Talib Kweli To Present Blue Note Jazz Club Performances Featuring Rakim, DMC & Slick Rick

Brooklyn-raised emcee Talib Kweli has four decades worth of music in his catalog. From the 1990s to the 2020s, Kweli released memorable solo and collaborative Hip Hop albums.

New York City’s Blue Note Jazz Club announced Talib Kweli will perform songs from his discography as part of a three-day run at the venue. Hip Hop legends Rakim, DMC, and Slick Rick are confirmed as special guests.

Plus, Talib Kweli partnered with jazz musician Bob James for the Blue Note Jazz Club concerts. Eric B. & Rakim (“Follow the Leader”), Run-DMC (“Peter Piper”), and Slick Rick (“Children’s Story”) have sampled James’s work.

“I’m very happy for this opportunity to join up with my friend Talib Kweli to perform with Slick Rick again on the Blue Note stage,” states Bob James. Slick Rick, Kweli, and James performed together for the first time at Blue Note in 2022.

The 83-year-old composer adds, “We had so much fun last year, and I’m excited to have legendary artists DMC and Rakim join us this time around to revisit the past and make new history together.”

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Talib Kweli & Blue Note Plan To Revisit The Sample History Of Bob James

Blue Note Jazz Club’s “Talib Kweli with Live Band featuring Bob James” kicks off on February 7. DMC will be the special guest for that night. The February 8th show will include Slick Rick, and Rakim is scheduled to appear at the February 9th show.

“The re-joining of forces at Blue Note between icon Bob James and Talib Kweli with legends Rakim, Slick Rick, and DMC is an exceptional moment,” states Alex Kurland, Blue Note’s Director of Programming. “Bob James’ depth of history and contribution to Hip Hop and musical culture is remarkable.”

Kurland continues, “Our inspiration with these shows is to revisit that history and vibe through the samples originating from Bob James, in collaboration with three of the most prolific, powerhouse, and pioneering MCs of all time who have a legendary connection of drawing from Bob’s music.”

Talib Kweli, along with Mos Def, presented 1998’s Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star joint album. The Javotti Media founder also dropped solo efforts such as 2002’s Quality, 2007’s Eardrum, 2013’s Gravitas, and 2017’s Radio Silence. Black Star’s No Fear of Time came out in 2022.