Reflection Eternal

Ten years since the release of their genre-defining collaboration album, Train of Thought, Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek are back as Reflection Eternal with Revolutions Per Minute. Though both maintained a steady shine via solo albums and mixtapes, heads have been hankering for a reunion record that would exude the same charismatic calm of the first. While Revolutions Per Minute might not immediately resonate the same way, the 17 tracks are doused in their working chemistry. Hi-Tek's buttery, delicate, diverse production skills ― hinged on warm soul-jazz samples, old school drum patterns and the occasional foray into digital manipulation ― suit the rapper/DJ format: the variety of beats, paired with Kweli's raps, keeps the story moving. And though cultural context begets different references (there's a black president now, remember), hip-hop, politics and community-focused content, delivered via Kweli's clipped, nasal flow, continue to constitute the bulk of these stories. Nostalgic types will appreciate "Back Again" (featuring long-time collaborator Res), "Ballad of the Black Gold," "Long Hot Summer" and updated posse cut "Just Begun" (with Mos Def and freshmen J. Cole and Jay Electronica).