Today in Hip-Hop — October 17: Hi-Tek’s Double Date, Train of Thought at 26 and Hi-Teknology² at 20

October 17 belongs to Hi-Tek. On this date in 2000, Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli on the mic, Hi-Tek on the boards) dropped Train of Thought on Rawkus. Exactly six years later, October 17, 2006, Hi-Tek came back with his solo sequel Hi-Teknology²: The Chip, which turns 20 today. Here’s the jewel to start: before Kweli says a word on Train of Thought, the album opens with “Experience Dedication,” and the voice on it is Dave Chappelle.

The lineage runs through Cincinnati. Tony Cottrell grew up in the city’s West End and came up with the crew Mood. He produced their regional hit “Hustle on the Side,” and their 1997 album Doom had a guest verse from a Brooklyn MC named Talib Kweli. That link turned into six Hi-Tek beats on Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (the full story is in our Black Star deep dive), and then a full duo album. Train of Thought was cut at Electric Lady Studios and peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and No. 5 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart, carried by “Move Somethin'” and “The Blast” with Vinia Mojica on the hook. Rolling Stone called it “the rare socially aware hip-hop record that can get fists pumping in a rowdy nightclub.”

The deepest credit is on “Africa Dream.” Hi-Tek is only co-producer there. The main producer is Weldon Irvine, the jazz keyboardist who wrote the lyrics to Nina Simone’s “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” and had already played keys on Black Star’s “Astronomy (8th Light).” Madlib later recorded an entire tribute album to him. Civil-rights jazz handing the torch straight to Rawkus.

Hi-Teknology² is the producer’s victory lap: Q-Tip and Kurupt on the same track, Busta, Nas, Common, and Raekwon, Jadakiss and Papoose with Kweli on “Where It Started At (NY).” The sleeper is “Josephine.” Ghostface takes the first verse, and the voice singing the hook is Willie Cottrell, Hi-Tek’s father, with his own band. It peaked at No. 38. Twenty years on, it deserves way more spins than it got.

We made a Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star tee for heads who know that Kweli and Tek’s run started with that record. Put on Train of Thought today, then go back to Black Star and listen for those Cincinnati drums.

Also today in hip-hop:

• Eminem turns 54 (born Oct 17, 1972): Marshall Mathers was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, before Detroit made him. Infinite and the Slim Shady EP got him to Dr. Dre’s Aftermath, the same camp Hi-Tek later worked with as a staff producer. Our Marshall Mathers LP tee is for the Stans.
• Wyclef Jean turns 57 (born Oct 17, 1969): Born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, Clef was the Fugees’ producer-guitarist. His 1997 solo debut The Carnival put Celia Cruz and Lauryn Hill together on “Guantanamera.”
• Whodini, Escape (Oct 17, 1984, 42 years): Recorded in 16 days at Battery Studios in London with Larry Smith producing. It gave us “Friends,” “Five Minutes of Funk” and “Freaks Come Out at Night,” became the first hip-hop album to crack the Billboard Top 40, and later went platinum.

Stay creative — The Custom Creative Team

Jon Jones