Talib Kweli enlists Jean Grae, who we named one of “5 Reasons Why New York Hip Hop Doesn’t Suck” back in August, 2010, for “Uh Oh,” a track from his upcoming LP, Gutter Rainbows.
Kweli, himself a great representative of New York hip hop, has been making some noise regarding the promotion of this album, recently explaining the title and giving a few details in an short interview on DJBooth.com and semi-apologizing via Twitter for rampant self-promotion.
We don’t mind. “Uh Oh” is a gloriously gritty affair, with a slow, rumbling bass, crispy, crunchy snares and a stabbing attack of synths and organs that help add to the intensity of the song (produced by Oh No). Lyrically, Kweli delivers lyrics that, as usual, expertly ride the line between social commentary and Brooklyn braggadocio, while Jean Grae brings the type of dexterous verbal heat that has her legion of fans itching, anxious for her long-awaited next release, Cake or Death.
Luckily for them, and us, Talib Kweli and Jean Grae combined to provide this solid banger to hold us over.
Talib Kweli’s Gutta Rainbows drops this Tuesday, January 25.
Download/Listen: Talib Kweli ft. Jean Grae – Uh Oh
[audio:uhoh.mp3]