Hip-hop mainstay Talib Kweli descended upon the Blue Note jazz club in New York, NY on Monday night for a performance alongside his live band and a bevy of special guests.
Backed in earnest by a band that included Bob James on the Rhodes piano and Brady Watts (Bass & Bars) on bass, Talib Kweli delivered a set of fan-favorite originals and a smattering of covers throughout the evening. One such cover included Gang Starr‘s “Mass Appeal”, paying homage to the late Guru and tipping a cap to DJ Premier, who found himself in the building on Monday night. Over the course of the set, Kweli also dropped one of his most famous cuts, “Get By”, from 2002’s Quality.
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Slick Rick joined in on the fun during the show, hopping on stage for several offerings, including a take on Montell Jordan‘s “This Is How We Do It”. Donning a yellow Wu-Tang Clan hoodie and one of Slick Rick’s gold chains, James led the group through his original “Nautilus”, before fans received a rare treat and saw Slick Rick perform his own “Children’s Story”. With Kweli beside him, Slick Rick parsed his way through the 1988 hit—which contains samples of James’ “Nautilus”—and had the crowd singing along throughout.
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Scroll down for a gallery of images from the evening courtesy of photographer Chris Capaci.
Kweli will return to the Blue Note for a four-night residency on March 3rd–6th, with two shows on each night except the opener. Bob James and his trio will host a residency at the club starting tonight, January 25th, and running through the 30th with two shows each night. Head here for tickets and a full list of upcoming events at Blue Note and visit Kweli’s website for additional tour dates.
