''Revolutions per Minute'' is the second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

by American

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

duo

Reflection Eternal Reflection Eternal is an American hip hop music, hip hop duo composed of emcee Talib Kweli and Hip hop producer, producer Hi-Tek. They released their first album, ''Train of Thought (Reflection Eternal album), Train of Thought'', in 2000. They h ...

, released May 18, 2010, on Blacksmith Records and

Rawkus Records Rawkus Records (or Rawkus Entertainment) is an American hip hop record label, owned by James Murdoch, known for starting the careers of many rappers. Rawkus started in 1995 with releases in hip-hop, drum and bass and fun-dustrial (Dystopia One) ...

. Composed of rapper

Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He first earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey) in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's music ...

and DJ/hip hop producer

Hi-Tek Tony Louis Cottrell (born May 5, 1976), better known as Hi-Tek, is an American rapper and music producer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli. His father is singer Willie Cottrell of the Willie Cottrell Band, ...

, it is the duo's follow-up to their collaborative debut ''

Train of Thought The train of thought or track of thought refers to the interconnection in the sequence of ideas expressed during a connected discourse or thought, as well as the sequence itself, especially in discussion how this sequence leads from one idea to ...

'' (2000). The album debuted at number 18 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 21,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, ''Revolutions per Minute'' received generally positive reviews from most music critics.

Background

Like the first album, ''Revolutions per Minute'' was recorded at

Electric Lady Studios Electric Lady Studios is a recording studio in Greenwich Village, New York City. It was commissioned by rock musician Jimi Hendrix in 1968 and designed by architect John Storyk and audio engineer Eddie Kramer. It was completed by 1970. Hendrix ...

. It is their second album after a 10-year hiatus.

produced the entire album. The album features five singles: "Back Again", " Just Begun" with

Mos Def Yasiin Bey ( ; born Dante Terrell Smith; December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A prominent figure in conscious hip hop, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social an ...

, Jay Electronica and J. Cole, "In This World", "Strangers (Paranoid)" with

Bun B Bernard James Freeman (born March 19, 1973), known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the Southern rap duo UGK (Underground Kingz), a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work wi ...

, and "Midnight Hour" with Estelle. The album was released May 18, 2010, on Blacksmith Records and

Reception

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 18 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart with first-week sales of 21,000 copies.Kaufman, Gil
Another 'Glee' Soundtrack Tops Billboard Album Charts

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

. Retrieved on 2010-05-31. It also entered at number five on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

''s

R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...

,R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Week of June 05, 2010
''

''. Retrieved on 2010-05-31. at number three on its

Rap Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...

,Rap Albums – Week of June 05, 2010
''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2010-05-31. and at number 11 on its Digital Albums chart.Digital Albums – Week of June 05, 2010
''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2010-05-31.

Critical response

Upon its release, the album received positive reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 80/100 from

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

.''Revolutions per Minute'' (2010): Reviews
.

. Retrieved on 2010-06-03.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

writer Gregory Heaney commended Kweli's and Hi-Tek's musical chemistry and wrote "Hi-Tek's soul-infused beats create the perfect laid-back atmosphere for Kweli's casual verbal acrobatics, crafting beats that bring the listener into the group's chilled-out space with their minimal aesthetic".Heaney, Gregory. Review: ''Revolutions per Minute''

. Retrieved on 2010-05-18. Steve Juon of ''RapReviews'' gave it a 9/10 rating and praised Kweli's rapping, stating "Kweli is using his keen powers of observation to see the world for what it really is, and then translate that knowledge into a musical form you can simultaneously enjoy and learn from".Juon, Steve
Review: ''Revolutions per Minute''
RapReviews. Retrieved on 2010-06-03. ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...

''s Anupa Mistry wrote that ''Revolutions per Minute'' is "doused in their working chemistry".Mistry, Anupa
Review: ''Revolutions per Minute''
''

''. Retrieved on 2010-05-18. ''

Boston Phoenix ''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the now defunct ''Boston Phoenix'', '' ...

'' writer Chris Faraone gave it 3 out of 4 stars and stated "The chemistry between these two remains bubbling".Faraone, Chris
Review: ''Revolutions per Minute''
''

''. Retrieved on 2010-05-18. ''HipHopDX'' writer Kathy Iandoli gave it 4 out of 5 stars and wrote that it "displays the evolution of both the emcee and the deejay".Iandoli, Kathy
Review: ''Revolutions per Minute''
HipHopDX. Retrieved on 2010-05-18. Giving it an 8/10 rating, ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

'' writer Dave Heaton praised Kweli's lyrics concerning the importance of money in life, building a career in hip hop, the differences between celebrity and work, and the former's effect on a person, stating: Giving it 4 out of 5 stars, ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...

'' writer M.T. Richards described the album as "brainy, energizing stuff" and praised Kweli's rapping, stating "Sinking his no-frills flow into calm, bassy tracks, Kweli lands punchline after punchline with the kind of finesse Jay and

Common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Com ...

could only dream of".Richards, M.T
Review: ''Revolutions per Minute''

. Retrieved on 2010-06-03. ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...

''s Nathan Rabin gave the album a B rating and wrote "Hi-Tek lacks a trademark style, but his chemistry with Kweli remains potent, even when ''Minute'' doesn't hit the heights of the duo's debut".Rabin, Nathan
Review: ''Revolutions per Minute''
''

''. Retrieved on 2010-05-25. Mosi Reeves of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

'' gave the album 3½ out of 5 stars and viewed Hi-Tek's "jazz-inflected riffs and soulful vibes" as complementary to Kweli's "mercurial" style, stating "congenial beats balance intricately daring rhymes". ''

Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political r ...

'' writer Casey Boland gave it four out of five stars and viewed it as an improvement for Hi-Tek's producing and Kweli's rapping, stating "he sounds at home with Hi-Tek. His cadence has never locked so tightly with the tune, his lyrical flow never so sinuous".Boland, Casey
Review: ''Revolutions per Minute''
''

''. Retrieved on 2010-06-03. Henry Adaso of

About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly The Mining Company, About.com and Dotdash) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, hom ...

noted a "musical maturation" by the duo and wrote that the album "finds Kweli masterfully marrying the physical with the philosophical atop Hi-Tek's rich palette of headphone music". ''

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...

''s Nate Patrin gave ''Revolutions per Minute'' a 7.5/10 rating and commended its "conscious yet unpretentious lyricism delivered with acrobatic dexterity over on-point, no-gimmick beats".Patrin, Nate
Review: ''Revolutions per Minute''

. Retrieved on 2010-05-25.

Track listing

*All songs produced by

. Sample credits * "RPM's" contains elements of "Hollywood Dream Trip", written and performed by John Mills-Cockell. * "Strangers (Paranoid)" contains samples of "Redemption (Theme from ''Rocky II'')", written and performed by

Bill Conti William Conti (born April 13, 1942) is an American composer and conductor. He is best known for his film scores, including ''Rocky'' (1976), '' Rocky II'' (1979), '' Rocky III'' (1982), '' Rocky V'' (1990), '' Rocky Balboa'' (2006), '' The Karat ...

. * "In This World" contains elements of: ** "What in This World's Happening to Love", written and performed by Kimberley Briggs. ** "Moment of Clarity", written by Shawn Carter, and performed by

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

. * "Midnight Hour" contains samples of " Mama Said", written by Willie Denson and Luther Dixon, and performed by the Shirelles. * "Ballad of the Black Gold" contains samples from "Let Me Back In", written by Jerline Shelton and Maurice Commander, and performed by Heaven and Earth.

Personnel

* Naim Ali – A&R * Steve Baughman – mixing * Ski Beats – engineer * Austin Briggs – engineer * Erik "Baby Jesus" Coomes – bass, guitar * Affion Crockett – Skit * Dave Dar – engineer *

Nabil Elderkin Nabil Elderkin (born February 11, 1982) is an American-born Australian film and music video director and photographer, who is of Iranian and American descent. He is mononymously credited as Nabil in his videos. Elderkin has directed videos for ...

– Photography * Estelle – arranger * Ethan Gouldbourne – keyboards * T. Greene – arranger, composer * Hi-Tek – producer, engineer, executive producer, mixing, Scratching, Skit, Group Member * Daniel Jones – keyboards * Joseph I – stylist * Liza Joseph – A&R * Samuel Kalandjianv – engineer, assistant engineer * Eddie Krakaur – engineer * Talib Kweli – executive producer, vocals, Group Member * Belinda Lipscomb – composer, vocals * Zach Lucas – Sax (Tenor) * Christopher Lee Lyons – Art Direction, Design * Midori Nishijima – A&R * Neal Pogues – mixing * Jack Rayner – engineer * Daniel Seeff – bass, guitar, composer, producer * Sha Money XL – executive producer, Management * Corey Smyth – executive producer, Management * Kevin Sokolniki – Assistant * Chris Soper – assistant engineer * Estelle Swaray – composer *

Tekzilla Revision3 was a San Francisco, California, San Francisco–based Multi-channel network, multi-channel television network that created, produced and distributed streaming television shows on niche topics. Founded in 2005, it operated as a subsidia ...

– vocals * Carolyn Tracey – Package Production *

Imani Uzuri Imani Uzuri is an American vocalist and composer. Uzuri has collaborated with artists across various disciplines including co-writing and singing the song "Be Still" for Herbie Hancock's album '' Future 2 Future''. In 2012, Uzuri released her ...

– vocals * Pat Viala – engineer, mixing * Ellen Wakayama – creative director, Visual Direction * Denise A. Williams – creative director, Visual Direction * Young Guru – arranger, engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{Authority control Talib Kweli albums 2010 albums Rawkus Records albums Hi-Tek albums Albums produced by Hi-Tek Albums recorded at Electric Lady Studios Blacksmith Records albums Warner Records albums