually get pressured when I change my style, What happens is a lot of times they just don't understand what  I am doing and they just don't get it, so they don't  respond in the right way.

Sixshot.com: Do you think rappers like you have a harder time becoming mainstream because you make more conscience music?
Talib Kweli: Yeah, it's because, what happens is that music is put in a box and these A&R's and these labels have one way and one train of thought when it comes to selling music. If your music doesn't fit within that box, or within that train of thought they are challenged as to how to sell it and they are challenged to be creative. and um, you know and it fucks em up up a little bit. That's the reason, that's part, that's the big reason why you don't hear why a lot of artist that make type of music I make don't go mainstream is because the record labels don't know how to promote it.

Sixshot.com: Right, Yeah I mean personally to me I feel what you're doing, it is like you said there is space for everybody in hip hop.. I always thought that hip-hop came from having some kind of message in thie lyrics rather then just sound good..?
Talib Kweli: Well that's not where it came from. Hip hop came from being at a party and rocking over a disco beat. Then talking about champagne and Crystal and how many girls you got. that's where hip hop comes from.

Sixshot.com: So you don't think it was all about the message in beginning of hip-hop?
Talib Kweli: nah, not in the beginning hip hop is a party music, the party comes first. The message came with the record, (The message in 84).. hear what I am saying? That's when people really started being okay we can drop some true's too. can inject some knowledge in here we can inject some different thoughts and different ways of thinking. um in this music form. But the music definitely came from a party. and that's the problem with a lot of so-called conscience hip hop is at., it don't acknowledge that the party comes first. When you are on stage at an venue when the speakers are loud and you have a microphone, your there to entertain. See what I am saying, if you want to drop knowledge you can do it at a college seminar, you know what I am saying, but if you find a way to put it in the music, and be creative with that. That's the ultimate Challenge, see what I am saying, you got to find a way, if you want to be on like that you got to find a way to do it but in a way that is entertaining..

Talib Kweli: Even if the music is slow, even if the music is soft and reflective when you perform it it, it still got to come off as if your got to be performance is hard..

Sixshot.com: Definitely yeah, with a lot of energy to get the crowd rocking sure.
Talib Kweli: Right, even a song in a song is acapella, or a song that's just instrumental  what ever it's still got to be right, when you get on stage. Cuz that's what hip hop is, hip hop is a music which is done on stage.

Sixshot.com: Are you going to be on Tour out here?
Talib Kweli: Um, I have preformed so many times this year, I don't know if I can even come back this year, I have preformed so many times, but um, I am on tour with the Beastie Boys right now, and then after this I go to Europe with Kanye.

Sixshot.com: Are you going to do another album with Hi-tek?
Talib Kweli: yeah, definitely.

Sixshot.com: What do you think is the biggest change since you entered the game?
Talib Kweli: Hm, Since I came in the scene it's probably, what the idea of what underground means and it use to be underground independent  put out your own record scene, performing at open mics and battles. um, and now it's more of  still I perform but it's more of a street oriented scene where it's more street corner oriented and it's about mixed tapes and your sixteen bars on a mix tape. And um that's what seems to be the biggest change.

Sixshot.com: (User Question) Was Black Starr a legitimate group or rather a way for you and Mos Def to create some buzz? Are you going to do another Black Starr Album?
Talib Kweli: Yeah, I mean definitely Black Starr, that's who we are. You know what I am saying? It goes way beyond a hip hop group. That's just me and Mos you know, and the album will come when the time is right.

Sixshot.com: (User Question) Will there ever be another Reflectional Eternal Album?
Talib Kweli: Yes

Sixshot.com: (User Question) How do you feel that many people think you sold out on your most recent album?
Talib Kweli: I don't concern myself with that. Most people just understand who I am.

Sixshot.com: How would you define selling out?
Talib Kweli: Um, selling out is when you compromise your morals, or what you believe in, in order to obtain success and wealth that you can't get with what you are already working with.

Sixshot.com: Do you use the internet yourself,  personally?
Talib Kweli: No.

Sixshot.com: Do you think its a big help for new up and coming artist to use the internet and all it's resources?
Talib Kweli: Yeah, I think it's wonderful. I just haven't taken the time out to really figure it out, how I can use it. You know what I am saying?

Sixshot.com: Do you think it makes it easier for them, because they can get their music to people fast and easy or does it make it harder because everybody can do that now?
Talib Kweli: Nah, I mean it is what it is. Music is meant to be shared. The words music and business don't even go together. It is what it is, the internet is what it is.

Sixshot.com: What do you think of the current political situation, and will you go and vote?
Talib Kweli: Um, I think it's very important to pay attention to. I am choosing not to vote this year, but um, I think that if you believe in the power of the vote then you should make your own decision. If you want to vote you should vote. I am not saying that nobody should vote, I just choose to exercise my power in other ways.

Sixshot.com: Okay, what are your plans for the near future?
Talib Kweli: Um, to keep doing what I am doing and get better at it.

Sixshot.com: Thanks for the Interview.

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