Lovework, is the critically acclaimed debut

Hiphop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

album by

Gabriel Teodros Gabriel Teodros (born 1981) is a hip hop artist and a member of the groups Abyssinian Creole and CopperWire. He was raised on Beacon Hill, Seattle, Washington. Teodros' music often features socially conscious themes, and he was a catalyst in t ...

, released February 27, 2007 on MassLine Media.

Overview

Aesthetically and politically, ''Lovework'' descends from a mid-'90s school of

conscious Consciousness, at its simplest, is awareness of a state or object, either internal to oneself or in one's external environment. However, its nature has led to millennia of analyses, explanations, and debate among philosophers, scientists, a ...

Northwest hip hop Northwest hip-hop is hip-hop or rap music that originates from the Pacific Northwest of North America, encompassing major cities such as Portland, Seattle, and other towns. Northwest hip-hop music mixes elements from various genres of music to for ...

, characterized by groups such as Black Anger and Silent Lambs Project. It was a time where the

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

sound became jazzier—more melodic, intricate, and atmospheric. It turned away from the gangsta themes and beats that dominated the period and instead focused on progressive politics, utopian aspirations, and an organic connection with black Africa. ''Lovework'' was produced by Amos Miller with additional beat contributions from Sabzi (of

Blue Scholars Blue Scholars is an American hip hop duo based in Seattle, Washington, created in 2002 while the members, DJ Sabzi (Saba Mohajerjasbi) and MC Geologic (George Quibuyen), were students at the University of Washington. The name "Blue Scholar ...

Moka Only Daniel Denton (born November 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Moka Only, is a Canadian hip hop artist and producer . He is originally from Langford, British Columbia, where he cultivated a deep passion for hip hop. Later, moving to San ...

, Kitone, and Specs One – its sound was primarily influenced by Seattle veteran Vitamin D (who also mixed the record) and the late

J Dilla James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer, composer and rapper. He emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michiga ...

. On ''Lovework'',

ponders issues of racism, sexism, and colonialism, as well as lighter topics like romance and the art of rhyme. The opening song ''Sacred Texts'' creatively namedrops groups of influence in Teodros' life, including

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American Hip hop music, hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip< ...

Freestyle Fellowship Freestyle Fellowship is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. It consists of Aceyalone, Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E., and Self Jupiter. The group was a prominent part of the Good Life Cafe collective, and are part of the Project Blo ...

Common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Com ...

Boogie Down Productions Boogie Down Productions (BDP) was an American hip-hop group formed in the Bronx, New York City, in 1986. It originally consisted of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, five months after the ...

Public Enemy Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...

Roy Ayers Roy Edward Ayers Jr. (September 10, 1940 – March 4, 2025) was an American vibraphonist, record producer, and composer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several studio albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure ...

and

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...

. In the song ''East Africa'', Teodros first speaks about his family and how he grew up, and then goes on to talk about the 2005 Ethiopian police massacres. The album title, ''Lovework'' was inspired by

bell hooks Gloria Jean Watkins (September 25, 1952 – December 15, 2021), better known by her pen name bell hooks (stylized in lowercase), was an American author, theorist, educator, and social critic who was a Distinguished Professor in Residence at Be ...

and her book '' All About Love'', where Hooks insists that to truly know love, one must agree that love is a verb. She goes further to say to truly know love, one must work to undo every system of domination that stops people from truly loving. The title was also inspired by a quote from

Khalil Gibran Gibran Khalil Gibran (January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist; he was also considered a philosopher, although he himself rejected the title. ...

's '' The Prophet'' where Gibran says "Work is love made visible". There were 3 official music videos made for the ''Lovework'' album. The first 2 were both directed by Zia Mohajerjasbi; ''No Label (Esma Remix)'' and ''Don't Cry For Us'' featuring Khingz & Toni Hill. The third video was for ''Third World Wide'' and was directed by Salvatore Fullmore. The album held the #1 spot on the

CMJ CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events, online media company and a distributor of up and coming music CDs, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music ...

Hip Hop charts for 2 weeks and came in at #19 for the year 2007.College Music Journal
New Music Report. 2007.

Track listing

#Sacred Texts (Intro) #Do U (feat. Jerm) #No Label (Esma Remix) #Beautiful (GT Version) #Sexcapism #Racoon Rock (feat. Toni Hill) #East Africa #Don't Cry For Us (feat. Khingz, Toni Hill) #In This Together #The Dirty 6 (skit) #It's That (feat. Geologic of

) #Third World Wide #Warriors (Lovework Reprise) #Chili Sauce #Find A Place (feat. Rajnii Eddins) #Lovework (feat. Toni Hill) #Rest O' Me Dayz (feat. Khingz)

References

{{Authority control 2007 albums Gabriel Teodros albums