''Revolutions per Minute'' is the second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American hip hop duo Reflection Eternal, released May 18, 2010, on Blacksmith Records and Rawkus Records. Composed of rapper Talib Kweli and DJ/hip hop producer Hi-Tek, 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 a ...

'' (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. It is their second album after a 10-year hiatus. Hi-Tek produced the entire album. The album features five singles: "Back Again", "

Just Begun "Just Begun" is a song by American hip hop duo Reflection Eternal, composed of New York rapper Talib Kweli and Ohio producer Hi-Tek. The song was released on February 2, 2010, as the second single from their second studio album ''Revolutions per ...

" with Mos Def, Jay Electronica and

J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his d ...

, "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 with ...

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

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 (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

. 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 advertise ...

''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 Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated Jan ...

,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 Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated Jan ...

,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.''Revolutions per Minute'' (2010): Reviews
Metacritic. Retrieved on 2010-06-03. Allmusic 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'' Allmusic. 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 in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

''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'' 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''
'' Boston Phoenix''. 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 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 York ...

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: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

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

. Retrieved on 2010-06-03. '' The A.V. Club''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''
'' The A.V. Club''. Retrieved on 2010-05-25. Mosi Reeves of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' 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'' 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''
'' Alternative Press''. Retrieved on 2010-06-03. Henry Adaso of About.com 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'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''
Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2010-05-25.

Track listing

*All songs produced by Hi-Tek.

Personnel

Credits for ''Revolutions per Minute'' adapted from Allmusic. * Naim Ali – A&R * Steve Baughman – Mixing * Ski Beats – Engineer * Austin Briggs – Engineer * Erik "Baby Jesus" Coomes – Bass, Guitar *

Affion Crockett Affion Crockett (born August 12, 1974) is an American actor and comedian. Early life Crockett was raised in Germany and Fayetteville, North Carolina. Career Crockett appeared in HBO's ''Def Comedy Jam'' in 1996, demonstrating his impression ...

– Skit * Dave Dar – Engineer * Nabil Elderkin – 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 – 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 sec ...

– 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