The Beautiful Struggle
Encyclopedia
The Beautiful Struggle is the second solo 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 quote was read as, "Life is a beautiful struggle, some people using their noodle, some people using their muscle."
The phrase, "Beautiful Struggle", originated in a famous Martin Luther King Jr. speech entitled "Beyond Vietnam":
"The Beautiful Struggle" is also the name of Ta-Nehisi Coates
' autobiography.
Lastly, "Beautiful Struggle" is the title of a radio program on KPFK
-FM, Los Angeles that is an open conversation focused on African American social and political issues, thought, history, inspiration, resistance, and social change. The program aims to educate and motivate the audience to work for justice and social change.
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.
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.
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
. The album was released in 2004, and features guest appearances by rappers such as Common
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
and Jean Grae
Jean Grae
Jean Grae , born November 26, 1976 is an American hip hop artist who hails from South Africa. She rose to prominence in the underground hip-hop scene in New York City, and has since built an international fanbase.- Early life :...
. The Beautiful Struggle, as with all of Talib Kweli's work, focuses on the serious side of rap
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, providing an alternative to today's mainstream gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
and pop rap.
The album featured production from Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
, Supa Dave West, Just Blaze
Just Blaze
Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for...
& Hi-Tek
Hi-Tek
Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American record producer and rapper from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on his Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star...
. The first single off the album, "I Try" featuring Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, was fairly popular as a music video, followed by the second single "Never Been In Love".
Origin of Album Name
The album name, "The Beautiful Struggle", comes from a quote from rapper Talib KweliTalib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
. The quote was read as, "Life is a beautiful struggle, some people using their noodle, some people using their muscle."
The phrase, "Beautiful Struggle", originated in a famous Martin Luther King Jr. speech entitled "Beyond Vietnam":
"The Beautiful Struggle" is also the name of Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic and blogs on its website. Coates has worked for The Village Voice, Washington City Paper, and Time. He has contributed to The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, The Washington Monthly, O, and other publications...
' autobiography.
Lastly, "Beautiful Struggle" is the title of a radio program on KPFK
KPFK
KPFK is a listener-sponsored radio station based in North Hollywood, California, United States, which serves the Greater Los Angeles Area, and also streams 24 hours a day via the Internet...
-FM, Los Angeles that is an open conversation focused on African American social and political issues, thought, history, inspiration, resistance, and social change. The program aims to educate and motivate the audience to work for justice and social change.
Track listing
| # | Title | Length | Producer(s) | Performer (s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Going Hard" | 3:50 | Charlemagne | Res, Talib Kweli |
| 2 | "Back Up Offa Me" | 3:38 | Hi-Tek Hi-Tek Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American record producer and rapper from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on his Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star... |
Talib Kweli, David (Piakhan) Stanford-(background and hook creator)Alex Thomas (background), Dion (background), Krondon (background) |
| 3 | "Broken Glass" | 3:11 | The Neptunes The Neptunes The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s... |
Talib Kweli, Faith Evans Faith Evans Faith Renée Evans is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, record producer, actress and author. Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey, Evans relocated to Los Angeles during 1993 for a career with the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B... (background) |
| 4 | "We Know" | 3:43 | Supa Dave West | Faith Evans Faith Evans Faith Renée Evans is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, record producer, actress and author. Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey, Evans relocated to Los Angeles during 1993 for a career with the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B... , Talib Kweli |
| 5 | "A Game" | 3:36 | Amadeus | Talib Kweli |
| 6 | "I Try" | 4:25 | Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and... |
Mary J. Blige Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has... , Talib Kweli |
| 7 | "Around My Way" | 4:48 | Charlemagne | John Legend John Legend John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career... , Talib Kweli |
| 8 | "We Got the Beat" | 3:20 | Midi Mafia | Res, Talib Kweli |
| 9 | "Work It Out" | 4:20 | Hi-Tek Hi-Tek Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American record producer and rapper from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on his Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star... , J.R. Rotem |
Talib Kweli, Tiffany Mynon (background) |
| 10 | "Ghetto Show" | 4:47 | Supa Dave West | Anthony Hamilton Anthony Hamilton (musician) Anthony Hamilton is an American R&B, and soul singer-songwriter, and record producer who rose to fame with his platinum-selling second studio album Comin' from Where I'm From , which featured the singles "Comin' from Where I'm From" and "Charlene."-Life and career:Hamilton was born in Charlotte,... , Common, Talib Kweli |
| 11 | "Black Girl Pain" | 5:04 | Midi Mafia, Tone Mason Tone Mason Tone Mason is a Grammy-nominated Canadian hip-hop and R&B production team from Toronto, Ontario. The group is composed of Aloysius Brown, Don D., and Mellenius... |
Jean Grae Jean Grae Jean Grae , born November 26, 1976 is an American hip hop artist who hails from South Africa. She rose to prominence in the underground hip-hop scene in New York City, and has since built an international fanbase.- Early life :... , Talib Kweli, Elizabeth Yummy Bingham Yummy Bingham Elizabeth T. Wyce Bingham a.k.a. Yummy is an American R&B/hip hop singer, songwriter. She sings soprano with a 4 octave range.-Biography:Elizabeth "Yummy" Bingham was born on January 7, 1986 to Dinky Bingham and Patricia Wyce... (background), Jamia Simone Nash Jamia Simone Nash Jamia Simone Nash , also known simply as Jamia, is an American child singer and actress.-Private life:Jamia was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia and she is African and West Indian descent. She attended Mason Elementary School, where she participated in a talent show and first discovered her fame... (background), Olivia Sharnae Nash (background), Tiffany Mynon (background) |
| 12 | "Never Been in Love" | 5:01 | Just Blaze Just Blaze Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for... |
Talib Kweli, Dave Young (background) |
| 13 | "Beautiful Struggle" | 4:00 | Hi-Tek Hi-Tek Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American record producer and rapper from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on his Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star... |
Talib Kweli |
Album singles
| Single information |
|---|
| "I Try" featuring Mary J. Blige Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
|
| "Around My Way" featuring John Legend John Legend John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career... |
| "Never Been In Love"
|
Album chart positions
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | ||
| 2004 | The Beautiful Struggle | #14 | #3 |
Internet Advance
Before the official release of this album in 2004, a bootlegged advance of the CD began to be circulated on the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
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.
Advance Track listing
- "The Revolution" (appears as "Going Hard" on The Beautiful Struggle)
- "Back Up Off Me" (appears as "Back Up Offa Me" on The Beautiful Struggle)
- "From A Place" featuring Killer MikeKiller MikeMichael Render , better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, signed to Grind Time Official through the SMC/Fontana Distribution...
(appears as "Tryin' To Breathe" on The Beautiful Mixtape Vol. 2) - "I Try" featuring Mary J. BligeMary J. BligeMary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
(appears on The Beautiful Struggle) - "We Got the Beat" featuring Res (appears on The Beautiful Struggle)
- "Around My Way" (appears on The Beautiful Struggle)
- "What We Have is Real" (appears as "We Know" on The Beautiful Struggle)
- "Rock on and on" (appears as "Rock On" on Right About NowRight About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CDRight About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD or simply Right About Now was released by Talib Kweli in November 2005 and is generally considered a mixtape. However, some people regard this release as an official album because of its availability through commercial sites and its release of two...
) - "You Don't Know Me" (appears as "Flash Gordon" on Right About NowRight About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CDRight About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD or simply Right About Now was released by Talib Kweli in November 2005 and is generally considered a mixtape. However, some people regard this release as an official album because of its availability through commercial sites and its release of two...
) - "Its the Ghetto" featuring CommonCommon (rapper)Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
(appears as "Ghetto Show" on The Beautiful Struggle) - "Hold Your Hands Up High" featuring Jean GraeJean GraeJean Grae , born November 26, 1976 is an American hip hop artist who hails from South Africa. She rose to prominence in the underground hip-hop scene in New York City, and has since built an international fanbase.- Early life :...
(appears as "Black Girl Pain" on The Beautiful Struggle) - "Lonely People" (appears on The Beautiful Mixtape Vol. 1)
- "We Pullin Out Tonite"
- "Instrumental" produced by Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
(an instrumental, sampling Hugh MasekelaHugh MasekelaHugh Ramopolo Masekela is a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, and singer.-Early life:Masekela was born in Kwa-Guqa Township, Witbank, South Africa. He began singing and playing piano as a child...
) - "Get Em High" featuring Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
(appears on Kanye West's The College DropoutThe College DropoutThe College Dropout is the debut album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released February 10, 2004, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was recorded over a period of four years, beginning in 1999. Prior to the album's release, West had worked on rapper Jay-Z's The Blueprint , which showcased his...
) - "Supreme" featuring Mos DefMos DefDante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
(appears as "Supreme Supreme" on Right About NowRight About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CDRight About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD or simply Right About Now was released by Talib Kweli in November 2005 and is generally considered a mixtape. However, some people regard this release as an official album because of its availability through commercial sites and its release of two...
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
Dave Chappelle
David Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist. Chappelle began his film career in the film Robin Hood: Men in Tights in 1993 and continued to star in minor roles in the films The Nutty Professor, Con Air, and Blue Streak. His...
) while "Hold Your Hands Up High" has a little girl singing the chorus.