Talib Kweli Greene (born October 3, 1975 in Brooklyn, New York) is a North … Read Full Bio ↴Talib Kweli Greene (born October 3, 1975 in Brooklyn, New York) is a North American MC known as one of the most prominent rappers in underground hip-hop, and is critically acclaimed frequently, despite not being commercially successful. Kweli first gained recognition through Black Star, a collaboration with fellow MC Mos Def. He released his solo debut album Quality in 2002 and has since released 2004's The Beautiful Struggle, 2005's mixtape album Right About Now, 2007's Eardrum, 2011's Gutter Rainbows and 2013's Prisoner of Conscious. He has also released two albums with Hi-Tek under the name Reflection Eternal and a collaboration album with Madlib in 2007 plus two albums with Res under the name Idle Warship.

His name is Arabic, meaning 'the seeker' or 'student of truth and knowledge'. His parents were both college professors: his mother an English professor, his father a sociology professor. As a youth, he was drawn to Afrocentric rappers, such as De La Soul and other members of the Native Tongues Posse and in 1995 began recording with producer Hi-Tek and rapper Mos Def who he met at central park, and later attended New York University with. With Mos Def (together the pair were known as Black Star), Kweli achieved some mainstream success with Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998). Also noted are Kweli and Mos' central input on Rawkus Records' compilation album Soundbombing (1997). Soundbombing also include collaborations between Kweli and DJ Hi Tek as Reflection Eternal. Together they released Train of Thought in 2000, which sold better than most alternative hip hop albums at the time. He has since released a critically acclaimed solo debut, Quality in 2002. In 2004, he released his second solo album, The Beautiful Struggle. His third solo album Ear Drum was released on August 21st, 2007.

Kweli has created his own record label, Blacksmith Records and has recently signed acclaimed female rapper Jean Grae, with rumors continuing to grow that underground veteran MF Doom is the next artist to be picked up. He left Geffen Records and has signed with the Warner Music Group.

He has since broken through slightly more towards the mainstream, thanks in large part to several appearance on the comedy show Chappelle's Show, both solo and with long-time collaborator Mos Def, this is due to a friendship between the host and creator of the show, comedian Dave Chappelle and the rapper. He also had a guest spot on friend and frequent collaborator Kanye West's widely successful debut album The College Dropout on the track "Get 'Em High". West has also produced some of Kweli's songs, including his biggest commercial hit "Get By". Kweli can also be seen in a commercial for the NCAA's Big Ten Conference, rapping about the league's basketball teams. Talib Kweli provided the voice for the main character, Trane, in the video game Marc Ecko's Getting Up, released in 2006.

Flash Gordon
Talib Kweli Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah
Kweli in the house
Dave West is what I'm talkin' about, you know?
Yea yea yea yo yea yo yea yea yea yo yea yo Yea yea yea yo yo

Make a joy for noise until the lord people are floored
Cause the pen is mightier than the sword
Leavin' the floor

Cause my words cut deeper than a tissue massage
I got hooks and lines that sink y'all like a fisherman's rod
I'm on mission for God he blessed me to spit it this hard
A lot of n****s start s*** but they don't finish the job
I'm like Minister Farrakhan or Africans who finished a marathon
The pain in my voice is like Sarah Vaughn
No matter what playin' 'em on I carry on
Even if the dawn lit overhead I carry on
Like Flash Gordon the Scar on my Face is Brad Jordan
Passports splash with blood from the battle I last fought in
I want to cash all in
Or I start breakin' like glass jaw I put The Blast on 'em like my last tourin'
Or fast forward just to catch what I said
Yo I say some s*** like that just to mess with your head, come on

Grabbin' the black steel, bowh
In the hour of chaos
We ain't rappin' till they pay us, is that real?
We got babies
We got bills
Put your hands up in the air if you know how I feel
And let it out (let it out)
Get it out (get it out)
Work it up (work it up)
Sweat it out
I don't know
If you know
My history I do it big

Like Notorious did
Get on and play like this according to kid
Gangster like knock out Ned like Little Zane slayed all on his wiz
Crazy like the little hand on the seven, the big hand on the six
J-Lo, yo
Whether you all in the mix or if you stay low
Everybody say hoo hoo hoo hoo

I don't know
If you know
My history you don't know me

Choke the game till it's blue like a varicose vein
And I can't remember the last time I felt this terrible pain
And the whole s*** blew up
Was it in vain?
They'll be lookin' through the rubble like they searchin' for Hussein
I'm lookin' through the club I'm really searchin' for who's sane
The music got everyone crazy and who to blame
Be prepared think there'll be some ugliness up in here
End up in intensive care with the vegetables there, you know?

Grabbin' the black steel, bowh
In the hour of chaos
We ain't rappin' till they pay us, is that real?
We got babies
We got bills
Put your hands up in the air if you know how I feel
And let it out (let it out)
Get it out (get it out)
Work it up (work it up)
Sweat it out
I don't know
If you know
My history I do it big

It's the black hand bustin' the tech
Gettin' it wet without bustin' a sweat
Swingin' for the upper deck
It's the black man cuttin' a check
The n*****'s the boss
The n*****s want to test if they addicted to laws
I spit on the floor
The right hook will get at your jaw
Make the track my baby mama when I'm hittin' it raw
I rap through:
Wars and tours and whores on the floors I did it for force
So I spit at all the s*** that I saw
I party with supermodels who wanna take of they clothes
The ones who smokin' cocaine so they don't f*** up they nose
I walked the slums of Soweto and the streets of Havana
Takin' pictures with kids who never seen a camera
From the land of the Alabama since the night in the Cali
Bumpin' gangster music like a freedoms song in the rally
Out the back of yo' Dinnali give you the skinny like Ally McBeal
It's the black steel, Brooklyn know the deal, what?!

Grabbin' the black steel, bowh
In the hour of chaos
We ain't rappin' till they pay us, is that real?
We got babies
We got bills
Put your hands up in the air if you know how I feel
And let it out (let it out)
Get it out (get it out)
Work it up (work it up)
Sweat it out
I don't know

If you know
My history I do it big

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Talib Kweli's song "Flash Gordon" are political and introspective. He makes references to various figures such as the Minister Farrakhan, Sarah Vaughn, and Brad Jordan. He starts by saying that he is leaving the floor with his words, as they are mightier than the sword. The pain in his voice is like Sarah Vaughn's, and he continues to compare himself to Minister Farrakhan and Africans who have finished a marathon. He talks about his Scar Face like Brad Jordan and how it was obtained during a battle. He wants to cash it all in, but if he has to, he will break like a glass jaw and put the blast on them like his last tour.

Kweli talks about the chaos in his life, babies to tend to and bills to be paid. He gets everyone to join him in making a noise until the Lord arrives because it's like a cathartic release. He talks about choking the game until it's blue like a varicose vein and he can't remember the last time he felt such terrible pain. He searches the club for anyone still sane and wonders who should be blamed for everything that has gone wrong. He then becomes introspective and talks about his journey and what he has done in the past.

Line by Line Meaning

Make a joy for noise until the lord people are floored
Raise the roof with music until everyone is moved by it.

Cause the pen is mightier than the sword
Words hold great power over physical force.

Leavin' the floor
Stepping up and taking action.

Cause my words cut deeper than a tissue massage
My words have a strong impact that invokes deep emotions.

I got hooks and lines that sink y'all like a fisherman's rod
My lyrics grab and pull the audience in.

I'm on mission for God he blessed me to spit it this hard
My talent for rapping comes from a place of divine inspiration.

A lot of n****s start s*** but they don't finish the job
Many people talk a big game but fail to follow through on their promises.

I'm like Minister Farrakhan or Africans who finished a marathon
I am a strong and dedicated leader, like Minister Farrakhan, or like an African completing a rigorous marathon.

The pain in my voice is like Sarah Vaughn
My voice is emotional and powerful, similar to the legendary Sarah Vaughn.

No matter what playin' 'em on I carry on
I push through obstacles, regardless of the challenges.

Even if the dawn lit overhead I carry on
I persist through the night and into the morning.

Like Flash Gordon the Scar on my Face is Brad Jordan
I am a fighter, like Flash Gordon, and my scars are a testament to the battles I have faced.

Passports splash with blood from the battle I last fought in
My passport bears the marks of the struggles I have overcome.

I want to cash all in
I want to make the most of my time and effort.

Or I start breakin' like glass jaw I put The Blast on 'em like my last tourin'
I refuse to give up or crumble under pressure, and I will use my rap skills to take on my detractors.

Or fast forward just to catch what I said
People may need to listen closely to my lyrics in order to fully understand my message.

Grabbin' the black steel, bowh
Taking control with a powerful weapon, in this case, the power of music.

In the hour of chaos
Amidst times of turmoil and strife.

We ain't rappin' till they pay us, is that real?
We will not perform until we get paid what we are worth.

We got babies
We have mouths to feed and families to support.

We got bills
We have financial obligations and responsibilities.

Put your hands up in the air if you know how I feel
Join in and show solidarity if you relate to my message.

I don't know If you know My history I do it big
While others may not understand the struggle I have faced, I always aim for the highest level of success.

It's the black hand bustin' the tech
A powerful, skilled rapper making his mark.

Gettin' it wet without bustin' a sweat
Finding success without losing one's cool.

Swingin' for the upper deck
Aiming high and going for broke.

It's the black man cuttin' a check
A financially savvy, successful musician.

The n*****'s the boss
The rapper is in charge and has the power.

The n*****s want to test if they addicted to laws
Others may try to challenge or bring down the rapper's power.

I spit on the floor
The rapper is tough and unapologetic.

The right hook will get at your jaw
The rapper is physically and lyrically powerful.

Make the track my baby mama when I'm hittin' it raw
The rapper's success comes from raw, unfiltered talent and hard work.

I rap through wars and tours and whores on the floors I did it for force
The rapper has overcome numerous obstacles and rough situations in his career.

So I spit at all the s*** that I saw
The rapper uses his platform to speak out against injustices he has witnessed.

I party with supermodels who wanna take of they clothes
The rapper has achieved great success and fame.

The ones who smokin' cocaine so they don't f*** up they nose
The rapper sees the darker side of fame and success.

I walked the slums of Soweto and the streets of Havana
The rapper has traveled and seen the world.

Takin' pictures with kids who never seen a camera
The rapper has brought joy to others by sharing his experiences and success.

From the land of the Alabama since the night in the Cali
The rapper has come from humble beginnings but has achieved great things.

Bumpin' gangster music like a freedoms song in the rally
The rapper uses his music to help uplift people and inspire them to fight for freedom and justice.

Out the back of yo' Dinnali give you the skinny like Ally McBeal
The rapper is unafraid to speak his mind and give his opinion.

It's the black steel, Brooklyn know the deal, what?!
The rapper's skills are undeniable and well-known in his hometown of Brooklyn.

Lyrics © JELLYBEAN MUSIC GROUP
Written by: DAVE WEST, TALIB KWELI

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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