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.
Work It Out
Talib Kweli Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They argue and they fret a lot then set up the plot
To whet up the block
Whether or not the blood is red up in the gutter
Music is my bread and butter
I got a show in Brooklyn cause the ghetto love us
Pulled up in Mtulu's truck I'm suited up I'm cool as fuck
Security tripping on my baseball hat promoter knew what's up
I told the bouncer they being disrespectful 'cause like you we working
I ain't a custy or a patron and trust me no one would be paying
To come in this crusty ass club if I wasn't playing
He's like "I'll put you the fuck out"
And when you put your word like that its like third strike black you struck out
His man tried to rush me from behind Chaps stuck out a size nine
Seen him trip face first into the line
Cats is cowards with no spine and they power tripping too
The next level is the violence so what why'all niggaz want to
[Chorus:]
Work it out
We should try to work it out
People lie, people cry, people die to work it out
Read the book, pray to god
Look inside to work it out
We should try to work it out
Yo what why'all ladies want to do
Work it out
To get fly she work it out
People lie, people cry, people die to work it out
Read the book, pray to god
Look inside to work it out
Show the love
Lose the hate
Work it out
Work it out
People placed in situations they can't take and what they facing
Is the trials and tribulations to make them say the Lord's forsaken them
Their loved ones intervening but they always blaming them
For problems they don't realize what they part is in creating them
Like men who so insecure think they women cheating on them
And women who think the proof that they man love them is they beating on them
Keep sleeping on them soon they partner creeping on them
Committing crimes of passion they in caskets mother weeping on them
With her head in her hands
There's only one thing that the dead understand that it's better to be alive
Now what you gonna do stick your head in the sand
You probably the type to fall for anything and take that instead of a stand
Now that's a mouse instead of a man
I cherish my role as the head of my fam
And on the road I meet incredible fans
I rock with singers an a DJ instead of a band we at a theatre near you
So what why'all niggaz want to do
[Chorus:]
Stay civilized when they try to kill my high I try to think through problems
Bring honesty to rap like Cam'ron brought the pink to Harlem
You could be on the brink to stardom and suddenly you sink to bottom
Tell the truth about the war and suddenly you linked Saddam
Hate the topic but the closet people get to patriotic
Is red bull white vodka mixed with the straight hypnotic
Paper prophets sell the revolution so they make a profit
Trust they got it fucked up with your taxes started making rockets
Take it off the top like politicians speaking proper diction
Stuffing dollars in they britches like they do a lotta stripping
Got the top position bitching about the quality of life
All that bullshit get exposed as soon as Kweli sees the mic
They cutting down the tree of life the sun rays is running out
The babies ain't eating right so the guns keep coming out
See how they play the streets an night slap the taste out your mouth
To show you what they work about
So what why'all niggaz want to do
[Chorus:]
The lyrics to Talib Kweli's "Work It Out" reflect on the struggles and conflicts faced by people, especially those in disadvantaged communities. The song talks about the escalating tempers and arguments that occur during hot weather and how people plan out their next moves to make ends meet. He expresses his love for music and how people from the ghetto appreciate and support his work. Despite security issues at a club where he is performing, he stands his ground and advocates for respect for artists like himself and his partners. This section of the song also touches on the cowardice of people who abuse their power, and the tendency to resolve issues through violence.
Kweli offers a call to action in the chorus, urging people to try and work out problems and differences they may have, despite the hardships they face every day. The lyrics speak about how people tend to blame their loved ones for their problems instead of addressing them and being accountable. He also highlights the effects of domestic violence and the consequences of ignoring warning signs of it. The song ends with his displeasure with politicians and their greedy tendencies to put their interests above the people they serve.
Line by Line Meaning
The temperature got tempers flaring people sweat when the weather hot
Hot weather leads to arguments and frustration among people
They argue and they fret a lot then set up the plot
People argue and plan things against each other out of anger
To whet up the block
To cause commotion on the street
Whether or not the blood is red up in the gutter
Regardless of whether there is violence happening in society
Music is my bread and butter
Music is my main source of income
I got a show in Brooklyn cause the ghetto love us
I have a concert in Brooklyn because we are loved by those living in the ghetto
Pulled up in Mtulu's truck I'm suited up I'm cool as fuck
I arrive in Mtulu's truck dressed stylishly and confidently
Security tripping on my baseball hat promoter knew what's up
The security is upset about my hat, but the promoter understands my importance
Plus Chaps had on some denim shorts and white tee shirt and
In addition, Chaps is wearing denim shorts and a white T-shirt
I told the bouncer they being disrespectful 'cause like you we working
I tell the bouncer they are being rude because like him, we are also working
I ain't a custy or a patron and trust me no one would be paying
I'm not a customer, and no one would pay to come to this club if I wasn't performing
To come in this crusty ass club if I wasn't playing
People wouldn't come to this run-down club if I wasn't performing
He's like "I'll put you the fuck out"
The bouncer threatens to remove me from the club
And when you put your word like that its like third strike black you struck out
When you make a serious threat like that, it's like you have already used up three strikes and failed
His man tried to rush me from behind Chaps stuck out a size nine
One of his associates tries to attack me from behind, but Chaps kicks him
Seen him trip face first into the line
I saw him fall and hit the ground face-first
Cats is cowards with no spine and they power tripping too
These people are cowards with no courage, but they still want to feel powerful
The next level is the violence so what why'all niggaz want to
The next step is violence, so what do you guys want to do?
We should try to work it out
We should try to find a solution
People lie, people cry, people die to work it out
People may lie, cry, or even die to work out their issues
Read the book, pray to god
Read religious books and pray for guidance
Look inside to work it out
Look within ourselves for solutions
Yo what why'all ladies want to do
What do you ladies want to do?
To get fly she work it out
To look good, she works hard on herself
Show the love
Express love towards each other
Lose the hate
Let go of hate and negative feelings
People placed in situations they can't take and what they facing
People are put into difficult situations that they can't handle
Is the trials and tribulations to make them say the Lord's forsaken them
These struggles make people feel forsaken by God
Their loved ones intervening but they always blaming them
Their loved ones try to help, but they always blame them instead
For problems they don't realize what they part is in creating them
They don't realize their own part in creating their own problems
Like men who so insecure think they women cheating on them
Insecure men often think their partners are cheating on them
And women who think the proof that they man love them is they beating on them
Some women think that their man beating them is proof of his love
Keep sleeping on them soon they partner creeping on them
Ignoring signs of infidelity may lead to partners cheating on each other
Committing crimes of passion they in caskets mother weeping on them
Reacting violently to passion may lead to them dying and their family mourning for them
There's only one thing that the dead understand that it's better to be alive
The only thing that the dead understand is that life is precious
Now what you gonna do stick your head in the sand
Are you going to ignore the problem?
You probably the type to fall for anything and take that instead of a stand
You may be the type to go along with anything instead of standing up for yourself
Now that's a mouse instead of a man
That makes you a weak person
I cherish my role as the head of my fam
I value my responsibility as the leader of my family
And on the road I meet incredible fans
Traveling for work, I get to meet amazing fans
I rock with singers an a DJ instead of a band we at a theatre near you
I perform with singers and a DJ instead of a full band, and we'll be at a theater near you
Stay civilized when they try to kill my high I try to think through problems
I try to stay calm and rational even when others try to bring me down
Bring honesty to rap like Cam'ron brought the pink to Harlem
I aim to bring honesty and authenticity to my music like Cam'ron brought a new fashion trend to Harlem
You could be on the brink to stardom and suddenly you sink to bottom
Success can be fleeting and it's easy to lose it all
Tell the truth about the war and suddenly you linked Saddam
When you speak the truth about the war, people may associate you with Saddam Hussein
Hate the topic but the closet people get to patriotic
People don't like the topic, but it's the closest they can get to feeling patriotic
Is red bull white vodka mixed with the straight hypnotic
They drink a mixture of Red Bull, white vodka, and straight hypnotic
Paper prophets sell the revolution so they make a profit
Some people make money by selling the idea of revolution
Trust they got it fucked up with your taxes started making rockets
They're wasting taxpayers' money by making rockets
Take it off the top like politicians speaking proper diction
They're stealing money from the top, while pretending to be well-spoken politicians
Stuffing dollars in they britches like they do a lotta stripping
They're stuffing money in their pants, like strippers do
Got the top position bitching about the quality of life
They complain about the quality of life while having the most power
All that bullshit get exposed as soon as Kweli sees the mic
All of the lies are exposed when I speak up on the microphone
They cutting down the tree of life the sun rays is running out
They're destroying the environment and time is running out before it's too late
The babies ain't eating right so the guns keep coming out
When babies are hungry and suffering, violence often erupts
See how they play the streets an night slap the taste out your mouth
They take advantage of people in the streets at night, and will use violence if necessary
To show you what they work about
To show you what they're capable of
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JONATHAN ROTEM, TALIB KWELI, TONY COTTRELL, TONY L. COTTRELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind