Ive altered this review quite a bit from my first one... fixing a few of my childish statements, and fixing it to mix my new style, as well as adding some more information, and removing some useless. I hope you enjoy this new one more.


Every once and a while an album comes along that changes your view on what good rap music is. One of these that comes to mind is Liquid Swords or the Chronic. The third one that comes the mind very quick, at least for me, is Black Star. Legendary Emcees Mos Def and Talib Kweli unite to form one of the greatest alliances since Eric B. and Rakim to form the superduo Black Star. After hearing the legendary Lyricist Lounge Volume 1 album, i immediately opened my ears to this new lyrical style brought on by Talib Kweli and Mos Def, who both appeared on that album. I loved their amazing flow, and complicated words, along with descriptive storytelling. I had to hear more, so i picked up the Soundbombing compilations to hear more, but it wasnt enough. I was extremely happy when i heard that not just Mos, but Kweli ALSO were making an album together and joining up to make Black Star.

In 1999, Black Star released their only album (so far) together, entitled Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star. These two talented emcees, brought along a slew of producers to design beats for their classic album. Among those names are DJ Hi-Tek (whom Kweli worked with later in Reflection Eternal), and up-and-coming 88 Keys. With this album, Talib Kweli and Mos Def proved that they are AMAZING.



Track List & Rating

1. Intro (NOT RATED)
2. Astronomy (8th Light) f/ Weldon Irvine (*****)
3. Definition (******)
4. Re:Definition (******)
5. Children's Story (****)
6. Brown Skin Lady (******)
7. B Boys Will B Boys (***)
8. K.O.S. (Determination) f/ Vinia Mojica (*****)
9. Hater Players f/ Apani-B-Fly-Emcee (*****)
10. Yo Yeah (NOT RATED)
11. Respiration f/ Common (******)
12. Thieves In The Night (*****)
13. Twice Inna Lifetime f/ Jane Doe, Punchline, Wordsworth (******)



With their unmatched lyricism, and socially conscious songs, along with their unique metaphors, flow, delivery, similes, and rhythmic patterns, these guys are no doubt about it LEGENDS! Another pretty unique feature is that these guys dont use too much profanity. Its occasional, but you dont hear the F word on every track, in fact, there are some songs where they dont even curse! So this is good for the whole family, in my opinion, so ignore the Parental Advisory Sticker. Then again, it might not be so good for kids, since they may not understand. These guys are Legends, no doubt, but some people might not agree, but i assure you i can find a few who will agree that these two emcees are living legends in hip hop, unfortunately, they arent recognized and are on the semi-underground level. However, they dont write music for teeny-boppers, they write it for us, the true Hip Hop fans, who will always recognize their talent and legendary status, and Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star, is so far, their finest moment.

The real kick-off of Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star is "Astronomy (8th Light)"In the true intro to the album, Mos Def and Talib Kweli go into the explanation of what is Black Star, using their complicated lyrical stylings, they explain their arrival as descriptive as possible, by trading off verses quickly. They describe the color black in so many ways, it displays nothing but GENIUS. The beat uses a very dark, some-what underground instrumental, using a strumming guitar, scratching, a basic drum loop, and a hard synthesized bassline. However, this is only a preview of the amazing classics that this album has to offer...

"Definition" is the lead-single from Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star. Mos Def begins with his jamaican intro, and flows right into a lyrically GENIUS line, and is followed through seemlessly by Kweli. They absolutely destroy the mic with their delivery and quick flow. They both talk about each other, and touch on their lyrical skill, and the deaths of 2pac and Biggie. This is a pure jam-song to listen to while driving, cause it always makes my head bop. Both emcees pay tributes to some of the rappers who influenced them by re-creating their styles. The instrumental and chorus are sampled from Boogie Down Productions. While the beat is a clear sample from "Remix for P is Free" and the chorus is taken, and slightly altered from "Stop the violence". This track is a classic, and as well as its following sequel "RE:Definition". Lyrically, both Kweli and Mos are STILL top notch, and bust some amazing metaphors unlike any heard before. Mos Def annihilates the track with a multi-syllable flow, multi-bar rhyme scheme, and well-written, thoughtful punchlines. They keep that familiar chemistry that we're gonna hear for the rest of the album. The instrumental is changed a bit since the last track, using a low-key piano, simple drum loop, and a constant synchronizer. But the lyrics, specifically Mos Def's verse, stand-out here:

"What, lyrically handsome, call collect a king's ransom
Jams I write soon become the ghetto anthem
Way out like Bruce Wayne's mansion, move like a phantom
You'll talk about me to your grandsons
Cats who claimin they hard be mad f*g
so I run through em like, flood water through sandbags
Competition is mad, what I got, they can't have
Sinkin they ship, like Moby Dick, did Ahab
Son I'm way past the minimum, it's a verb millenium
My rap's hold a gat to your back, like Palestinians
Ancient Abyssinia, sure to hold the Gideon
Official b-boy gentlemen, long term, never the interim
Born inside the winter wind, day after December 10
These simpletons they mentionin the synonym for feminine
Sweeter than some cinnamon from Danish rings by Entenmann's
Rush up on adrenaline, they get they a**es sent to them
(Gentlemen) you got a tenement, well then assemble it!
Leave your unit tremblin like herds of movin elephant
Intelligent embellishment, follow for your element
from Flatbush settlement, skin posseses melanin
Hotter than tales of crack peddlin, makin em WOOP
like blue gelatin, swing like Duke Ellington"

We continue with "Children's Story", which is sampled from an old Slick Rick track, as youve noticed Black Star respects these artists. Mos Def takes the entire melody of the original, but changes the entire story and makes it about a selfish, yet struggling Hip Hop producer, who sounds a lot like P. Diddy, or Baby, because they are just like this guy. Shawn J. Period does the instrumental here, using a jazzy toned strumming guitar and simple bassline. Kweli doesnt appear on this track, but he'll have a huge role on the next one which is the sheer classic "Brown Skin Lady". Talib Kweli and Mos Def give us a fun love track, sort of paying respects to the brown skinned ladies of the Earth, which include african-americans and latinas. The track is fun and chivalrous, as well as experimental as we hear the two emcees change the pitch of their voices more than once, as well as dropping a head-bobbing, memorable chorus: "And everybody on the Avenue I KNOW... come to see us sing.... Awesome track. The piano loop and hard bass give it a very jazzy, sort of suburban New York feel to it, sounding beautiful.

"K.O.S. (Determination)" is a an excellent solo-Talib Kweli effort. We continue with this solo-Talib Kweli effort. He spits socially-conscious lyrics using complicated metaphors and a great vocabulary about determination, life, and struggle. The beat is a low, soulful, sort of jazzy track with a soft bassline, funky synthesized claps, and some soft drums, giving it a very mellow... sort of deeply relaxing feel to the track. Vinia Mojica provides the background vocals for this track and Kweli spits the awesome rhymes, who also guests on "Hater Players", which is lyrically, one of my favorite tracks of the album. Talib Kweli and Mos Def finally talk about the underground and basically destroy all of those stupid sell-out commercial rappers. Black Star flow hard on the song about theiratred about the current commercial rap scene, and how its materialistic rap is basically, in a word: bullsh*t. Mos Def comes off sounding poetic, using an extended metaphor to fuel the track, giving it that classic feel. The beat is another deep, soft, soulful, head-bobbing beat with some heavily synthesized bass.

Common joins Black Star on "Respiration", which is possibly the most famous track on this album. Here, the metaphors, similes, and poetic references explode, as they compare life of a big city to a living organism. They describe life in the big city, and the problems, and good things about them, in an extremely descriptive and poetic way. The instrumental is genius by DJ Hi-Tek as he uses a slamming bassline, and a soothing piano loop, along with some strumming guitars to add to it. This is illustrative hip-hop at its best, and its classic.

"The indisputable, we New York the narcotic
Strength in metal and fiber optics
where mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips
for profits, thirsty criminals take pockets
Hard knuckles on the second hands of workin class watches
Skyscrapers is collosus, the cost of living
is preposterous, stay alive, you play or die, no options
No Batman and Robin, can't tell between
the cops and the robbers, they both partners, they all heartless
With no conscience, back streets stay darkened
Where unbeliever hearts stay hardened
My eagle talons STAY sharpened, like city lights stay throbbin
You either make a way or stay sobbin, the Shiny Apple
is bruised but sweet and if you choose to eat
You could lose your teeth, many crews retreat"

"Thieves in the Night" is yet another classic Track. Talib Kweli and Mos Def rap about the history and current situation of African Americans, using amazing lyrical depth, with metaphors, and graphic storytelling. Both emcees put down some incredibly poetic flows unlike any heard before, showcasing a socially conscious eye, and tight street poetry. It really opens your eyes to the African American history. As for the instrumental, it uses a soft blues-jazz style with soft guitars and pianos, with a hi-hat backdrop, and hard-to-place bassline.

"Twice Inna Lifetime" brings us back to a "Lyricist Lounge Style", to finish off the album. Classic Freestyle Masters Punchline, Wordsworth, and Jane Doe join Black Star on this great track. Im pretty sure this is a freestyle, and each emcee puts down extremely coherent, and classic battle rhymes with amazing vocabulary, metaphors, and a multi-syllable flow. Words and Punch, and they showcase it here. Jane Doe i havent heard much of, but she blazes the mic here, along with the others. After listening to the SHEER talent shown on here, it causes for a standing ovation, and i know if i was in the studio that day, or saw this live, i would stand and applaud, as these guys basically fortified their spot as being some of the best. DJ Hi-Tek lends his productive talents, giving us a high-key, sort of jazzy / soulful track, with some haunting background sounds, giving it a PERFECT battle feel to it, making it easy to freestyle over. I couldn't think of a better way to finish off this album.

In Conclusion, Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star is a PURE CLASSIC. Mos Def and Talib Kweli have touched on every single hip-hop element, from battle rhymes, to storytelling, to chivalry, to narratives, to braggadiocio, to intelligence, to metaphors... EVERYTHING has been touched on this album and it is extremely close to being a PERFECT album. The group would move on to achieve more fame with their highly acclaimed solo efforts, but true fans await their reunion and have them feed us yet another classic. Until then, im proud to have this in my collection.

5 Stars.... CLASSIC



Ill end this review with a quote by Black Thought of the Roots. In an interview, they asked him if they think that the Bling Bling Era of rap will ever end, and Black Thought replies with this CLASSIC reply:

"No.... because it will keep going as long as people arent smart enough to think for themselves"



Recommended: Yes