In a nod to his versatility, Kweli has a long and esteemed history as an artist who creates classic projects in any setting; both as a soloist and in a group environment. After all, some of his most cherished work has been a result of his collaborative endeavors with Yasiin Bey (Black Star), Hi-Tek (Reflection Eternal), Madlib (Liberation), 9th Wonder (Indie 500) and Styles P (The Seven).
Talib Kweli renews that collaborative spirit once again with the announcement of Talib Kweli and Diamond D Are Gotham; a project that unites two celebrated, decorated and historic artists.
“One of the first well-known producers to ever show me love in this music business was the legend Diamond D. I was raised on his music, from his solo work to the incredible contributions he’s made on the albums of others like Big L, Yasiin Bey, A Tribe Called Quest, Fat Joe, Fugees and many others. As a Bronx native, his sound represents the best, most original hip-hop in the world. New York City” Talib asserted. My city, in the DC Universe, Gotham, is located somewhere in New Jersey. But in real life, the Gotham from the Batman comics is 100% based in New York City. New York City was nicknamed Gotham before Batman was created, and this Gotham project is dedicated to Old New York. This documentation is necessary, especially in these pandemic lockdown times. The great cities of the world will never be the same after what we are currently experiencing. It’s the duty of those who actually lived it to tell these stories. New York will never not be great, but the New York we are talking about in Gotham is not for everybody. If it’s for you, then you are down by law.”
Sketching the thematic, street and socially conscious backdrop of Gotham is none other than Grammy Award-winning virtuoso Diamond D, who has created timeless music for his D.I.T.C. crew, Fugees, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Raekwon, Rapsody, Pharoahe Monch, Fat Joe, and his own certifiable classic debut, Stunts, Blunts & Hip-Hop
“Talib was in LA for a while working and I sent him about ten-tracks in total. When I saw him in LA a few weeks later, he had already recorded about eight demos. He told me that when he heard the tracks, sonically, they took him back to NYC and that organic mind space really inspired him to write and record” Diamond D commented. “That’s the catalyst which induced the formation of Gotham. I look forward to hearing what the fan’s favorite tracks are from the project.”
Talib Kweli & Diamond D Are Gotham features collaborations with Busta Rhymes, Skyzoo, John Forte, NIKO IS and Nire’ Alldai.
Gotham Tracklist
Sons Of Gotham
Olympic
The Quiet One feat Busta Rhymes
On Mamas
Attention Span feat Skyzoo
In Due Time feat Nire’ Alldai
Pick Your Head Up feat John Forte
Chillin While Black
I’ll Tell Ya Later feat NIKO IS
The Fold ***All Tracks Produced By Diamond D
