American rapper Talib Kweli Greene was born on October 3, 1975. His early success came from his work with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def in the group Black Star, which they created in 1997. Kweli’s solo career flourished with the help of producers and rappers like Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Pharrell Williams. Gotham, his most recent album, came out in 2020. Kweli established his own record label in 2011 called Javotti Media.
How Much is Talib Kweli Net Worth in 2023?
Rapper, entrepreneur, and activist Talib Kweli has a $4 million net worth. At the beginning of his career, he was known as half of the hip-hop duo Black Star, along with rapper Mos Def. He then embarked on a prosperous solo career, working with established names like Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, and Just Blaze.
Where Did Talib Kweli Grow Up?
Kweli was raised in a Park Slope family after being born in Brooklyn, New York. Brenda Greene is an English professor at the City University of New York’s Medgar Evers College, and his father works as an administrator at Adelphi University.
Jamal Greene, his younger brother, is a constitutional law professor at Columbia Law School, an alumnus of both Harvard and Yale Law School, and a former law clerk for Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.
At the time, Kweli, a high schooler, found inspiration in Afrocentric rap acts like De La Soul and the Native Tongues Posse. Kweli attended the Connecticut residential school known as Cheshire Academy. When he was younger, he attended Brooklyn Technical High School. He then attended New York University to study experimental drama.
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How Did Talib Kweli Start His Profession?
Kweli created the hip-hop group Black Star with fellow Brooklyn artist Mos Def. Their lone studio album, “Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star,” was widely praised upon its 1998 release. Kweli and Hi-Tek’s “Train of Thought” album was released two years later, and so was Kweli and Mos Def’s “Hip Hop for Respect” EP.
The latter was made in response to previous instances of police violence, such as the shooting of Amadou Diallo, who was unarmed and reached for his wallet when he was shot 41 times. The EP had contributions from Common, Kool G. Rap, Sporty Thievz, Posdnuos, Tiye Phoenix, Shabaam Sahdeeq, and Punchline, among others, and featured 41 musicians for each shot fired.
When the 13th installment of the Red Hot AIDS benefit series, “Red Hot + Indigo,” was released in 2001, it featured contributions from Kweli and Mos Def. As a celebration of Duke Ellington’s life, it benefited organizations working to raise awareness about and funds for the disease.
The following year, in 2002, “Red Hot + Riot” was released, in which Kweli collaborated with artists Jorge Ben, Bilal, and Dead Prez. Kweli’s first solo album, “Quality,” was released in 2002. It debuted at #21 on the Billboard 200 and #6 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart, and featured the Kanye West–produced single “Get By.”
A subsequent album by Kweli, titled “The Beautiful Struggle,” debuted at number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2005, he dropped a tape titled “Right About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD.” A commercial success, his album “Eardrum” arrived at #2 on the Billboard 200 and featured the hit single “Listen!!!” two years later.
During the same time period, Kweli released the mixtape “Focus.” Kweli established his own record label, Javotti Media, in 2011. The title was responsible for releasing his fourth studio album, “Gutter Rainbows.” With the help of Kendrick Lamar, Nelly, and Busta Rhymes, among others, he released “Prisoner of Conscious” in 2013.
Among their later albums are “Gravitas,” “Fuck the Money,” and “Radio Silence.” In addition to “Habits of the Heart,” “Indie 500,” “The Seven,” and “Gotham,” all of which he recorded with either Styles P, Diamond D, or Idle Warship, Kweli has also released “Gotham” with Idle Warship.