1st Trailer For UPROXX Original Series ‘People’s Party With Talib Kweli’

IT’S ALMOST HERE!

“People’s Party with Talib Kweli” is arriving Sunday, June 9th at youtube.com/UPROXXvideo. People’s Party is a weekly interview show with big-name guests exploring hip-hop, culture, and politics.

The first episode featuring Bun B discussing UGK and his relationship with Pimp C, his development as a lyricist, thoughts on Biggie, and his feelings on owning firearms and personal protection

“Ladies and gentlemen, get ready, here I come
Talib Kweli and I’m bangin’ on ya eardrum”

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ABOUT TALIB KWELI

The Brooklyn-based MC earned his stripes as one of the most lyrically-gifted, socially aware and politically insightful rappers to emerge in the last 20 years.

“I’m a touring artist. I’m an artist that’s internationally known. I’m not just a local artist at this point in my career. I’m cognizant of the fact that what I do is beyond where it started. I’m trying to reach the apex of where I am now, but without turning my back on or dismissing what I’ve done before.”

After nearly 20 years of releasing mesmerizing music, Talib Kweli stands as one of the world’s most talented and most accomplished Hip Hop artists. Whether working with Mos Def as one-half of Black Star, partnering with producer Hi-Tek for Reflection Eternal, releasing landmark solo material or collaborating with Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Just Blaze, J Dilla, or Madlib, Kweli commands attention by delivering top-tier lyricism, crafting captivating stories and showing the ability to rhyme over virtually any type of instrumental.

Kweli is known for his strong political views and activism, including on the topics of racial stereotypes and police brutality. Kweli has stated that he would focus on the prison–industrial complex if money was not a problem.

He is an advocate on behalf of political prisoners and a supporter of community organizations like the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. He has spoken often to inner-city high schoolers and college students.

Kweli urged people to ask hip-hop artists questions in order to engage them politically, but warned not to get frustrated if artists do not “give you what you want” in their replies. He said that music artists bear an unfair burden to use their music as a platform because they have the ability to influence more people. Kweli mentions that artists, just like their audience, fall victim to their upbringing. In 2017, rapper Remedy and Kweli feuded on Twitter regarding Remedy’s pro-Israel political stance, which conflicts with Kweli’s criticism of what he views as Israel’s occupation of Palestine, and his criticism of Zionism.

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Kweli stated that young people are the only people that can make a difference because they have the energy to actually go out to the public and do something. However, he stated his belief that activism cannot be done by just sitting at a computer.

Along with Mos Def, Kweli organized the Hip Hop for Respect CD and video in 2000, which spoke out against police brutality and specifically about the death of Amadou Diallo at the hands of New York City police. Profits from the CD were given to the Hip Hop For Respect Foundation, a nonprofit organization that encouraged celebrities to become involved with their fans. The Hip Hop For Respect contained 41 different artists for each shot that the police took at Diallo.

In May 2005, Kweli and Mos Def gathered with supporters at City Hall to demand that the federal government drop the million dollar bounty that was placed on political activist Assata Shakur’s head and remove her from the terrorist watch list.

Kweli visited the Occupy Wall Street camp in October 2011 to show support for the protestors.

On October 1, 2012, Kweli spoke at a rally at city hall to urge the NYPD police to end their stop-and-frisk policy.

On August 7, 2013, Kweli traveled to Tallahassee to spend a night in the capital building with the Dream Defenders, a group of students that created a sit-in at the Florida governor’s office to protest the state’s stand-your-ground law.

On August 19, 2014, Kweli traveled to Ferguson, Missouri, to join the community in protesting the shooting of Michael Brown.

Kweli joined South African artist Cassper Nyovest on a new remix of his single “Doc Shebeleza”, a tribute to the Kwaito music icon of the same name. The original appeared on Nyovest’s album Tsholofelo. The remix was produced by Anatii and was released on November 3, 2014, as a free digital download.

In 2015, Kweli held two concerts to mark the one year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death. The line up for the benefit show “Ferguson is Everywhere” featured Common, Bun B, M1 from Dead Prez, Rapsody, Tef Poe, Kendra Ross, Rebel Diaz, Jasiri X, Immortal Technique, and Pharoahe Monch.