The Beautiful Struggle

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The Beautiful Struggle
The Beautiful Struggle cover
Studio album by Talib Kweli
Released September 28, 2004
Recorded 2004
Genre Underground hip hop
Length 53:40
Label Rawkus/Geffen
Producer(s) Hi-Tek
The Neptunes
Supa Dave West
Kanye West
Just Blaze
J.R.
Midi Mafia
Charlemagne
Tone Mason
Amadeus
Talib Kweli chronology
Quality
(2002)
The Beautiful Struggle
(2004)
Right About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD
(2005)


The Beautiful Struggle is an album by American rapper Talib Kweli. The album was released in 2004, and features guest appearances by rappers such as Common and Jean Grae. The Beautiful Struggle, as with all of Talib Kweli's work, focuses on the serious side of rap, providing an alternative to today's mainstream gangsta rap and pop rap.

The album featured production from Kanye West, The Neptunes, Supa Dave West, Just Blaze & Hi-Tek. The first single off the album, "I Try" featuring Mary J. Blige, was fairly popular as a music video, followed by the second single "Never Been In Love". The Beautiful Struggle was Kweli's first album in nearly 2 years.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

# Title Producer(s) Performer (s)
1 "Going Hard" Charlemagne Res, Talib Kweli
2 "Back Up Offa Me" Hi-Tek Talib Kweli, Alex Thomas (background), Dion (background), Krondon (background)
3 "Broken Glass" The Neptunes Talib Kweli, Faith Evans (background)
4 "We Know" Supa Dave West Faith Evans, Talib Kweli
5 "A Game" Amadeus Talib Kweli
6 "I Try" Kanye West Mary J. Blige, Talib Kweli
7 "Around My Way" Charlemagne John Legend, Talib Kweli
8 "We Got The Beat" Midi Mafia Res, Talib Kweli
9 "Work It Out" Hi Tek, J.R. Talib Kweli, Tiffany Mynon (background)
10 "Ghetto Show" Supa Dave West Anthony Hamilton, Common, Talib Kweli
11 "Black Girl Pain" Midi Mafia, Tone Mason Jean Grae, Talib Kweli, Elizabeth Yummy Bingham (background), Jamia Simone Nash (background), Olivia Sharnae Nash (background), Tiffany Mynon (background)
12 "Never Been In Love" Just Blaze Talib Kweli, Dave Young (background)
13 "Beautiful Struggle" Hi-Tek Talib Kweli

[edit] Album singles

Single cover Single information
"I Try" featuring Mary J. Blige
"Never Been In Love"
  • Released: 2004
  • B-side: "A Game" & "Black Girl Pain"

[edit] Album Chart Positions

Year Album Chart positions
Billboard 200 Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
2004 The Beautiful Struggle #14 #3

[edit] Internet Advance

Before the official release of this album in 2004, a bootlegged advance of the CD began to be circulated on the Internet in the rough stages of production. Because of this, the track listing was altered prior to release.

When the album leaked, a frustrated and angry Kweli posted a response on Okayplayer. In it, he admitted that he would also jump at the opportunity to hear an artist's CD early but condemned those who actively spread it.

[edit] Advance Track listing

  1. "The Revolution" (appears as "Going Hard" on The Beautiful Struggle)
  2. "Back Up Off Me" (appears as "Back Up Offa Me" on The Beautiful Struggle)
  3. "From A Place" featuring Killer Mike (appears as "Tryin' To Breathe" on The Beautiful Mixtape Vol. 2)
  4. "I Try" featuring Mary J. Blige (appears on The Beautiful Struggle)
  5. "We Got the Beat" featuring Res (appears on The Beautiful Struggle)
  6. "Around My Way" featuring John Legend (appears on The Beautiful Struggle)
  7. "What We Have is Real" (appears as "We Know" on The Beautiful Struggle)
  8. "Rock on and on" (appears as "Rock On" on Right About Now)
  9. "You Don't Know Me" (appears as "Flash Gordon" on Right About Now)
  10. "Its the Ghetto" featuring Common (appears as "Ghetto Show" on The Beautiful Struggle)
  11. "Hold Your Hands Up High" featuring Jean Grae (appears as "Black Girl Pain" on The Beautiful Struggle)
  12. "Lonely People" (appears on The Beautiful Mixtape Vol. 1)
  13. "We Pullin Out Tonite"
  14. "Instrumental" produced by Kanye West (an instrumental, appropriately)
  15. "Get Em High" featuring Kanye West (appears on Kanye West's The College Dropout)
  16. "Supreme" featuring Mos Def (appears as "Supreme Supreme" on Right About Now and The Beautiful Mixtape Vol. 2)

The tracks from the advance album are slightly different from those on the final release. "The Revolution" features an introduction (possibly performed by Dave Chappelle). While, "Hold Your Hands Up High" has a little girl singing the chorus.

[edit] External links