Beastie Boys, Talib Kweli

There aren't many golden age rap heroes left, but The Beastie Boys still command a high profile, thanks to a multimedia vision that both updates and outstrips their early incarnation as drunken suburbanites. So what if their new album, To The Five Boroughs, is a disappointing rehash of past glories? They're still an amazing act, as a recent performance at crobar confirmed. Opening up for the Terrible Trio is Talib Kweli, another rapper whose career has gone through its share of evolutions, from backpacker to anti-Okayplayer.com baller. However, the Brooklynite's truth-telling lyricism, as evidenced on his new album The Beautiful Struggle, remains undiminished.