Black Star

Black Star Artist: Black Star , Mos Def , and Talib Kweli
Label: Priority Records
Category: Music


Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Format: Explicit Lyrics
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 049925006520
EAN: 0049925006520
ASIN: B00000IADP


Release Date: 1999-02-19

Black Star


Related Categories:

East Coast East Coast
Categories | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
General General
Categories | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Pop Rap Pop Rap
Categories | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Tracks:

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

Similar Items:

  1. Reflection Eternal/Train of Thought
  2. Black on Both Sides
  3. Quality
  4. The Beautiful Struggle
  5. Plymptoons - The Complete Works of Bill Plympton

Amazon.com's Best of 1998

They're not on every soundtrack, and they aren't featured guests on every crossover hit. That's OK. Mos Def & Talib Kweli are leaders of a different school; though they've got beats by the pound and the lyrical chops to pull off an (updated) cover of Slick Rick's classic "Children's Story," Black Star proffers a more philosophical take on hip-hop. Years from now this album, much like the Freestyle Fellowship's Innercity Griots, will still be revered. --Randy Silver

Amazon.com

Even in hip-hop--a genre famous for auspicious debuts--Black Star, the first album from the team of Mos Def and Talib Kweli, stands out. It's not just because these guys know their history (an update of Slick Rick's classic "Children's Story," a fine jack of BDP's "The P Is Free" on "Definition," and shout-outs to 2Pac, Biggie, and the Rock Steady Crew) and have paid their dues. Mos Def had been bouncing around the Native Tongues family for years, and both he and Kweli are featured on the Soundbombing and Lyricist Lounge albums. No, Black Star stands out simply because it's a great album, an intelligent, progressive, and funky piece of work that showcases two great MCs, both of whom have internalized the best parts of Guru, Rakim, and Q-Tip. The album also features strong production from Shawn J. Period and DJ Hi-Tek (Kweli's partner in Reflection Eternal). --Randy Silver

Album Details

Japanese Release featuring a Bonus Track: "Waiting for You".

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars no.......2006-09-23

if ur a fan of old school dont buy this, why? cus u wont like it.

5 out of 5 stars A 1998 Best.......2006-03-07

I have not heard a better rap album than this in the eyar 1998 or the years to come after. This album surely stands there with Biggie, Nas, and Wu-Tang. Some of my favorite songs may actually include the album. Surely, Talib stands out as the better rapper in comparison to Mos Def. Not to say Mos Def is bad, he is great, but Talib side-by-side is much better. The album is intelligent and moving. My favorite-favorites are:
Definition
Respiration
Thieves in the Night
Twice Inna Lifetime

3 out of 5 stars Good....but you people are overrating this.......2006-02-26

This is a good album by 2 of the best mc's of our time, but to say its the greatest album ever made is definitly far feched, this maybe was one of the best of 1998.

MOS DEF's BLACK ON BOTH SIDES IS DEFINITLY BETTER!!!

5 out of 5 stars one of the best hip hop albums ever.......2006-02-24

Mos Def is great, and this album also captures Kweli at his finest (he has declined recently but on here: fire). Really, every song bangs, the styles vary greatly and the execution is flawless throughout. Also, if you can find the version with liner notes, grab it because it's rare

5 out of 5 stars Underground Rap > All.......2004-12-13

Classic. True Hip Hop. Best Hip Hop album of all the time. I liked every track. Talib Kweli is one of the best lyricists of all time and Mos Def has one of the tightest flows I've seen. "Thieves In The Night" is my favorite song of all time. "Respiration" (feat. Common) & "Twice Inna Lifetime" (feat. Jane Doe, Wordsworth & Punchline) are the best collaborations in Hip Hop history. "Hater Players" is pretty funny. Get this album, it has everything, it owns all of Hip Hop. Underground Rap owns all. Also try getting Talib Kweli's "The Beautiful Struggle" & Mos Def's "The New Danger", tight albums. And, look for Wordsworth's "Mirror Music"; he came on tight on "Twice Inna Lifetime".

Music Album:

  1. Which Way Is Up ~ Crooked Path
  2. Beautiful Mind ~ Pumpkinhead
  3. Cleaning Out My Closet 1 ~ Eminem
  4. Heavy ~ Heavy D
  5. First Generation Rap: The Old School, Vol. 2 ~ Various Artists
  6. L.I.F.E.: Living in Fear of Extinction ~ Nefertiti
  7. All Hail the Queen
  8. Sur Side Riders ~ Various Artists
  9. 19 Naughty III ~ Naughty by Nature
  10. Nervous Breakdown ~ Fu-Schnickens

Music Album

Music Album

Music CD

20 Exitos ~ Trio Armon%C3%ADa Huasteca

Bad Habits/Try Biology ~ Billy Field

Sweet Georgia Brown ~ Stephane Grappelli

Where We Go ~ Legacy

Amazing Nina Simone ~ Nina Simone

By Request ~ George Shearing

Me Esta Gustando ~ Ednita Nazario

Sabor A Chocolate ~ Banda Pachuco

Que Buena: La Lucha De Las Estrellas (Clean) ~ Los Originales De San Juan, Los Razos

"Ni Jaulas, Ni Peceras (+ Bonus DVD)" ~ La Cabra Mecanica