By W. Jacarl Melton

Daily Arts Writer

After listening to this album for only a few seconds, you can tell that it's bound to be special. The first voice heard belongs to no one other than Nelson Mandela. He declares, "When I'm in Africa chilling out, I listen to Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek - reflection eternal." It's hard to think of an endorsement with more weight behind it and Talib Kweli, of Black Star fame, and Cincinnati's DJ Hi-Tek don't do anything to warrant a lesser amount of praise on their first full-length collaboration, Reflection Eternal.

From beginning to end, the 20 tracks stay tight. Each song has some degree of "nod factor." Whether this "nod" comes from the production or from Kweli's lyrics is hard to tell since they both elements work well together. Neither the production nor lyrics overshadow the other, which seems rare in the case of hip-hop.

Tracks like "Move Somethin'," "Soul Rebels" and "Too Late" look at hip-hop critically on two levels primarily: Artists and the corporate structure (radio and record companies). They all follow the belief that artists have to follow their conscience when forming their rap persona rather than what those in the corporate arena have deemed "popular" or "hot."

Though he's impressive when dealing with this subject, Kweli is even better doing social commentary. "Good Mourning," "Africa Dream," "Love Language" and "Memories Live" fall into this category. "Africa Dream" is particularly powerful because it makes references to the movie "Sankofa" and asks rappers - the black ones, at least - not to disrespect the memory of their slave ancestors by concentrating too much on material goods.

Also, Kweli and Hi-Tek's supporting cast isn't bad either. Mos Def, Xzibit, De La Soul, Les Nubians and Rick James make appearance on the album. Yes, Rick "Super Freak" James lends his production and vocal prowess to "Touch You." No, there aren't any sexual connotations. Rather, it's an ode to the producer and MC's ability to positively affect their audience, which these two have done better than just about anyone else this year.

Undoubtedly, this is one of the most well-rounded albums hip-hop has seen in a long time, especially considering its 20 songs are almost all full-length. The quality allows fans to excuse the massive delays endured by this release. Now the question remains of how the album will be received by the masses. If favorable comments made by a former political prisoner and president are any indication, Reflection Eternal has already reached a status other hip-hop albums could never achieve.

Grade: A