| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 66/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The Austin Chronicle | |
| Robert Christgau | |
| Entertainment Weekly | B |
| The Guardian | |
| HipHopDX | |
| Pitchfork Media | 7.6/10 |
| PopMatters | |
| Spin | B+ |
| Vibe | |
The Beautiful Struggle is the second studio album by American rapper Talib Kweli. The album was released on September 28, 2004, by Rawkus Records and Geffen Records. It features guest appearances from Common, Faith Evans, Anthony Hamilton, Mary J. Blige, and John Legend.
The album was produced by Kanye West, the Neptunes, Supa Dave West, Just Blaze, and Hi-Tek. The first single, "I Try" featuring Mary J. Blige, was fairly popular as a music video, followed by the second single, "Never Been in Love".
Track listing
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Going Hard" |
| Charlemagne | 3:50 |
| 2. | "Back Up Offa Me" | Hi-Tek | 3:38 | |
| 3. | "Broken Glass" | The Neptunes | 3:11 | |
| 4. | "We Know" (feat. Faith Evans) |
| Supa Dave West | 3:43 |
| 5. | "A Game" |
| Amadeus | 3:36 |
| 6. | "I Try" (feat. Mary J. Blige) | Kanye West | 4:25 | |
| 7. | "Around My Way" (feat. John Legend) |
| Charlemagne | 4:48 |
| 8. | "We Got the Beat" (feat. Res) |
| Midi Mafia | 3:20 |
| 9. | "Work It Out" |
|
| 4:20 |
| 10. | "Ghetto Show" (feat. Common & Anthony Hamilton) |
| Supa Dave West | 4:47 |
| 11. | "Black Girl Pain" (feat. Jean Grae) |
|
| 5:04 |
| 12. | "Never Been in Love" |
| Just Blaze | 5:01 |
| 13. | "Beautiful Struggle" |
| Hi-Tek | 4:00 |
Sample Credits
- "Around My Way" contains replayed elements of "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by the Police.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.
- Mark Batson – piano (track 1), keyboards (track 10)
- Steve Baughman – mixing (tracks 2, 6, 9, 13)
- Elizabeth "Yummy" Bingham – additional vocals (track 11)
- Mary J. Blige – featured artist (track 6)
- Tom Brick – mastering
- David Brown – engineer (track 12)
- Charlemagne – producer (tracks 1, 7)
- Andrew Coleman – engineer (track 3)
- Common – featured artist (track 10)
- Dave Dar – engineer (tracks 1, 4–8, 7, 8, 10, 11), mixing (track 1), co-executive producer
- Dion – additional vocals (track 2)
- Faith Evans – featured artist (track 4), additional vocals (track 3)
- Brian Garten – engineer (track 3)
- Anthony Hamilton – featured artist (track 10)
- Hi-Tek – producer and engineer (tracks 2, 9, 13)
- Chad Hugo – producer (track 3)
- Jun Ishizeki – assistant engineer (track 3)
- Glen Jeffries – guitar (tracks 9, 13)
- Just Blaze – producer (track 12)
- Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton – mixing (tracks 5, 12)
- J.R. – producer (track 9), additional keyboards (track 13)
- Krondon – additional vocals (track 2)
- Talib Kweli – main artist, executive producer
- John Legend – featured artist (track 7)
- Alan Mason – vocal engineer for Mary J. Blige (track 6)
- Midi Mafia – producers (tracks 8, 11)
- Tiffany Mynon – additional vocals (tracks 9, 11)
- Jamia Simone Nash – additional vocals (track 11)
- Olivia Charnae Nash – additional vocals (track 11)
- Axel Niehaus – mixing (tracks 7, 11)
- Bob Power – mixing (tracks 1, 4, 8, 10)
- Res – featured artist (track 8), additional vocals (track 1)
- Justin Shturtz – assistant engineer (tracks 5, 11)
- Corey Smyth – executive producer
- Spacey T – guitar (track 8)
- Phil Tan – mixing (track 3)
- Alex Thomas – additional vocals (track 2)
- Antwan "Amadeus" Thompson – producer (track 5)
- Tone Mason – producer (track 11)
- Kanye West – producer (track 6)
- Supa Dave West – producer (tracks 4, 10)
- Pharrell Williams – producer and additional vocals (track 3)
- Dave Young – additional vocals (track 12)
- Anthony Zeller – assistant engineer (tracks 1, 4, 6–8, 10, 11), mixing assistant (track 9)
Chart positions
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan) | 39 |
| Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan) | 11 |
| US Billboard 200 | 14 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) | 3 |