- Posted by AGM -

From Dave Chappelle’s opening introduction impersonating Nelson Mandela, Train of Thought, the 2000 debut album from Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek (aka Reflection Eternal), is nothing short of ground-breaking.  From the first bass drop, the marriage of Kweli’s Brooklyn metaphors and Hi-Tek’s raucous Midwestern beats hydrated fans in thirst of originality.
Nine years after Train’s release, the innovative duo is back in the studio and was back on stage in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village for a four set reunion.  Choosing the celebrated Blue Note jazz club – a seated only, wait service style venue – for their long awaited return was undoubtedly a curious choice.  But in last Tuesday night’s opening show, Reflection fans were treated to an unplugged encore of epic proportions. 

The legendary jazz spot, once host to the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Ray Charles, was hardly prepared for the onslaught that Tek, Kweli and their five-piece band unleashed on the small, but well versed crowd – one that included Kweli’s own father.
“I don’t know if we can get that aggressive in the Blue Note,” the playful Talib laughed after lifting the table-seated crowd with a bumping rendition of the head banger ‘Move Something.’  After opening the set with a track off their forthcoming album, Reflection brought fans back to the days of Y2K with jams like ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’, ‘Memories Live’ and ‘Eternalists.’
The nine year layoff certainly left the pair fighting off some rust.  Kweli excused some botched lyrics by deferring the negative attention to his beat-making counterpart, who “needed to download his own albums on iTunes” in order to prepare for the show.  Cobwebs aside, Reflection Eternal hit their stride on the classics before launching into some new jams for the ages.

Talib’s self proclaimed “country cousin,” Bun B of UGK, bucked the Yankee crowd with his baritone Texas drawl on ‘Set it Off’, a surefire new single that brought the nostalgic crowd back to ’09.  The duo closed with a never before performed song, ‘Back Again,’ featuring Kweli’s Idle Warship collaborator Res – a soulful Philly beauty with Erykah Badu-like vocals and a Rihanna-like bob.  Sure to be Reflection’s first single, ‘Back Again’ demonstrated all that the pair has to offer…soulful rhythms, drum banging beats and the thoughtfully robust lyrics that only Kweli can provide.

Train of Thought is one of the best Hip-Hop albums of the decade. Though Kweli received more commercial success and popularity with his Kanye produced later albums, true fans will always recognize this revolutionary debut with Hi-Tek for setting the bar so high.
It’s good to see the Brooklynatti duo reunited and bringing back sweet memories…

2009
Reflection Eternal featuring Bootsy Collins – Internet Connection

2000
Reflection Eternal – The Blast