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Mojo

It is Kweli's diligently intelligent worldview, dextrous wordplay and often breathtaking flow that enrapture. [Jan 2005, p.96]

Lost At Sea

So if some of the songs sound a little too catchy, it’s because they’re supposed to. Kweli’s trying to draw you in for something important.

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Spin

While [Quality] cautiously courted the mainstream, he's made mass appeal Job No. 1 of late. [Oct 2004, p.112]

The Onion (A.V. Club)

On The Beautiful Struggle, Kweli is savvy enough to play the rap industry's rigged game without sacrificing his soul or compromising his integrity.

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RapReviews.com

While he's still the 21st century's answer to KRS-One, a rapper who is simultaneously intelligent and engaging, he needs to work with producers who are capable of sharing that vision with the masses in an equally engaging way. At times "The Beautiful Struggle" achieves this perfection combination, and at other times you're left loving the lyrics but lacking in headnodding dopeness.

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Pitchfork

What frustrates about The Beautiful Struggle is that its flaws are purely musical: Kweli remains the fist-raising visionary who burned "The Manifesto" at the Lyricist Lounge with the same fiery pen that blazed "African Lounge".

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Entertainment Weekly

Sometimes the messages get as heavy as the sharp, thumping tracks, but a few jokes and guest spots... help lighten the enlightenment. [1 Oct 2004, p.73]

The New York Times

Between the hooks, he's as earnest as ever, but now he's dressed to party.

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Vibe

Well-crafted... offers a continuation of Quality's attempt to expand rap's topical terrain. [Oct 2004, p.185]

Blender

There's little unity of sound, but more than enough passion and unity of purpose. [Oct 2004, p.125]

Billboard

"I Try," featuring Blige and produced by Kanye West, comes off as trying too hard to re-create Kweli's "Quality" hit, "Get By." The album works best when it goes with the flow.

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The Guardian

Kweli's default musical setting is that dreary soul-jazz hybrid that seems to come as standard with every socially conscious rapper, presumably in the belief that if the music bores the listener rigid, they will be forced to concentrate on the lyrics.

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Q Magazine

He remains, ultimately, doom-laden. [Nov 2004, p.125]

All Music Guide

It misses a little more than it hits.

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cokemachineglow

Sad that we have to talk about a member of Black Star making an album without a guiding ideal, dull production, and bad lyrics.

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Village Voice

Is cumbersome when it seems self-conscious, and works well when it seems effortless, when Talib ceases overcompensating with overproduction, diva guest spots, or repetitive political invective.

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PopMatters

Has many soaring moments and just as many ill-fated collisions.

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Stylus Magazine

Unfortunately, while Kweli’s message is spot-on, his delivery of that message is highly flawed.

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Austin Chronicle

Kweli's generic sounds belie the so-called revolutionary front of his lyrics.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 15 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Freeman gave it a3:
What a waste, I have been looking forward to this since "Quality" and am sorely disapointed with this over produced, try-hard pice of political posturing. Terrible compared to his previous efforts.

Emahunn C gave it a 10:
How can you say that this album is not great! I feel that people have lost the essence of hip hop. The artist that come out now are horrible. They have these beats save their careers. You should give all of the hip hop awards to the producers if everyone wants to talk about beats. Kweli is the best emcee out right now because he sees the reality of the world. It is not about "ice" or "whips", it is about the issues that the world is facing. Furthermore, he may have made songs that may sound like they belong in the club, however, Kweli did not compromise his lyrics one bit on this album. This is a 10 plus 20.

Vince H gave it a 6:
I agree with the general consensus. Awesome lyrics as usual (with as wide a range of subjects as any album this year) and Kweli's flow is still one of the best in the biz. Now while this album is certainly better than Mos Def's scattershot new album, the production is just plain lame. You cannot deny that. Except for 3 or 4 songs, the beats here are way below the standard of even the worst on Quality and Hi-Tek shows that he has perhaps been hanging around Snoop Dogg too much because he has a beat here that sounds like Fred Wreck on his worst day. Overall some good songs and very good lyrics/rapping, but wack beats.

sto paraoan gave it a 7:
It ain't Quality but still still vintage Kweli. Beautiful Struggle has a lot of dope hits but it's hard to ignore the misses.

Andy R gave it a 2:
boring. Talib Kweli, much like Mos Def, has lost his edge. I question how politically effective you can be in hiphop when backed by such lame lame beats.

Max G gave it a 10:
It's a sick CD, actually worth an 8.5 or a 9 but for those who have heard the pre-released mixtape it's obvious that its a 10. The actual Beautiful Struggle project included several other cuts that were definitely album-worthy but for some reason didn't make the bill. Including those songs the beautiful struggle is one of the best albums of the decade in my opinion. Look for "Lonely People," "Supreme" & " "We Pullin Out Tonite"

veronica h gave it a 9:
This album is a very solid album. It proves Ta is dedicated to his fans. How many artists this year have come out with 2 CDs of excellent quality ( The Mix CD of Beautiful Struggle and the ablum)??? The diversity of these two cds alone shows creativity and talent very few hip hop artists have today. The production is tight. My only complaint is I miss Black Star.

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