Tony Louis Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American rapper and music producer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli. His father is singer Willie Cottrell of the Willie Cottrell Band, whom Hi-Tek featured on his second album, Hi-Teknology 2.
Reflection Eternal is an American hip hop duo composed of emcee Talib Kweli and producer Hi-Tek. They released their first album, Train of Thought, in 2000. They have since released a mixtape, The RE: Union, in late December 2009, and their second album Revolutions Per Minute was released May 18, 2010.
The Hrsmn is an American hip hop supergroup consisting of the artists Canibus, Ras Kass, Killah Priest, and Kurupt. They have released two albums. The name of the group is in reference to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who appear in the Book of Revelation from the Bible. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are traditionally named Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death. Throughout the HRSMN songs, there are many references to each of the members representing a specific entity. They are Pestilence, War (Canibus), Famine (Kurupt), and Death. They have each frequently appeared on each of the members solo albums, such as Canibus's 2000 B.C. and Killah Priest's Priesthood. Other affiliated members include Chino XL, and Pharoahe Monch.
Shareese Renée Ballard, better known by her stage name Res, is an American singer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her musical style is a blend of indie pop, soul, and rock.
M. K. Asante is an American author, filmmaker, recording artist, and professor. He is the author of the 2013 best-selling memoir Buck.
Black Star is an American hip hop duo formed in 1996, from Brooklyn, New York City. The duo is composed of rappers Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli. The duo is named after The Black Star Line, a shipping company founded by Marcus Garvey. Their critically-acclaimed debut album Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star was released on September 29, 1998. After decades of only releasing singles and appearing on compilations, Black Star released their sophomore studio album No Fear of Time May 3, 2022 on the podcasting platform Luminary.
Domingo Padilla, better known as Domingo, is an American hip hop producer from Brooklyn, New York of Latino descent. He has produced for some well-known hip hop artists such as Das EFX, Immortal Technique, and Rakim, among others. He is closely associated with Kool G Rap.
John R. Austin II, better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip hop supergroup The HRSMN, along with Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt in 2014. He is also a member of the group Golden State Warriors with Xzibit and Saafir. About.com ranked him No. 30 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007), while Pitchfork Media called him "one of the best rappers of all time."
Gregory Skyler Taylor, known professionally as Skyzoo, is an American rapper and songwriter. He has released a number of notable solo and collaborative albums, including Cloud 9: The 3 Day High with 9th Wonder in 2006, The Salvation in 2009, A Dream Deferred in 2012, Music For My Friends in 2015, and his most recent solo album All the Brilliant Things. Skyzoo has also released a plethora of non-commercial mixtapes including Corner Store Classic and The Great Debater throughout his career, and has worked with artists such as Jill Scott, Wale, Lloyd Banks, Tyrese, Dr. Dre, Raheem Devaughn, Black Thought, Jadakiss, Talib Kweli, Spike Lee, John Legend, and others. Skyzoo has headlined or co-headlined often-yearly tours throughout Europe, the United Kingdom, Africa, Australia, and Asia, and he owns and operates the independent record label First Generation Rich.
Gutter Rainbows is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Talib Kweli. The album was released on January 25, 2011, by Blacksmith Music and Javotti Media. The album was originally intended to be released in only a digital format. However, on November 16, 2010, it was announced that Duck Down Records would step in to see the album got a CD release. This included an import edition and a special edition with extras.
D. (Derick) Prosper began his career as a poet on the NPS National Poetry Slam circuit. He won several regional competitions and featured on the 1994 Providence Poetry Slam Team. D. Prosper was the youngest poet featured on the tour. He ranked fourth in the nation at the NPS finals in Asheville, North Carolina. Prosper was also featured in respected publication Fast Folk Music Magazine. He eventually earned a coveted spot on the 1994 Lollapalooza Tour D. Prosper's love of spoken word poetry ignited his passion for hip-hop music.
Prisoner of Conscious is the fifth solo studio album by American rapper Talib Kweli. The album was released on May 7, 2013. The album features guest appearances from Nelly, Miguel, Currensy, Kendrick Lamar, Marsha Ambrosius, Busta Rhymes and Ryan Leslie along with production by RZA, Boi-1da, Harry Fraud, S1, Terrace Martin, Oh No, and J. Cole among others.
Buck is a memoir by MK Asante, published by Random House/Spiegel & Grau. Buck tells the story of MK's youth growing up in Philadelphia from the perspective of MK as a teenager. Buck illustrates Asante's struggles with the disintegration of his family and the city's urban decay. Buck is often described as inspirational because it details Asante's discovery of his talent for writing at 16 and his decision to pursue it as a career. The paperback edition of Buck made The Washington Post Bestseller List in 2014 and 2015.
Gravitas is the sixth solo studio album by American rapper Talib Kweli. The album was released on December 15, 2013, by Javotti Media. The album was released exclusively through Talib Kweli's website. The album features guest appearances from Gary Clark Jr., Abby Dobson, Big K.R.I.T., Raekwon, The Underachievers, Black Thought, Rah Digga and Mike Posner among others. With production coming from Oh No, Khrysis, Statik Selektah, Rich Kidd and J Dilla among others.
DJ Rhettmatic is a producer, DJ and member and part creator of Southern California's first turntable band, the Beat Junkies. Rhettmatic began his DJ career in 1983, with Double Platinum, a DJ group based out of Cerritos, CA.
Nikolai Paiva, better known by his stage name Niko Is, is a Brazilian-American hip hop recording artist born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Currently based in Orlando, Florida, he is signed to Talib Kweli's Javotti Media. Niko's catalogue includes projects like Chill Cosby and the Good Blood LP, which were both released to generally positive reviews and moderate success. His Javotti Media debut, Brutus, was produced by frequent collaborator, Thanks Joey and was released to critical acclaim on February 4, 2015.
Talib Kweli Greene is an American rapper. He earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with solo success including collaborations with producers and rappers Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Pharrell Williams. His most recent album, Gotham, was released in 2020. In 2011, Kweli founded his own record label, Javotti Media.
O.K. is a mixtape by Kool A.D., released November 26, 2015. The album features guest appearances from Killer Mike, Shady Blaze, Angel Haze, Lakutis, Despot, Chairlift, Toro Y Moi, Talib Kweli, Boots Riley of The Coup, and Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire and is composed of 100 songs, meant as a "spiritual soundtrack" to his upcoming 100-chapter novel, also titled O.K.
The Seven is the collaborative EP by American hip hop recording artists Talib Kweli and Styles P. It was released on April 14, 2017, by Javotti Media and 3D. The EP features guest appearances from artists such as Common, Jadakiss, Sheek Louch and Rapsody, among others. The EP's production was handled by 88-Keys, Oh No, Nottz, Marco Polo, Khrysis and Amadeus.
Radio Silence is the seventh solo studio album by American rapper Talib Kweli. It was released on November 17, 2017 through Talib's Javotti Media.
