Reflection Eternal
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Reflection Eternal is an 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 composed of emcee
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 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, ...
. They released their first album, ''
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 ...
'', in 2000. They have since released a mixtape, ''The RE: Union'', in late December 2009, and their second album ''
Revolutions Per Minute Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines. One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 de ...
'' was released May 18, 2010.


History

The duo of
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
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, ...
met in Tek's native
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
, following the release of the
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, ...
/ Mood collaboration "Hustle on the Side". Kweli and Hi-Tek made their first official collaboration in 1997 on Mood's debut album, ''Doom'', on the track "Industry Lies". That same year, the two formed as Reflection Eternal, and signed to upstart
underground hip hop Underground hip hop (also known as underground rap or simply underground) traditionally refers to hip hop music that is outside the general mainstream canon or counter-cultural in nature, usually with a heavy emphasis on emotion, lyricism, and/or ...
label
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) ...
. The tracks from their debut single, "Fortified Live" b/w "2000 Seasons", were included on the Rawkus Records compilation '' Soundbombing'' in October 1997. In 1998, Kweli and his high school friend, fellow Rawkus Records artist
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 ...
, formed the duo Black Star, and released their first album, '' Black Star'', to rave reviews. Hi-Tek provided production for a number of songs on the album, including the singles "Definition" and "Respiration". The album put the three at the forefront of an underground hip hop scene that appeared at the time to be flagging against the influence of the "Jiggy" era of hip-hop, and was followed by a number of acclaimed collaborations and albums. Kweli and Hi-Tek reconnected in 2000 for the release of their debut album, ''
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 ...
''. Though highly acclaimed, the release did not receive a significant amount of commercial attention, despite the success of the rap hits " Move Somethin'" and " The Blast". Following the ''Train of Thought'' album, the duo split for solo projects, beginning with Hi-Tek's '' Hi-Teknology'', released in 2001, on which Kweli appeared. The album didn't receive as much attention or as many sales as ''Train of Thought'', though the single "Round & Round" became a crossover hit in 2002. Kweli released his first solo album, ''
Quality Quality may refer to: Concepts *Quality (business), the ''non-inferiority'' or ''superiority'' of something *Quality (philosophy), an attribute or a property *Quality (physics), in response theory *Energy quality, used in various science discipli ...
'', in late 2002. In a 2002 interview he also stated that another Reflection Eternal and Black Star album would be released. Hi-Tek was not involved with the project's production, instead featuring beats from artists like
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
,
DJ Scratch George Spivey (born June 21, 1968), known professionally as DJ Scratch, is an American hip hop music, hip hop DJ and producer from Brooklyn, New York. DJ Scratch is the 1988 New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ champion, the 2010 M ...
,
DJ Quik David Marvin Blake (born January 18, 1970), better known by his stage names DJ Quik or Da Quiksta, is an American rapper and record producer from Compton, California, known for his production in the G-funk style of West Coast hip-hop. Blake has ...
,
Ayatollah Ayatollah (, ; ; ) is an Title of honor, honorific title for high-ranking Twelver Shia clergy. It came into widespread usage in the 20th century. Originally used as a title bestowed by popular/clerical acclaim for a small number of the most di ...
and
J Dilla James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer, composer and rapper. He emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michiga ...
. The Kanye West-produced single "Get By" became Kweli's biggest success, charting on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 2003. Kweli's second solo album, 2004's '' The Beautiful Struggle'', saw the duo working together once again, with three tracks produced by Hi-Tek. Kweli released his next album, ''
Ear Drum In the anatomy of humans and various other tetrapods, the eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane or myringa, is a thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear. Its function is to transmit changes in pressur ...
'', in 2007, featuring production from Tek; Hi-Tek released the follow-up to his debut, '' Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip'', in 2006 and his third album, '' Hi-Teknology 3: The Underground'', in 2007, both on
Babygrande Records Babygrande Records is an American independent record label based in New York City, founded by Chuck Wilson. Babygrande is distributed by The Orchard and represented by the Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood. History Babygrande Records wa ...
and both featuring appearances by Kweli. The duo announced that another Reflection Eternal album was in the works in 2008. They named their second album ''Revolutions Per Minute''. They played a live reunion gig in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on September 20, 2009. In the same year Bootsy Collins collaborated with
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
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, ...
on the track "Internet Connection". also a track
"Back Again"
has been released along with video. They also collaborated with J. Cole,
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 ...
, and Jay Electronica on the track "
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 ...
". These three songs were released in a mixtape on January 1, 2010, called ''The Re:Union'' which received positive fanbase feedback. Their second album ''Revolutions Per Minute'' was released on May 18, 2010, with similar praise as their debut album. It spawned 3 singles: "In This World", "Strangers (Paranoid)" featuring former
UGK UGK (short for Underground Kingz) was an American hip-hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas, formed in 1987, by Mitchell "Big Mitch" Queen who would eventually leave the group to pursue a football career and Chad "Pimp C" Butler with Bernard "Bun B" ...
member
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'' featuring Atlantic recording artist Estelle.


Discography


Studio albums


Singles


Appearances as Reflection Eternal

*"Fortified Live"; "2000 Seasons" (appear on the '' Soundbombing'' compilation, 1997) *"The Manifesto" (appears on '' Lyricist Lounge, Volume One'' compilation, 1998) *"Let Me See (Remix)" (from the
Morcheeba Morcheeba are an English electronic band formed in the mid-1990s with founding members vocalist Skye Edwards and the brothers Paul and Ross Godfrey. They mix influences from trip hop, rock, folk rock and downtempo, and have produced ten regul ...
"Let Me See" single, 1998) *"Chaos"; "On Mission" (appear on the '' Soundbombing 2'' compilation, 1999) *"Sharp Shooters" (from the '' Lyricist Lounge 2'' compilation, 2000) *"The Express" (from "The Express" single, 2000) *"Train of Thought"; "Down for the Count (Solo Version)" (from "The Blast" single, 2000) *"The Human Element" (from the ''Unbound Project, Volume 1'' compilation, 2000) *"Bridge to 'Bama (Remix)" (from the Soulive album ''Next'', 2002)


Other Collaborations

*"Industry Lies" (from the Mood album ''
Doom Doom is another name for damnation. Doom may also refer to: People * Doom (professional wrestling), the tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed * Daniel Doom (1934–2020), Belgian cyclist * Debbie Doom (born 1963), American softball pitche ...
'', 1997) *6 Songs from the
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 ...
& Talib Kweli '' Black Star'' album, 1998 *"Halfway" (from the Brixx album ''Everything Happens for a Reason'', 1999 *"Transmorgify" & "Empty Pages" (from the compilation ''Mission Control Presents'', 2000; both songs by Mood) *"Get Back, Pt. 2"; "Theme from Hi-Tek" from the Hi-Tek album '' Hi-Teknology'', 2001 *"Back Up Offa Me"; "Work It Out"; "Beautiful Struggle" from the Talib Kweli album '' The Beautiful Struggle'', 2004 *"Testify" from the
Styles P David R. Styles (born November 28, 1974), better known by his stage name Styles P (also known Mononymous person, mononymously as Styles), is an American rapper, best known as a member of East Coast hip hop group the Lox. Formed with fellow rappe ...
album ''Time Is Money'', 2006 *"Can We Go Back"; "Let It Go"; "Time Is Now" from the Hi-Tek album '' Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip, 2006 *"More or Less"; "The Perfect Beat" from the Talib Kweli album ''
Eardrum In the anatomy of humans and various other tetrapods, the eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane or myringa, is a thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear. Its function is to transmit changes in pres ...
'', 2007 *"Time" from the Hi-Tek album '' Hi-Teknology 3'', 2007 *"Every Ghetto" from the Talib Kweli & 9th Wonder mixtape ''Indie 500,'' 2015


References

{{Authority control American hip-hop duos African-American musical duos Musical groups established in 1997