Black Star "No Fear of Time" (Album Stream)

After 24 years, No Fear of Time finally reunites one of the great hip-hop duos of all-time—Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) and Talib Kweli as Black Star. Recorded guerrilla-style in hotel rooms and dressing rooms around the globe, the 9-track album has a future vibe with vintage soul, fitting for one of the most anticipated releases in decades. The record is entirely produced by super-producer Madlib and features Black Thought and Yummy Bingham. Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star was easily one of the best projects to come out of the independent era of the late 90s. It was a much-needed record and I'm glad they've come full-circle and released No Fear of Time 24 years later. As of now, the project is only available through their Luminary subscription service and there are no signs of a physical release, which I'm certain will disappoint their core fans. I will update this post when a streaming option becomes available for the full album... Ok, sure enough it's on Bandcamp...

Happy Born Day, Mos Def! (Playlist)

Regarded as one of hip-hop's most introspective and insightful artists, Mos Def has shaped a career that transcends music genres and artistic medium. Taking a cue from the Afrocentric stylings of the Native Tongues crew, which included De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest and more, Mos Def has emerged as one of the more conscientious voices of new school hip-hop, alongside the likes of Common, Outkast, Goodie Mob and The Roots, to name just a few. Mos Def was born in Brooklyn, New York City... a child of hip-hop's Golden Era, he spent his childhood imbedded in the culture surrounding him as well as absorbing knowledge from across the artistic spectrum. With the release of "Universal Magnetic" (1996) Mos became an underground favorite in the hip hop world, leading to his legendary collaboration with Talib Kweli. The two formed Black Star whose debut album, Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star, would become one of the most critically acclaimed hip-hop albums. Mos followed that release with his 1999 solo debut, Black On Both Sides, which was certified gold and credited by critics as bringing hip-hop back to its soapbox roots. As with his music, Mos has demonstrated insight and passion with his acting career, appearing in numerous films, including 2002's romantic comedy Brown Sugar, for which he received an NAACP Image Award nomination; 16 Blocks, The Italian Job, Next Day Air, Cadillac Records, Be Kind Rewind, and more. I also heavily enjoyed his 2009 album, The Ecstatic and to some degree The New Danger and True Magic. Changing his name to Yasiin Bey, and arguably falling below the radar in some respects, musically, the man still embodies the same level of integrity and rhyme skills he always did, and we're just eagerly awaiting the next chapter in the life of one of the best lyricists in all of hip-hop. Is there a more conscious, lyrically-minded MC in hip-hop? Peep the playlist to be reminded...

Happy Born Day, Might Mos Def!

Mos Def "Black On Both Sides" (October 12, 1999)

As passionate a lobbyist for hip-hop's expressive potential as you're likely to find in '99, Mos Def has already enjoyed a storied minor-league career. He's stolen scenes from De La Soul and Q-Tip, lively'd up the studious beats of DJs Krush and Honda, and loomed large as half of Black Star, the only hip-hop duo that owns its own Africana bookstore. And while singles like the almost Ellingtonian "Travellin' Man" are a tough act to follow, his solo debut Black On Both Sides is a stunner, cultivating a surprisingly hard edge (on tracks like the darkly trenchant "Hip-Hop"), while stepping knee-deep into the sumptuous soul-jazz Black Star only flirted with. The problem with Both Sides is that its sweep can feel a little preordained. Mos is clearly out to craft a hip-hop classic, as epochal as A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory or Eric B & Rakim's Follow The Leader. But those albums defined eras only in retrospect. By comparison, the self referential gravitas of Both Sides, especially coming from the once gloriously-casual Mos, make it feel like a compelling novel that's already (to quote Mr. Def) "a screenplay sold to Miramax." Still, for a fresh-faced MC's coming-out jam, this set is as front-to-back stacked as the love object in Mos's "Ms. Fat Booty." And if the man behind it quits striving for timelessness, the prospects are tantalizing. (Besides, you gotta love an MC who takes time out to put Limp Bizkit in their place). - CMJ (January, 2000). An interesting review... it makes me wonder if Mos took it to heart, because he's since lived a career of pivots and genre-bending music, while still remaining one of thee greatest lyricists of our generation! Ironically, we can now say in retrospect, that Both Sides was surely a classic that helped define the independent era of hip-hop, especially in NYC! I'm waiting for a big comeback project from Mos Def!

A definitive classic in the independent era of NYC hip-hop...

David Begun "Mad Star: Shades of Black" (Album Stream)

Combining Madlib's Shades of Blue instrumentals along with a few other jazz-inspired tracks from the same era and mixing in the vocals of Mos Def and Talib Kweli, New Hampshire producer, David Begun, has created Mad Star: Shades of Black. There are confirmed rumors of an upcoming Black Star album with production from Madlib (some tracks have already been released), but it may be a while ... so, in the meantime, David Begun has helped us imagine what a full collaboration between one of hip hop's greatest producers and one of its greatest duos would sound like! Dig in below...

Black Star "Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are..." (9/29/98)

"The BDP-inspired chorus of "Definition" ("1-2-3 / Mos Def and Talib Kweli / We come to rock it on to the tip top / Best alliance in hip-hop / Why-oh...") sums up the nature of Black Star's entire debut. Documentarians (of hip-hop's roots) par excellence, Brooklyn's Mos Def and Talib Kweli come correct with old school-flavored verbal finesse. "Children's Story" is a sly update of Slick Rick's 1988 classic, and "Respiration" is a supreme, rugged rhyme schism featuring Common. Backed by a bevy of boombastic beats from Da Beatminerz, DJ Hi Tek, and Shawn J. Period, Black Star remind us that hip hop is about lyrical skills -- not solely commercial excess." - Vibe Magazine, November 1998. Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star is an album I revisit quite often, so it's no surprise that I remember it on its anniversary every year. While new material has been teased for several years - possibly with Madlib behind the boards - no release dates are pending. Hip-Hop would benefit greatly from their collective return, and Mos Def should sit atop many lists as one of the greatest lyricists ever! I'd also argue for the "Flying High" remix to "Respiration" as one of Pete Rock's greatest remixes; he really put his foot in the beat, and adding Black Thought made it an absolutely perfect song.

An original 2-page advertisement for the Black Star LP...

Mos Def & Kweli Are Black Star (CMJ, 1998)

"Mos Def and Talib Kweli have made a record to deliver listeners from the tyranny of the Native Tongues posse's new generation. Def and Kweli follow a grassroots approach to lyrical execution here, incorporating a radiant burst of Afro-centric positivity that floats around tight, bouncy rhymes that jab like Muhammad Ali in his prime. Even though Black Star generously borrow hooks from the hip-hop heroes they grew up on like BDP and Slick Rick, these shoplifting tactics are more faithful odes rather than get-money reconstructions, shaped from the imagination of a couple of kids who've been eating, drinking and smoking hip-hop their whole lives. This is an hour-long manifesto made for the sheer love of the craft, a record that will make you realize why the hell you dropped eight bucks on your first rap tape back in the day." (CMJ New Music Report, 11/98). Reflecting back on the album, CMJ added months later, "Mos Def and Talib Kweli truly are the best alliance in hip-hop," with Mos's stylized grainy delivery as yang to the smart, spoken words of Kweli's yin. With a sense of self-determination, the hands of DJ Hi-Tek and the dope single, "Definition," Black Star mapped out hip-hop's future against the template of its past." (CMJ New Music Report, 1/99). With bars like, "At exactly which point do you start to realize / That (life without knowledge is death in disguise?) That's why, knowledge of self is like life after death / Apply it, to your life, let destiny manifest..." Mos Def & Talib Kweli delivered a timeless classic. Check out "Definition" below.

Mos Def & Talib Kweli at Fat Beats (October 26, 1997)

DJ Eclipse has dug into his archives once again - this time pulling out some classic footage of the Fat Beats 1 Year Anniversary in L.A. on October 26, 1997. In E's own words, "All Mos had out at that time was the "Universal Magnetic" 12" (not including features and UTD). Once he brings out Talib Kweli, you can hear the early beginnings of what would soon become Black Star. Shout-out to the Beat Junkies and Skratch Piklz who also rocked that show." Hit the tags below for lots of other memories from Fat Beats, and I do hope the OG continues to bless us with more rare footage!

Black Star in Spin Magazine (11/98) + Live with Common (Video)

"People think you just have something on your mind and you just say it over a beat," says Mos Def of the current proliferation of wack MCs. The 24-year old is nestled inside the back offices of Brooklyn's Nkiru Books, sitting across from Talib Kweli, 22, and his equally frustrated Black Star cohort and one of the store's owners. "Rapid-fire staccato delivery," Kweli says, flipping off a typical rap cliche. "It's just n!ggas talking." "It doesn't mean anything," echoes Mos Def. "Me and Mos always say that if Charlie Parker and Miles Davis could rhyme..." "What would Tipper Gore say then?" Black Star's self-titled debut album is an Afrocentric bookstore in its own right, referencing everything from John Coltrane's "Naima" to slave ships to bleak premillennial times. But thankfully, the gravity in their rhymes never slows down their animated styles or their brooding jazz and reggae walking beats. It's a sound that recalls the best of early-'90s hip-hop, upping the ante on EPMD's mellow grooves and A Tribe Called Quest's playful gift of gab." Watch a live throwback with Common, cont'd...

"While the duo's shows have earned them a reputation as NY's slammingest hip-hop act, the two do more than just wow the kids. Mos Def has acted on NYPD Blue and the short-lived Brooklyn South, although he's more often recognized for the Visa ad he did with Deion Sanders. Kweli, for his part, wants to open a theater and a school. "The black community has plenty of hair and nail salons," he says. There's also plenty of retro-leaning hip-hop, which is why Mos Def is quick to point out that Black Star are hardly revivalists. "I'm not gonna diss my history by trying to re-create it," he says. But I respect it and apply it to what's going on today. That's what Black Star is about: bridging yesterday and today without compromising either." - Spin, November 1998.

Entrepreneurial Rappers (Billboard, June 5, 1999)

"It's no secret that many rap artists moonlight as entrepreneurs. Master P owns a real-estate agency and a sports management company, as well as other businesses. Sean Combs owns a successful restaurant and is embarking on a film career. Both Master P and Combs own record labels and clothing lines, as well. But clothing lines and record labels are not the only way for rappin' retailers to keep themselves busy when they're off stage. After bit parts in "House Party" and "Jungle Fever," Queen Latifah landed a starring role on the sitcom "Living Single." After the show was cancelled, Latifah returned to film in larger roles in movies like "Set It Off" and more recently "Living Out Loud" ... She also wrote an inspirational book for young women, "Ladies First: Revelations From A Strong Woman." Rap Veteran Spinderalla, Mos Def & Talib Kweli of Black Star and Lauryn Hill have all chosen distinctly different projects to help give back to their communities, establish themselves as a brand name or simply earn extra cash." Billboard looks into these artists and their successful business ventures outside of music, check it scanned above. Down below is an important video/message from Mos Def at Nkiru Books in Brooklyn, owned by him and Talib Kweli at the time. 

Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are "Black Star" (Rap Pages, 1/99)

"These two cats define the latest trends of lyricism, apparel and a cutting-edge lifestyle in the most prestigious underground circles. This album is nice; maybe the underground's best this year! Kweli is about dexterity, speed and head-twisting lyrics, which, on "Twice Inna Lifetime" (featuring Jane Doe, Punch and Words), ride the pounding bass bass bulges of the track perfectly, or even subtly, as on "Thieves of the Night" produced by 88 Keys: "A lot of cats who buy records are straight broke / But my language be universal, they be reciting my quotes / While R&B singers hit bad notes." From his tackling jaw-action on the revitalized BDP cut titled "Definition" or Slick Rick's "Children's Story." Peep the visuals to their single "Definition" and more, continued below...

"Mos Def, like Q-Tip of Tribe, is armed with a personality that's hard to hate. So are his microphone skills, which appear so flavorful in Caribbean tones and melodic flows at times; on "Brown Skin Lady," produced by J. Rawls, they weigh a ton on the backs of brothers craving girls looking like a casting call for Friends. Together they truly uphold the black, red and green flag in which pride can be savored. Also, DJ Hi-Tek must be commended for his six emancipated productions, of which "RE: DEFinition," "KOS Determination," featuring Vinia Mojica, and "Respiration," featuring Common, evoke a special classy edge and jazzy feel - the narration at the end and beginning of each song is effective along with the rest of the album." - Rap Pages, January 1999. Full review available below.

Black Star "NEXT" Feature In Vibe Magazine (April, 1998)

"Sugarless but flavorful hip-hop styles are what Mos Def and 22-year-old poetic conspirator/fellow Brooklyn-dweller Talib Kweli serve up on their Rawkus debut, Black Star. Between Kweli's scorching "Fortified Live" single and Mos Def's stirring "Universal Magnetic" 12-inch (both on Rawkus), the duo had 1997's thunderground movement under lock and key. Inspired by Marcus Garvey's radical alternaship of the same name, the two hypercharged griots have combined to take the art of boombap back to the future. "With jazz, you'd have artists from two different schools pairing up just to see what would happen," says Mos. "And that's what I always wanted to see in hip-hop."

"To Kweli, a tag-team partnership with Mos just felt natural - for B-boys will always be boys. "We started out rhyming in the park, with no money, no tokens," Kweli says. "And there's nothing wrong with loving what you do and doing it for the love." Kweli believes that the era of poetic playas is gangsta limpin' on its last leg. "There's a lot of bullshit negativity shining," he says, half mad. "And Black Star is like a solar eclipse." No doubt, Mos and Kweli will save the day... "I love acting, but my first passion is music," says Mos. "Sometimes I wish I could just put on a mask, put out material, and have nobody know who I was. I don't care for being famous - beyond using my celebrity (status) to actually say something." - Vibe Magazine (4/98). Full "Next" feature below and "Respiration" above.