Comparing Talib Kweli to Mos Def is criminally unfair, but then again, we are living in a time of swollen nostalgia for the pop of the last twenty years, and it’s not like Black Star haven’t cashed in. more ›

Legendary Brooklyn MC, Blacksmith records CEO, and Ben Kweller sampler Talib Kweli rolls into Austin tonight to headline a jam-packed lineup at Emo’s. Kweli debuted in 1997, and almost immediately became an underground hero thanks to two landmark albums Rawkus albums, Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star, and Train of Thought, his collaboration with DJ Hi-Tek as Reflection Eternal. While Kweli’s solo output has been decidedly spottier, his status as a top-flight lyricist has never been questioned; what has been elusive to him is mainstream success. Although his latest LP Eardrum peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200, Kweli hasn’t yet achieved the commercial powerhouse status of a Jay-Z, Nas, or Kanye West. more ›

If the closest you come to contemporary hip hop is dodging the Spiro's crowd on your way to Emo's, then we have news for you: there IS more out there. No, you need not subject yourself to the abrasive and, dare we say, bastardized sounds of Dirty South hip hop, nor need you dig up your old De La albums (though you should anyway) because tonight Talib Kweli is at Emo's to show you... more ›

: : FRIDAY : : [culture] End of Ramadan (EID) Festival, 9:30am-4:30pm @ Richard Moya Park [homework] Deadline for the Soup Peddler's Soupie Cookbook [film] New Movies! @ Your Local Theater! [dance] Armagetdown with New Berlin, DJ Big Face and DJ Manny, 9pm @ Progress Coffee [music] Cruiserweight, The Fall Collection, The Always Already and Paper Airlines @ Emo's [music] Fluffer's Union and American Graveyard @ Trophy's [theatre] Paul Rudnick's "The Most Fabulous Story... more ›