Gravitas is the sixth solo studio album by American rapper Talib Kweli.

[2] The album features guest appearances from Gary Clark Jr., Abby Dobson, Big K.R.I.T., Raekwon, the Underachievers, Black Thought, Rah Digga, and Mike Posner.

"[3] On October 5, 2013, Talib Kweli announced the album's release date in a press release, saying: "When you pre order my newest project, Gravitas, available Dec 15th, you will be buying it directly from me, no middleman, and I will now have a direct relationship with you.

Today's most popular rappers aren't always politically correct or deep, but the best are unflinchingly honest.

My true fans have heard bits and pieces thru the years, but Gravitas sums up my experience until now.

[2] In a December 2013 interview with Complex, Talib Kweli spoke about why he decided to name the album Gravitas, saying: "Prisoner of Conscious was about music more than lyrics.

But I've been on tour with Macklemore Ryan Lewis and Big KRIT and I really want to get back in with Tip live-in-the-flesh to finish these songs.

[7] Dan Rys of XXL gave the album an XL, saying "On Gravitas, he avoids preachiness by couching his messages inside storylines where they can be more easily digested, a practice most obvious on some of the album’s best songs (“State of Grace,” “Demonology”) while mixing in a healthy dose of straight facts (“The Wormhole” and “Rare Portraits”) to support his narratives.

"[13] David Jeffries of AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars, saying "A maverick if ever there was one, rapper Talib Kweli is quite happy to stroll from the mainstream to the underground while refusing to carry any of the baggage those two camps might throw at him.

His 2013 album, Prisoner of Conscious, featured Nelly alongside some "no sell-out" numbers and provided listeners a bit of a rocky ride, but this follow-up feels more natural as it shrugs off preconceptions left and right, flowing effortlessly, even humbly, from its boom-bap opener to its bro-rap closer.

Many will never regard this album as a hip-hop highlight, but I personally believe it signals a return to form for Kweli.

Club gave the album a B−, saying "In the end, the uneven, occasionally locked-in Gravitas finds Talib Kweli energetically exercising his artistry free of any agenda but his own, and hopefully positioning him for a true return to form next time around.

"[10] Jesse Fairfax of HipHopDX gave the album four out of five stars, saying "Nearing two decades since his earliest professional recordings, time has seen Talib Kweli evolve into an eclectic solo act separate from his past incarnations as half of supergroups Black Star and Reflection Eternal.

Thus, Gravitas is a superior showing, whereby he will likely reap the benefits of continual hard work and dedication.

The spirit of J. Dilla is kept alive on the album's closer "Colors of You," a mild concession to the rigid-minded audience looking to keep him boxed into a preexistent sound.

With this release, Kweli has placed himself in a fortunate position where we can rest assured his next moves will be completely self-determined regardless of critical skepticism.