Train of Thought (Reflection Eternal album)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Train of Thought
Train of Thought cover
Studio album by Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek)
Released October 17, 2000 (U.S.)
Genre Alternative Hip-Hop
Length 65:73
Label Rawkus/UMVD
Producer Hi-Tek
Professional reviews
Talib Kweli chronology
Black Star
(1998)
Train of Thought
(2000)
Quality
(2002)
Hi-Tek chronology
Train of Thought
(2000)
Hi-Teknology
(2001)

Train of Thought is the first and only album by Reflection Eternal, a hip hop duo composed of rapper Talib Kweli & DJ Hi-Tek. It was released on October 17, 2000 (see 2000 in music) by Rawkus Records. Due to a series of underground hits in the late 1990s, both Kweli and Hi-Tek were hyped in the hip hop music media, and Train of Thought was a critical success, though sales were slim. Kweli's reflections on modern African-American culture, including criticisms of commercialism and violence like "these cats drink champagne/To toast death and pain/Like slaves on the ship talkin' 'bout who got the flyest chains". This Album Is Certified Gold By The RIAA.

A PopMatters review describes Kweli as "a hyper-articulate MC with a revolutionary's mind and a sensitive poet's heart, but he's also a world-class battle MC, able to rip other MCs' rhymes apart in a quick second".[1] Rolling Stone gave the album 3.5 stars and called it "the rare socially aware hip-hop record that can get fists pumping in a rowdy nightclub"[2]. With former partner Mos Def's critical smash Black on Both Sides to be compared to, Reflection Eternal earned some criticism for a perceived shallowness in the social and political content of some of the lyrics, for example the PitchFork review stated: "Kweli uses the rhythm as a foundation, building rambling, baroque rhyme structures on top of them, exhibiting his cock-eyed 'skills'. This kind of braggadocio doesn't weaken the effort in the same way his moralizing self-canonization does, if only because he can often back those claims up as he does when rhyming with the LLC"[3].

Contents

[edit] Track listing

# Title Songwriters Producer(s) Performer (s)
1 "Experience Dedication" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene Hi-Tek Dave Chappelle, Talib Kweli
2 "Move Somethin'" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene Hi-Tek Talib Kweli
Nonye (background)
3 "Some Kind of Wonderful" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene Hi-Tek Talib Kweli
4 "The Blast" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene Hi-Tek Hi-Tek, Talib Kweli, Vinia Mojica
5 "This Means You" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene, Dante Smith Hi-Tek Mos Def, Talib Kweli
6 "Too Late" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene Hi-Tek Res, Talib Kweli
7 "Memories Live" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene Hi-Tek Talib Kweli
Big Del (background), Donte (background)
8 "Africa Dream" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene, Weldon Irvine Talib Kweli, Weldon Irvine, Hi-Tek (co-producer) Talib Kweli
9 "Down for the Count" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene, Rashia Fisher, Alvin Joiner Hi-Tek Rah Digga, Talib Kweli, Xzibit
10 "Name of the Game" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene Hi-Tek Talib Kweli
11 "Ghetto Afterlife" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene, Nathaniel Wilson Hi-Tek Kool G Rap, Talib Kweli
12 "On My Way" Tony Cottrell, E. Isaacs, J. Thomas Hi-Tek Kendra Ross, Tiye Phoenix, Vinia Mojica
13 "Love Language" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene, Helene Faussart, Celia Faussart Hi-Tek Les Nubians, Talib Kweli
14 "Love Speakeasy" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene Hi-Tek
15 "Soul Rebels" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene, Kelvin Mercer, David Jude Jolicoeur, Vincent Mason Hi-Tek Pasemaster Mase, Posdnuos, Talib Kweli, Trugoy the Dove
16 "Eternalists" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene Hi-Tek Talib Kweli
17 "Big Del From da Natti" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene, D. Geralds Hi-Tek Big Del, Talib Kweli
18 "Touch You" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene, D. Stanford Jr., Dave West Hi-Tek Dave Chappelle, Piakhan, Supa Dave West, Talib Kweli
19 "Good Mourning" Tony Cottrell, Talib Kweli Greene Hi-Tek Talib Kweli
20 "Expansion Outro"
* "Four Women" Nina Simone Hi-Tek, Talib Kweli (co-producer) Talib Kweli
Darcel (background), Imani Uzuri (background), Katushia (background), Neb Luv (background), Tiye Phoenix (background), Tiyi Willingham (background), Tracie (background)

[edit] Samples

Move Something

This Means You

  • "Cloud in My Sunshine" by Redbone

Too Late

Memories Live

Ghetto Afterlife

Love Language

Love Speakeasy

Soul Rebels

Eternalists

Big Del from Da Natti

Good Mourning

[edit] Album singles

Single cover Single information
"The Express" (Non-album single)
  • Released: 2000
  • B-side: "Some Kind Of Wonderful"
"Move Somethin'"
"The Blast"
  • Released: July 16, 2001
  • B-side: "Down for the Count" & "Train of Thought"
"Down for the Count" (UK Only release)
  • Released: 2001
  • B-side: "Down for the Count (Solo Version)"

[edit] Album chart positions

Year Album Chart positions
Billboard 200 Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
2000 Reflection Eternal #17 #5

[edit] Singles chart positions

Year Song Chart positions
Billboard Hot 100 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Hot Rap Singles
2000 Move Somethin' - #32 #1
2001 The Blast - #48 #2

[edit] Personnel

  • Rick James - Producer
  • Hi-Tek - Producer, Engineer, Executive Producer, Mixing
  • Weldon Irvine - Keyboards, Producer
  • Tracie - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Owen Brown - Fiddle
  • De La Soul - Performer
  • Derrick Gardner - Trumpet
  • Troy Hightower - Engineer, Mixing
  • Kool G Rap - Performer
  • Guy Snider - Engineer
  • Teodross Avery - Saxophone
  • Ken Ifill - Mixing
  • Vinia Mojica - Vocals
  • Les Nubians - Performer
  • Xzibit - Performer
  • Steve Souder - Mixing
  • Chris Athens - Mastering
  • Mos Def - Performer
  • Talib Kweli - Vocals, Producer, Executive Producer
  • Monique Walker - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Carlisle Young - Mixing
  • Rah Digga - Performer
  • Asi - Design, Layout Design
  • Rikki Stein - Liner Notes
  • Bassi Kolo Percussion Group - Percussion
  • Big Del - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Crossfader Chris - Cutting Engineer
  • Dave Dar - Engineer, Mixing
  • Darcel - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Donte - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Katushia - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Jerome Lagarrigue - Illustrations, Cover Illustration
  • Little Tone - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Neb Luv - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Nonye - Vocals
  • Tiye Phoenix - Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
  • Kendra Ross - Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
  • Imani Uzuri - Vocals (bckgr), Vocal Arrangement
  • Tiyi Willingham - Vocals (bckgr)
  • Willo - Design, Layout Design
Languages