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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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Ear Drum
by Talib Kweli
The Brooklyn-born hip-hop artist's third album features such guests as UGK, Justin Timberlake and Norah Jones.
| LABEL: |
Warner Bros/Wea |
| RELEASE DATE: |
21 August 2007 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Rap |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
100
Entertainment Weekly
A procession of sharp cuts. [24 Aug 2007, p.133]
100
NOW Magazine
Kweli's curse- 'n' cliché-free rhyme-ripping proves he needs no help on the microphone. He outshines his celebrated guests, including labelmate Grae, KRS-One, Norah Jones (!), Sonia Sanchez, UGK's Pimp C and Bun B, Musiq Soulchild and Raheem DeVaughn.
95
RapReviews.com
Talib Kweli has made the career-defining work that his fans have been expecting for nearly a decade.
91
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Sexual and spiritual, conscious and just plain fun, Eardrum is a master class in lyricism from a man supremely comfortable in his own skin.
86
Filter
The production work throughout provides a head-bobbing, arm-waving backdrop to Kweli’s lyrical genius, exactly as it should.
80
Mojo
Ear Drum confirms Kweli's position as an icon. [Oct 2007, p.106]
80
Village Voice
Ear Drum marks the self-proclaimed BK MC's third full-length feature, and astoundingly, it's a captivating, cocksure rejoinder to everyone who abandoned him.
80
PopMatters
I Think, one of Talib Kweli's major goals with his music is to speak to (and from the vantage point of) groups that have been marginalized from "the norm." Ear Drum comes mighty close to reaching that goal, with only a few stumbles along the way.
75
The Phoenix
Ear Drum doesn’t reach the highs of that far more ambitious and sprawling album ["Train of Thought"], but it’s a welcome return to form.
74
Pitchfork
He's made a nice to return to form, crafting a mature album that nods to his past without being a retread.
70
All Music Guide
At 20 tracks and nearly 80 minutes, Eardrum is both too much and too little, never quite understanding exactly what it needs to be.
70
Billboard
There are enough different feels and flows to dazzle listeners with Kweli's dexterity, but some judicious editing could have produced something perhaps even more impressive.
70
Blender
Kweli’s rigid delivery and obsession with self-empowerment remain liabilities.
65
Hot Press
Kweli's collaborative work has set the bar so high that his solo efforts routinely fail to meet these exalted expectations.
60
Rolling Stone
Though it's admirably consistent and pretty darn OK, it lacks a knockout track to counterbalance the complaints about the King James Bible and swine toothpaste.
60
Observer Music Monthly
He's back on his own terms, those of the earnest hyper-intelligent bookworm who won the plaudits of Jay-Z and 50 Cent, and sounding a lot more comfortable, with 'Hostile Gospel' and 'Say Something' re-staking a claim for the hip hop high ground over beats that are soulful and sonically coherent.
60
Vibe
Eardrum lacks cohesiveness. [August 2007, p.75]
60
Prefix Magazine
Kweli shows again that he deserves the respect he receives, but Eardrum is simply not cohesive enough.
60
Uncut
Kweli, whose wordy rhymes can often read better than they flow, sounds nimble and at ease most of the time. [Oct 2007, p.96]
50
Spin
Though Kweli can't change his voice he was born with, he needs to figure out how to make it as compelling as his material. [Sep 2007, p.133]
40
Q Magazine
Articulate and thoughtful as Kweli's rhymrs are, few of the star producers he's invited along rise to the occasion. [Sep 2007, p.95]
40
Dusted Magazine
Ear Drum is his sprawling, messy 2007 manifesto, loaded with rhymes that take weeks to unpack, to say nothing of the bizarre diversity of producers and guests.
The average user rating for this album is 9.2 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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