Blacksmith Sells Free Talib Kweli/Madlib LP

In a rather unconventional sales ploy, Blacksmith Music pre-empted the hard copy CD-release of Talib Kweli and Madlib’s new collaborative album, LiBERATION, with a free mp3 download package, complete with detailed artwork. The MySpace buzz surrounding Talib’s blog and forum frenzy preceding the album’s internet release resulted in over 100,000 downloads in 1 week – a huge victory and bold statement by the indie hip hoppers to liberate music. Or was it simply a clever marketing technique to create hype?

The label Blacksmith, co-founded by Talib Kweli and his manager, will sell the album to retailers nationwide on Feb. 20th for those who missed the download or for those who simply want the old school feel of a CD, jewel-case and inlay. But enough of the business-speak; you should get your hands on it any way you can and bang out Talib’s well-delivered wordplay over Madlib’s beats.