The Beautiful Struggle

Infobox Album |
Name = The Beautiful Struggle
Type = Album
Artist = Talib Kweli


Released = September 28, 2004
Recorded = 2004
Genre = Hip Hop
Length = 53:40
Label = Rawkus/Geffen
Producer = Hi-Tek
The Neptunes
Supa Dave West
Kanye West
Just Blaze
J.R.
Midi Mafia
Charlemagne
Tone Mason
Amadeus
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://wc02.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE67919D94EAD7420C9932C45C1BD61FD36D642E38F132F5E5AFCBD3E5C800C7FED12F68690FDB074F52FEBBD77DF160ED2D5EF53E3DE663D3AC1EAAC643D344E06184538&sql=10:39fqxq9sldde link]
*HipHopDX.com Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/reviews/id.477/title.talib-kweli-the-beautiful-struggle link]
*Pitchfork Media (7.6/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/19164-the-beautiful-struggle link]
*RapReviews.com Rating-10|8 [http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2004_09_struggle.html link]
Last album = "Quality"
(2002)
This album = "The Beautiful Struggle"
(2004)
Next album = ""
(2005)

"The Beautiful Struggle" is the second solo album by American rapper Talib Kweli. The album was released in 2004, and features guest appearances by rappers such as Common and Jean Grae. "The Beautiful Struggle", as with all of Talib Kweli's work, focuses on the serious side of rap, providing an alternative to today's mainstream gangsta rap and pop rap.

The album featured production from Kanye West, The Neptunes, Supa Dave West, Just Blaze & Hi-Tek. The first single off the album, "I Try" featuring Mary J. Blige, was fairly popular as a music video, followed by the second single "Never Been In Love". "The Beautiful Struggle" was Kweli's first album in nearly 2 years.

Origin of Album Name

The album name, "The Beautiful Struggle", comes from a quote from rapper Mos Def. The quote was read as, "Life is beautiful, life is a struggle. Life is a beautiful struggle."

The phrase, "Beautiful Struggle", originated in a famous Martin Luther King Jr. speech entitled "Beyond Vietnam":

Lastly, "Beautiful Struggle" is the title of a radio program on KPFK-FM, Los Angeles that is an open conversation focused on African American social and political issues, thought, history, inspiration, resistance, and social change. The program aims to educate and motivate the audience to work for justice and social change.

Track listing

Internet Advance

Before the official release of this album in 2004, a bootlegged advance of the CD began to be circulated on the Internet in the rough stages of production. Because of this, the track listing was altered prior to release.

When the album leaked, a frustrated and angry Kweli posted a response on [http://www.Okayplayer.com Okayplayer] . In it, he admitted that he would also jump at the opportunity to hear an artist's CD early but condemned those who actively spread it.

Advance Track listing

# "The Revolution" (appears as "Going Hard" on The Beautiful Struggle)
# "Back Up Off Me" (appears as "Back Up Offa Me" on The Beautiful Struggle)
# "From A Place" featuring Killer Mike (appears as "Tryin' To Breathe" on The Beautiful Mixtape Vol. 2)
# "I Try" featuring Mary J. Blige (appears on The Beautiful Struggle)
# "We Got the Beat" featuring Res (appears on The Beautiful Struggle)
# "Around My Way" (appears on The Beautiful Struggle)
# "What We Have is Real" (appears as "We Know" on The Beautiful Struggle)
# "Rock on and on" (appears as "Rock On" on )
# "You Don't Know Me" (appears as "Flash Gordon" on )
# "Its the Ghetto" featuring Common (appears as "Ghetto Show" on The Beautiful Struggle)
# "Hold Your Hands Up High" featuring Jean Grae (appears as "Black Girl Pain" on The Beautiful Struggle)
# "Lonely People" (appears on The Beautiful Mixtape Vol. 1)
# "We Pullin Out Tonite"
# "Instrumental" produced by Kanye West (an instrumental, sampling Hugh Masekela)
# "Get Em High" featuring Kanye West (appears on Kanye West's The College Dropout)
# "Supreme" featuring Mos Def (appears as "Supreme Supreme" on and The Beautiful Mixtape Vol. 2)

The tracks from the advance album are slightly different from those on the final release. "The Revolution" features an introduction (possibly performed by Dave Chappelle) while "Hold Your Hands Up High" has a little girl singing the chorus.