eXcapeyourmatriX

The Experience:
The Talib Kweli Interview

Story by: Tibetan Starr
Photography by: Darcel D’onofrio

Nikonismine@aol.com

“This morning, I woke up
Feeling brand new I jumped up
Feeling my high's,
And my low's
In my soul,
And my goals
Just to stop smoking,
And stop drinking
But, I've been thinking –
I've got my reasons
Just to get (by), just to get (by)
Just to get (by), just to get (by)”
-Talib Kweli

The night of the Talib Kweli interview, after all was said and done, I figured, “I had my reasons just to get by.” Have you ever wanted something so badly and you wait so long and then, you give up just to find out that if you waited maybe a few more minutes you could have received everything you were waiting for? Well, that night I waited my “few more minutes” and then some.

I arrive at Club Sonar in downtown Baltimore at 8:00 p.m., anticipating my interview with Talib. When my photographer and I arrive, there is a line outside that wraps around the wall. We enter the space where Talib is going to be performing. Everyone is still preparing for the show. The DJ is setting up, lights are being checked, and the mic is being tested. Other journalists are already there as well. I’m not sure exactly how the setup is going to be. I’m told he hasn’t arrived yet, so I sit on the steps by the security guard, patiently waiting.

9:00 p.m. – At this point, I start eyeing all the entrances and green room doors in hopes that I can catch him. I start to get fidgety, so I pull out my questions and go over them again. I can’t help but think about the documentary Call and Response that Talib performed for. Call and Response is a rockumentary about slavery, children brothels, and human trafficking going on today. There has been a record count of 27 million people who are enslaved, but it is said to be a lot more. Dr. Cornel West—alongside Talib and a few other celebrities—have reached out in hopes that it will bring attention to this madness. I love children and anything to help I will do, so I signed up for the cause the moment I learned of it.

The DJ is complete with setup, so now that I am two feet away from the speakers, I am officially going deaf. Now, I am thinking, “Oh, my God! Will I be able to hear Talib with this buzzing sound in my ear?” I just keep telling myself to stay focused and be patient.

10:00 pm – Fans start pouring in and the spot is filling up fast. Two big projection screens are posted up on both sides of the stage. They showcase the crowd in aphrodisiac colors as well as the DJ. I’m thinking it’s cool and, at this point, it becomes some form of entertainment for me. The Hip-Hop heads are definitely showing up and the DJ is not letting them down. He plays songs from old school WU-TANG to KRS-1 to A TRIBE CALLED QUEST to…

11:00pm –

“Here we go, yo! Here we go, yo!

So what

So what

So what's the scenario?

Here we go, yo! Here we go, yo!

So what

So what

So what's the scenario?”

-A Tribe Called Quest f/ L.O.N.S.

to:

“Hey, baby, your hips is getting big
Now, you're getting thin

You don't care about your wig
Now, Woolie Willie got a pair of my sneakers
I wonder where he got 'em cause I hid 'em behind my speakers”…

To check out the full Talib Kweli story, click the link below...

http://etmmagazine.info/freeyourmind/2009/04/2009_04_talibkweli.html