While his erstwhile {$Black Star} mate {$Mos Def} concentrated on his acting career, {$Talib Kweli} set about crafting a truly solo follow-up to his acclaimed debut, {^Reflection Eternal}, this time with a variety of producers in place of partner {$DJ Hi-Tek}. The excellent {^Quality} only ups the ante, building on its predecessor's clear-minded focus with greater scope and a more colorful musical palette. Right off the bat, it's apparent that {$Kweli} has traded his old-school {\minimalism} for a warmer, richer sound -- complete with some live instrumentation -- that's immediately inviting and accessible. The opening trio of songs -- {&"Rush,"} {&"Get By,"} and {&"Shock Body"} -- ranks among the most exciting music he's recorded, and the album only branches out from there. {$Kweli} can pull off genial, good-time {\hip-hop} like lead single {&"Waitin' for the DJ"} and the {$DJ Quik}-produced {&"Put It in the Air,"} and follow it with the blistering (and incisive) political fury of {&"The Proud."} He reflects on his image as a so-called conscious rapper on {&"Good to You,"} and pushes its boundaries on the {$Cocoa Brovaz} collaboration {&"Gun Music,"} where he twists the lyrical conventions of {\dancehall reggae} to his own ends. {$Pharoahe Monch} and {$the Roots}' {$Black Thought} put in exciting guest spots on {&"Guerrilla Monsoon Rap,"} and {$Mos Def} appears on {&"Joy,"} where {$Kweli} manages to describe the births of his two children without getting self-indulgent. A couple of the mellow {\R&B} jams do get a little too mellow for their own good, drifting along and slowing the album's otherwise consistent momentum. Nonetheless, nearly everything {$Kweli} tries works, and the array of producers keeps things unpredictable. {^Quality} is proof that intelligent {\hip-hop} need not lack excitement, soul, or genuine emotion; it's one of the best {\rap} albums of a year with no shortage of winners. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide