In 2002, a young Brooklyn MC broke out with a flow that made heads bob and provoked listeners on a new level. But Talib Kweli couldn't match his remarkable debut, Quality, and got ahead of himself on his sophomore effort The Beautiful Struggle. With a disappointed public and no immediate follow-up, his cry for a revolution was left unanswered. But in his time away from the charts, Kweli made a killing on the mixtape circuit, took control of the underground rap scene in New York and started his own label, Blacksmith. Now Kweli returns as the fine-tuned and mature lyricist standing amongst the speakers on the cover of Eardrum.

Talib Kweli has grown in a way that Jay-Z couldn't have if Hova made three more "post-retirement" albums. Eardrum offers a bullet-proof cast of producers, a dedicated list of collaborating artists and a style that grabs socially conscious hip hop firmly by the reigns.

Eardrum essentially picks up where Quality left off.

The album blends gospel vocals, R&B swoons, amusing pop motifs and the unsung voice of the streets to engage listeners. What's most impressive is the astute confidence he exudes with every line, refusing to be underestimated: "I believe / Scratch that I know / This ain't my full potential / Only using 10 percent of my mental on instrumentals."

The album starts with "Everything Man," opening with the spoken word poetry of prolific African-American poet Sonia Sanchez over bongos and an emerging bass beat. The smooth train of words reverberates with Sanchez's audible emotion, as she tries to recall the first time hearing Kweli. Following the unanswerable question of "What happens to a dream deferred?", Kweli hints that the rhythmic heartbeat in the background is actually his own. The track ends with devoted fans looking back on their own experiences of hearing the Brooklyn Blacksmith for the first time. Though slightly narcissistic, it's endearing to hear the testimonials to justify his pride.

Kweli has always been skilled at laying his mack down for the ladies, like on previous tracks "Waiting For The DJ" and "Won't You Stay." The best example on this album is will.i.am's pop creation "Hot Thing," where Kweli serenades with "Ya body like a flick / It got surprisin' twists / I write the script / the main character - your thighs and hips." But even better is the way he's able to speak on a deeper level out of respect for women, contrasting the typical Neanderthal pick-ups at the bar in "Soon The New Day." In clear, unbiased thought he says, "The clan of the cavebear / Used to use the club to hit and drag her by the hair / Still use the club to get her a martini or a beer / Try to get her home and put the smell of sex in the air."

There are plenty of unorthodox guest appearances on Eardrum - Norah Jones, Roy Ayers, Sizzla - but the most surprising is Port Arthur, Tx., natives UGK on "Country Cousins." Adding onto the trend of Dirty South spitters teaming up with East Coast lyric-smiths, Pimp C and Bun B both mesh easily with Kweli on the big band style melody of wailing trumpets. The song is as catchy as it is relevant, with all three contributors paying homage to the common differences and greater similarities of the music scene from the north, south, east and west as it grew from artist to artist.

Even with his progress, Kweli still stumbles on some tracks and goes too far trying to get his message across. In "Eat To Live" he starts by painting a flawless portrait of a child living in deplorable conditions, saying, "Nothin' in the freezer, nothin' in the fridge / Couple of 40 ounces but nothin' for the kids / Little man know to eat to live but he don't wanna leave the crib / The kid who punched him in his face house right down the street from his." But in the following verse Kweli completely breaks off into random asides, including watching out for ravenous critics and the destructive media, mad cow disease, pork in toothpaste and people starving in Africa - where is the focus?

No one said he was perfect, but Kweli's definitely getting closer and has finally reached the upper echelon of lyricists. Despite the success of his previous collaborative works, Black Star and Reflection, he's able to stand as an established solo artist and deliver something magnificent.