First and foremost, I want to say that the Talib Kweli show at Dickinson College was great. Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed. I did my best to try and get one in, but they were adamant about no cameras. I have no pictures to show you. Time for me to actually be a real journalist and describe the show.

It had been awhile since I had been to a show at a college. The ATS auditorium is a large circular Greek-style indoor theater space which obviously is used for various events. I came in and sat down on one of the nice cushioned swivel chairs. Met some b-girls from Harrisburg. The stage had the DJ setup with a large "Blacksmith" banner (Blacksmith is Talib Kweli's new music label).

At about 9:45pm, the DJ stepped up and introduced Talib Kweli. In classic fashion, Talib comes out with the kangol hat, denims and leather coat. He performed his classics "Move Somethin'", "The Blast", "Definition", "Get By" and "Beautiful Struggle". From the new album Eardrum, he performed the high-powered "Say Something", "More or Less" (my hometown Gettysburg mentioned in the lyrics), "Give 'Em Hell" and the current hit "Hot Thing". My favorite moment was when he performed his verse from the Kanye West song "Get 'Em High".

I previously saw Talib back in 2000 in Philadelphia on two occasions. The first time he and DJ Hi-Tek (Reflection Eternal) opened for Dilated Peoples at TLA on South Street. I saw him again at the Spitkicker show at The Electric Factory.

At this stage of his career, his veteran status is well-established. I think the fact that he is embraced by casual rap listeners is a testament to his lyrical skills. A true MC representing Hip-Hop the right way. -Dogmatic