Customer Reviews

Black Star [Vinyl]

5 star:		(99)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is destined to be a classic as more and more people hear of it. In a time when hip-hop is becoming more and more pop and its audience has to settle for good beats and melody, a good message, or good lyrics, this album has all three. I have listened to it may times, and a new metaphor or bit of insight pops up every time. Mos Def and Talib Kweli are hard-working and deep-thinking artists, and this work reflects that. The rhymes are tightly woven, and each song is cohesive. They aren't rhyming pneumonia, begonia, and zirconia, a'la Nice N' Smooth, or bragging about how much money, women or cars they have. It is a refreshing break from Puffy's clan, and it lets true hip-hop fans know that the tradition of skillz begun by Rakim, Chuck D and others will be well kept by Mos and Talib.

Prepare yourself to take a journey throught the minds of 2 highly intelligent gifted musicians. This is one of those CDs where the artist puts their entire souls into, but this seems like they put even more than that..."amazing" doesn't compliment this release enough, but I cannot think of a term to discribe how excellent this CD is...

From start to finish your hit with various rhythms, stories, serious or humorous lyrics...even though its only 11 songs every single one of them is perfect in its own way: "Definition" has its reggae vibe, "Respiration" has its powerful musical performance along with lyrics by Mos, Talib, and Common, "Hater Players" contains a humorous slight diss to commercial music, and both artists very cleverly parafrase 'The Bluest Eye' by Toni Morrison on "Thievs In The Night"...Mos and Talib drop their solo tracks....

Along with the great tracks, you get to read each of the artists perspectives of each track in the booklet; when they finished them, their feelings about them, etc...

These are 2 very slept on artists... the media doesn't know what good music is. They seem blinded by the shine off BGs bling, or deafened by the blasphemous yelling and complaining of DMX, or have their attention on seeing low class women bending over in about 99% of all rap videos shown on MTV and BET...

c'mon true talent is whats on the mind of the musician. Mind Power...

On the track "Definition", Mos Def proclaims that he and partner Talib Kweli are the "best alliance in hip hop"...after listening to this album, you'll find it damn tough to disagree. For people who can appreciate real hip hop, it doesn't get much better than this. Poignant and often poetic lyrics, slick, chill-out grooves, and a fresh and uplifting message elevate Def and Kweli's effort high, high above all the cliched mainstream garbage that clutters today's musical landscape. Standout tracks include: "Astronomy", on which the duo contemplates the meaning of "black" both literally and metaphorically; the aforementioned "Definition", a track which sports a fierce beat and sharp lyrics to match; "Brown Skin Lady", a silky smooth shout-out to NYC women; "Hater Players", a much-needed and appreciated assault on fake MC's. The album's high point is "Respiration", which I regard as a hip hop classic. The song is an absolutely breathtaking (no pun intended) meditation on Black Star's home territory...the city is fleshed out as an organic, living thing to a bouncing background which is just enough to make you nod your head, but never threatens to overttake the stunning lyrics. Fellow underground icon Common drops a fantastic verse on the track, as well. Overall, this album is an absolute gem. Its a prime example of what hip hop should be...an art form. These MC's have something to say, and anyone that is sick and tired of plastic rap in the vein of DMX and Cash Money should give them a listen.

When it first came out, this album blew my mind. First, it surprised me to no end that such pure message made it onto a record, and secondly, it surprised me that a hip-hop public more attuned to songs about champagne, big screen TVs, and bad comments about women went ahead and bought it! Both of the MCs on this album perform spectacularly, and the production is incredibly tight as well.... and although they do jack a track (From "P is still free") the spirit in which they do it is a lot more pure than say when Puffy steals whole songs.... (in his collaboration with Jimmy Page)...

If you don't have this album buy it, and if you don't have the money to buy it call your friends.... cause this is one album that everyone must have.....

Everytime i listen to a new album i hope and pray that it will be as good as blackstar....i'm still waiting. To me this is album is a great achievement. Blackstar manage to inspire, educate, entertain, stimulate and dazzle with every line they speak. No other mc is as gifted as Mos Def, his grasp of language and sublime delivery leave you hanging on every syllable as you hope to grasp another pearl of wisdom. Talib Kweli is his equal. As u listen you realise that this is a man of integrity and strength a true king of the mic. The sheer magnificence of these characters leaves you gasping with awe, it really is a blessing to have known Blackstar. I think the true quality of this album lies in its ability to change you, and inspire you to change the world around you. I use this music as a constant source of inspiration and the words as food for the spirit. The love and positivity that excudes from Blackstar has improved the quality of my life and that is what art is all about. Will anyone make a better hip-hop album? Common and The Roots are getting close but Blackstar continue to shine bright in my world. Keep shining on!

i picked up this album a little before mos def dropped his solo joint, mainly because i heard definition on a mix tape and thought it was just straight ill...

and since that day, the cd has remained in heavy rotation in my collection.

although definition was catchy and clever, what i discovered from the rest of the album was that mos def and kweli were two thoughtful brothas with some intelligent and socially conscious lyrics to complement their sophisticated rhyme schemes. and that's what's been missing from this art form-turned-commercial-travesty known as hip-hop.

black star not only acknowledge their roots (children's story, b boys), they spit some highly poetic wisdom on tracks such as respiration ("blasted holes in the night till she bled sunshine..... i could feel the city breathin/chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening/sighed before it died like the last train leavin") and a beautifully written adaptation of toni morrison's the bluest eye in thieves in the night (i.e. "over money and religion there's more blood to spill/the wounds of slaves in cotton fields will never heal, what's the deal?"). the track titled yo yeah even offers a taste of the open-mic spoken word forum in which they hold their roots.

this was the jumping-off point for kweli and mos def, who continued on to produce solo albums with an equally creative combination of humor, battle raps, stories, and a healthy dose of social responsibility. check out their debut; they complement each other like no other duo i've heard, and in this age of no-brain, simpleton "rhymers" (a la jay z, snoop, missy elliot & co) it's nice to see a couple of educated (kweli himself owns a book store), crafty "lyricists." we need more music like this...

The dynamic duo of Mos Def and Talib Kweli do for hip hop what John Coltrane and Miles Davis did for jazz...they REVITALIZE the genre! In an era when the average popular hip hopper is talking how many rollies, women, or gold fronts he can amount, this pair keeps it real with some much needed intelligent hip hop. In the rhyming tradition of Tribe and with the emotional depth of early 90s groups like Soul II Soul Arrested Development and PM Dawn, Mos Def and Talib Kweli bring some heavy knowledge to the table. With tracks like #8 K.O.S. Determination and #12 Thieves in the Night, the MC pair shows that they are as adept doing their research as they are kicking their rhymes. Talib Kweli eloquently poses the question in the latter tribute to Toni Morrison, "Why is it that we live the law of the bluest eye?" and answers it with a smart lyrical examination of the state of the African American community. "Are we like thieves in the night of life, illusions of oasis, making you look twice?," Talib and Mos ask in the hook.

Though these two songs bring it deep, I have to admit that my personal favorite is the LOVELY tribute to black women, (#5) Brown Skin Lady. It is simply beautiful, and Mos Def's scatting in the end makes a lovely outro. Another highlight of this album is Respiration, which features Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Common and a hype instrumental background! This track is sheer energy, expressing the sometimes suffocating environment of city-living. "I can't take it y'all," Mos Def groans, "I can feel the city breathing...kissed her lips goodbye, I'm on the last train leaving". This CD is MOS DEFinitely the best or second best (Tribe's Midnight Marauders would vie for first) hip hop CD I own, and one of the best of all time, period. I urge all you lovers of hip hop to cop this one! It's a beauty.

I have to admit, when I first heard this album, I thought it was alright, but nothing to get excited over. Now, it's been over a year, and I still listen to it almost daily, and everytime it takes me on an intensely emotional and enlightening journey. The lyrical content is both reactionary and revolutionary, while maintaining that positive tip. Def and Kweli give recognition to the old school, as well as to up and coming artists. Their beats and style are tight, but the heart of the album comes out in their deeply personal and political lyrics. My favorite tracks are Thieves in the Night, Respiration, Knowledge of Self, and Astronomy (8th Light).

this album was the most original music i have heard in a while. Mos Def is one of, if not, the greatest MC's to come out of the underground in a while. This Brooklyn native brings beats and rhymes that were though extinct at one time. He does not speak or sing about how much friggin' platinum hes got on his pinky ring or about his label. He talks of the city, and how it is a living thing in itself. He also delivers some bangin tracks that actually have feeling to them. Overall, this album was excellent. I recommend you pick it up soon. Mos Def's solo album should be great too.

I'm sick and tired of baby makin' R&B and gang banging hip hop. I heard about these guys after their Mumia show last January w/ Rage and the Beastie Boys and bought the album in May. My god they know what they are doing. They put alot of old school (PE, Run DMC) influences in their work and just build from there. Greate samples and the vocal chemistry between Mos (a good actor too) and Kweli is better than any group out right now. Great song topics and lyrics make this album one of my favorites right now, with songs like Definition, Respiration, Astronomy, KOS, and Hater Players deserving to be classics.