Right About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD

Right About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD or simply Right About Now was released by Talib Kweli in November 2005 and is generally considered a mixtape. However, some people regard this release as an official album because of its availability through commercial sites and its release of two singles. It also lacks the DJ overlays often accompanied by mixtapes which makes the CD read more like an official album. This CD is notable because, although a low-key release, it features upcoming members of Kweli's record label, Blacksmith Music.[13] The album sold 16,000 copies in its first week of release, debuting at #113 on the Billboard 200.[14]

Right About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD
Mixtape / Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 22, 2005 (U.S.)
Recorded2005
GenreUnderground hip hop, alternative hip hop
LabelKoch Records
Producer88-Keys, Talib Kweli, Keezo Kane, C.J.P. Smyth, Dave Dar
Talib Kweli chronology
The Beautiful Struggle
(2004)
Right About Now: The Official Sucka Free Mix CD
(2005)
Liberation
(2006)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(68/100)[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
The A.V. ClubB−[3]
Entertainment WeeklyC+[4]
HipHopDX[5]
Los Angeles Times[6]
Pitchfork Media(5.5/10)[7]
PopMatters[8]
RapReviews(9/10)[9]
Rolling Stone[10]
Spin(6/10)[11]
Stylus MagazineB−[12]

The appearance of Mos Def on the track Supreme Supreme is another key point of the album as Talib Kweli and Mos Def had not rapped together on a track since Kweli's Quality album in 2002. There was some controversy regarding the song "Ms. Hill", (a dedication song to artist Lauryn Hill) which features an uncredited and illegal sample of a Ben Kweller song.[15]

Track listing

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# Title Producer(s) Performer(s)
1 "Right About Now" 88-Keys, Raids Beats Talib Kweli, Dave Chappelle
2 "Drugs, Basketball & Rap" Needlz Phil Da Agony, Planet Asia, Talib Kweli
3 "Who Got It" Karriem Riggins Krista Thrill, Talib Kweli
4 "Fly That Knot" The Fyre Dept. MF Doom, Talib Kweli
5 "Ms. Hill" Charlemagne, Steven Kang Talib Kweli, Ben Kweller (uncredited sample)
6 "Flash Gordon" Supa Dave West Talib Kweli
7 "Supreme Supreme" Charlemagne Black Star
8 "The Beast" Keezo Kane Papoose, Talib Kweli
9 "Roll Off Me" J Dilla Talib Kweli
10 "Rock On" Midi Mafia Talib Kweli
11 "Where You Gonna Run" J. Cardim Jean Grae, Talib Kweli
12 "Two & Two" DJ Khalil Talib Kweli
13 "Murderous (Bonus CD)" (unknown) Talib Kweli, Kardinal Offishall
14 "So Good (Bonus CD)" Kanye West Talib Kweli, Musiq, Wordsworth
15 "Tryin' To Breathe (Bonus CD)" Midi Mafia Talib Kweli, Killer Mike
16 "7:30 (Bonus CD)" DJ Quik Talib Kweli, Res

Album singles

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Single information
"Flash Gordon"
  • Released: October 19, 2004
  • B-side:
"Fly That Knot" featuring MF Doom
  • Released: February 24, 2006
  • B-side: "Who Got It"

References

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  1. ^ Critic reviews at Metacritic
  2. ^ Allmusic review
  3. ^ The A.V. Club review
  4. ^ Dombal, Ryan (2005-12-02). "Right About Now Review". Entertainment Weekly. p. 83. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
  5. ^ HipHopDX review
  6. ^ Los Angeles Times review
  7. ^ Pitchfork Media review
  8. ^ PopMatters review
  9. ^ RapReviews review
  10. ^ "Rolling Stone review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2007.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ^ Spin review
  12. ^ Stylus Magazine review
  13. ^ Robson, Britt (November 27, 2005). "Talib Kweli, Selling Himself Short". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  14. ^ Harris, Chris (November 30, 2005). "System Of A Down Make It A Double With Chart-Topping Hypnotize". MTV. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  15. ^ "One Minute Pop Song by Ben Kweller". YouTube. 11 September 2006. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
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