| Eardrum | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Talib Kweli | ||||
| Released | August 21, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | 2006-2007 | |||
| Genre | Alternative hip hop, conscious hip hop | |||
| Label | Blacksmith Music Warner Bros. Records |
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| Producer | Hi-Tek, Kanye West, Battlecat, Chad beatz, Terrace Martin, Kwamé, DJ Khalil, Madlib, will.i.am, Pete Rock, Just Blaze, A Kid Called Roots, Sha-La Shakier, Nick Speed, Swiff D | |||
| Talib Kweli chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AbsolutePunk.net | (74/100)[1] |
| About.com | [2] |
| AllHipHop.com | [3] |
| Allmusic | [4] |
| HipHopDX | [5] |
| Pitchfork Media | (7.4/10)[6] |
| PopMatters | [7] |
| RapReviews.com | [8] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
| XXL | (XL)[10] |
Eardrum is the fourth solo album from American hip hop artist Talib Kweli. The album was his Warner Bros. Records debut with his first album on his own label, Blacksmith Records. It was engineered by Joel Hamilton,[11] Ryan Kennedy, Mike Houge and Dave Dar.[12] Eardrum was released on August 21, 2007 on the Blacksmith Records label with distribution handled by Warner Bros. Records and received mostly favorable reviews.[13]
Talib posted a page on his website where he describes his whole album track by track, allowing fans to listen to every song.[14]
Eardrum debuted at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 60,000 copies in its first week, making it Kweli's highest debuting album to date. On its second week it fell to #20 with sales of 25,000 copies, selling a total of 85,500 units.[15]
Bonus tracks on the International release of the album included "Take It Back" featuring Marsha of Floetry, produced by Karriem Riggins and "Getting My Grown Man On" featuring Little Brother, produced by Midi Mafia (also appeared on Little Brother's "and Justice for All" mixtape).
| # | Title | Time | Performer(s) | Songwriters | Producer(s) | Samples and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Everything Man" | 3:16 | Talib Kweli, Res (additional vocals by Sonia Sanchez) |
Talib Kweli Greene | Madlib |
|
| 2 | "NY Weather Report" | 4:35 | Talib Kweli (scratches by DJ Jazzy Jeff and Cut Chemist) |
Talib Kweli Greene | Nick Speed |
|
| 3 | "Hostile Gospel (Part 1) (Deliver Us)" | 5:22 | Talib Kweli | Talib Kweli Greene, Justin Smith, Paul Greedus, Didier Marouani |
Just Blaze |
|
| 4 | "Say Something" | 3:43 | Talib Kweli, Jean Grae | Talib Kweli Greene | will.i.am |
|
| 5 | "Country Cousins" | 4:31 | Talib Kweli, UGK, Raheem DeVaughn | Talib Kweli Greene | Sha-la Shakier |
|
| 6 | "Holy Moly" | 2:08 | Talib Kweli | Talib Kweli Greene | Pete Rock |
|
| 7 | "Eat to Live" | 3:07 | Talib Kweli | Talib Kweli Greene | Madlib |
|
| 8 | "In the Mood" | 3:55 | Talib Kweli, Roy Ayers, Kanye West | Talib Kweli Greene, Kanye West, Brian Potter |
Kanye West |
|
| 9 | "Soon the New Day" | 4:02 | Talib Kweli, Norah Jones | Talib Kweli Greene, Otis Jackson Jr., Paul Charles, John Mason |
Madlib (co-produced by Eric Krasno) |
|
| 10 | "Give 'Em Hell" | 4:27 | Talib Kweli, Coi Mattison, Lyfe Jennings | Talib Kweli Greene, Terrace Martin, Kevin Gilliam, Coi Mattison, Chester Jennings, Al Green |
Terrace Martin, Battlecat |
|
| 11 | "More or Less" | 4:40 | Talib Kweli, Dion | Talib Kweli Greene, Tony Cottrell, D. Jenkins |
Hi-Tek | |
| 12 | "Stay Around" | 4:15 | Talib Kweli | Talib Kweli Greene, Peter Phillips, Robert Bell, Ronald Bell, George Brown, Cynthia Huggins, Claydes Charles Smith, Dennis Thomas |
Pete Rock |
|
| 13 | "Hot Thing" | 3:48 | Talib Kweli, will.i.am | Talib Kweli Greene, William Adams, Johnny Watson |
will.i.am |
|
| 14 | "Space Fruit" (Interlude) | 1:31 | Sa-Ra | Om'Mas Keith, Shafiq Husayn |
Sa-Ra | |
| 15 | "The Perfect Beat" | 3:49 | Talib Kweli, KRS-One | Talib Kweli Greene, S. Thornton, Leo Parker, Bob Marley |
Swiff D |
|
| 16 | "Oh My Stars" | 3:40 | Talib Kweli, Musiq Soulchild | Talib Kweli Greene, Talib Johnson, Khalil Abdul-Rahman, Amani Fela Greene |
DJ Khalil | |
| 17 | "Listen!!!" | 3:28 | Talib Kweli | Talib Kweli Greene, Kwamé Holland, Fred Williams |
Kwamé |
|
| 18 | "Go With Us" | 3:59 | Talib Kweli, Strong Arm Steady | Talib Kweli Greene, E. Jones, Jason Smith, Marvin Jones, Charles Mitchell |
E. Jones | |
| 19 | "Hostile Gospel (Part 2) (Deliver Me)" | 4:21 | Talib Kweli, Sizzla | Talib Kweli Greene, Miguel Collins, Khalil Abdul-Rahman, David Hinds |
DJ Khalil |
|
| 20 | "The Nature" | 5:01 | Talib Kweli, Justin Timberlake | Talib Kweli Greene, Justin Timberlake |
Eric Krasno, Adam Deitch | |
| 21 | "Hush" | 3:55 | Talib Kweli, Jean Grae | Talib Kweli Greene, C. Burnette, M. Clervoix |
Chad beatz |
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | ||
| 2007 | Eardrum | #2 | #1 |
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