Posted on 09.19.2002

Mos Def and Talib Kweli
"Black Star"
Release : 11/19/2002
Label : Mca

Review :

While Puff Daddy and his followers continued to dictate the direction hip-hop would take into the millennium, Mos Def and Talib Kweli surfaced from the underground to pull the sounds in the opposite direction. Their 13 rhyme-fests on this superior debut show that old-school rap still sounds surprisingly fresh in the sea of overblown vanity productions.
There’s no slack evident in the tight wordplays of Mos Def and Talib Kweli as they twist and turn through sparse, jazz-rooted rhythms calling out for awareness and freedom of the mind. Their viewpoints stem directly from the teachings of Marcus Garvey, the legendary activist who fought for the rights of blacks all around the world in the first half of the 20th century.

Mos Def and Talib Kweli’s ideals are sure lofty ; not only are they out to preach Garvey’s words, but they also hope to purge rap music of its negativity and violence. For the most part, it works. Their wisdom-first philosophy hits hard when played off their lyrical intensity, a bass-first production and stellar scratching. While these MCs don’t have all of the vocal pizzazz of A Tribe Called Quest’s Phife Dawg and Q-Tip at their best, flawless tracks like the cool bop of "K.O.S. (Determination)" and "Definition" hint that Black Star is only the first of many brilliantly executed positive statements for these two street poets.
Jason Kaufman, All Music Guide

Track Listing :

1. Intro
2. Astronomy (8th Light)
3. Definition
4. RE :Definition
5. Children’s Story
6. Brown Skin Lady
7. B Boys Will B Boys
8. K.O.S. (Determination)
9. Hater Players
10. Yo Yeah
11. Respiration
12. Thieves In The Night
13. Twice Inna Lifetime

Buy "Black Star"