Forget all the talk (and there is much) of Talib Kweli being one of the world’s leading ‘socially conscious’ MCs. There is no need for such qualifications. Talib Kweli is quite simply one of the world’s best MCs. Bounding onto the Metro City stage around 10.15pm on Wednesday 10 October, Kweli immediately launched into an improvised freestyle opening that fully evidenced his talent. In the space of an inspired 90 seconds, Kweli had introduced himself to the Perth crowd, given his seal of approval to Australasian hip hop star and support act Scribe, referenced his biggest commercial hit Get By and rhymed about his love of Down Under.

Eager to ride the wave of momentum created by his impressive opening, Kweli set a furious pace, kicking off with the title track from his 2004 sophomore album The Beautiful Struggle. From there Kweli moved into his most audacious act of the night, a dynamic medley showcasing the evolution and development of the hip-hop sound. Starting with the early ‘80s sounds of Grand Master Flash & The Furious Five ( The Message ) and Sly & The Family Stone ( Dance to the Music ) complemented by some vintage footage on 3 large screens, Kweli worked his way through the years to the hip hop tunes of the modern era, even managing to work in his collaboration with two hip-hop titans of this decade, the track Old School with Dangermouse & MF Doom off The Mouse & The Mask.

As Kweli momentarily caught his breath, the word ‘Blacksmith’ flashed up on the big screens – a cue that it was now time for Kweli to bring out some of the tunes off his latest album Eardrum. The first album to be released on Kweli’s own Blacksmith Music label, Eardrum has some sizzling tracks and Kweli proceeded to launch into two of the best, the powerful Hostile Gospel Pt. 1 (Deliver Us) and the emphatic Listen!!!.

From here, Kweli did his best to appease fans both old and new, interspersing further tracks off Eardrum, such as Hot Thing, with older tracks recorded from his many and varied collaborations. Kweli’s celebrated work with Mos Def as Black Star got a look in, as did tracks with super-producers Hi-Tek ( Reflection Eternal/Train of Thought ) and Madlib ( Liberation ). Armed solely with a backing DJ, Kweli was captivating and charismatic, maintaining the crowd’s energy and attention throughout the main set with enthusiasm and an authenticity of delivery that many artists would be advised to emulate.

Despite a badly out of balance sound system at Metro City which resulted in way too much bass, there was never any doubting Kweli’s ability as an MC in a live environment. As foreshadowed at the outset, Get By provided the night’s climax, the main set ending with Kweli’s perceptive rhymes backed by big screen visuals of great African Americans such as Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix.

Returning for a brief encore, Kweli finished the night with another couple of tracks off Eardrum, the Kanye West-produced In the Mood and NY Weather Report. Leaving the stage with a minimum of fuss but to rapturous applause, Talib Kweli’s message was clear: even in a hip-hop world riddled with commercialism and pretence, quality music will continue to be recognised and appreciated. Let’s hope it stays that way.