Before he brings forth his proper follow-up to 2007's Eardrum, Talib Kweli wanted to give his fans a sort of street album. That's not to say Gutter Rainbows doesn't feel like an official, real effort. It most certainly does -- and this is coming from someone who was skeptical about the project at first. But aside from a few weak links, Kweli's latest project is definitely worth checking out. That even goes for those of you, myself included, who weren't completely won over by his second album with Hi-Tek, last year's Revolutions Per Minute.
And you know what, if you don't feel like just blindly buying Gutter Rainbows, you can sample it first by streaming the entire album over at his MySpace page. Don't be surprised if you play the last few songs, especially the Jean Grae-assisted "Uh Oh," a handful of times.