The Brooklyn-based rapper earned his stripes as one of the most lyrically-gifted, socially aware and politically insightful rappers to emerge in the last 20 years. Kweli first gained recognition through Black Star, a collaboration with fellow MC Mos Def. He has since broken through slightly more towards the mainstream, thanks in large part to several appearance on the comedy show Chappelle’s Show, both solo and with long-time collaborator Mos Def, this is due to a friendship between the host and creator of the show, comedian Dave Chappelle and the rapper. He also had a guest spot on friend and frequent collaborator Kanye West’s widely successful debut album The College Dropout.