Words by C. Paicely

“I never felt threatened by none of these industry motherf*ckers, cause they smuffs and they bloodsuckas. You can come crooked and sideways and backwards, I always come straight up in your face. Your mistake is confusing me with a rapper.”

Remember when there was a clear divide between the deep-thinking spitters and the polished industrial machines? Then, one day Kanye West came along and blurred the line permanently. Or did he? As we continue to wait on Gutter Rainbows and Prisoner of Conscious, Mr. Kweli leaked a passionate piece of hostility off his upcoming mixtape, Year of the Blacksmith Community Mixtape. Once again, he’s picking apart modern music and conformism with the lyrical prowess of a veteran. “1st Time” seems angry, tired and bitter; all terms used to describe the classical image of the black man. Kweli still wears that distinction like a badge of honor, shameless in his annoyance. The words are nonstop, as always, and every line connects us back to our roots. Never has pissed off felt so at home.

“First Time” brings back fond memories of “Engine Runnin” from four years ago, mainly because of Consequence. The man makes a worthy contribution, singing the hook and spitting out lines like, “There’s a first time for everything, but don’t be afraid of what’s in the dark. Just open your eyes and see what’s in their heart.” These two need to keep gelling on tracks like this. Add Year of the Blacksmith Community to the growing list of highly anticipated Kweli solo projects.

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Download — Talib Kweli Feat. Consequence – “1st Time”