page_title: Talib Kweli
section_title: Early career (1997–2001)
hierarchical_section_title: Talib Kweli / Music career / Early career (1997–2001)
caption_attribution_description: English: Talib kweli, NYC 1999, at Rawkus Records firestaircase
context_page_description: Talib Kweli Greene is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and activist. Kweli earned recognition early on through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with solo success including collaborations with producers and rappers Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Pharrell Williams. His most recent solo album is titled Radio Silence, released in 2017. In 2011, Kweli founded his own record label, Javotti Media.
context_section_description: Kweli made his debut in 1997, with featured five appearances on Doom, an album by Cincinnati, Ohio group Mood. In Cincinnati, Kweli met DJ Hi-Tek and the two collaborated on a few underground recordings as Reflection Eternal, including "Fortified Live" (1997), and "B-Boy Document 99/Chaos" (1999, featuring The High & Mighty).
caption: Kweli in 1999, New York City
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