Liberation (Talib Kweli and Madlib album)

Liberation
Studio album by Talib Kweli & Madlib
Released	March 20, 2007 (2007-03-20) (official)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	30:12
Label	Blacksmith Music
Producer	Madlib
Talib Kweli & Madlib chronology
Liberation (2007) Liberation 2 (2023)
Talib Kweli chronology
Right About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD (2006) Liberation (2007) Eardrum (2007)
Madlib chronology
Beat Konducta Vol 1-2: Movie Scenes (2006) Liberation (2007) Yesterdays Universe (2007)
Alternative cover

Liberation is a collaborative album by Talib Kweli and Madlib.^[1] It was made available as a free download from Stones Throw's Rappcats website, and Kweli and Madlib's MySpace pages for the first week of 2007, beginning New Year's Eve 2007.^[2] It was removed about a week later. One cover for the album is an adaptation of a piece by guerrilla artist Banksy, and an alternative cover (given away as a print-ready download) is a collage of Talib Kweli, a dollar sign, and the Statue of Liberty.

Liberation 2 was released in 2023.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllHipHop	[3]
AllMusic	[4]
HipHopDX	[5]
RapReviews.com	8/10[6]
Stylus Magazine	A−[7]

A.J. Henriques of Stylus Magazine gave Liberation a grade of A−, commenting that "Talib Kweli sounds more energized rhyming over Madlib's production than he has in years" and "Madlib has crafted his most traditionally rappable beats since his work with Lootpack."^[7]

It was ranked at 53 on PopMatters' "101 Hip-Hop Albums of 2007" list.^[8]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Show"	2:21
2.	"Funny Money"	3:04
3.	"Time Is Right"	2:17
4.	"Engine Running" (featuring Consequence)	3:39
5.	"Over the Counter"	4:05
6.	"The Function" (featuring Strong Arm Steady)	4:09
7.	"Happy Home" (featuring Candice Anderson)	5:50
8.	"Soul Music" (featuring Res)	2:29
9.	"What Can I Do?"	2:18

References

1. Bychawski, Adam (January 3, 2007). "Talib Kweli and Madlib release free digital download". NME. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
2. Pareles, John (January 8, 2007). "Critic's Choice: New CDs". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
3. Fofana, Sidik (January 7, 2007). "Liberation". AllHipHop. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
4. Herzog, Kenneth. "Talib Kweli / Madlib - Liberation". AllMusic. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
5. Kameka, Andrew (January 12, 2007). "Talib Kweli & Madlib - Liberation". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
6. Tomer, Matt (January 16, 2007). "Talib Kweli & Madlib :: Liberation :: Blacksmith/Stones Throw Records". RapReviews.com. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
7. Henriques, A.J. (January 16, 2007). "Talib Kweli & Madlib - Liberation". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on January 18, 2007. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
8. Huff, Quentin B. (January 15, 2008). "101 Hip-Hop Albums of 2007". PopMatters. Retrieved May 16, 2016.

External links

• Liberation at Discogs (list of releases)