NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Black Star (album)

Black Star is the self-titled debut by the pairing of rappers Talib Kweli and Mos Def from the group of the same name Black Star. It is sometimes listed as Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star. The album was released on August 26, 1998 to mass critical acclaim. The title is a reference to a shipping line founded by Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey. Black Star deals with modern day issues, ideas, and life in Brooklyn, New York City as the two artists know it. album cover This is an album cover. ... A studio album is a collection of studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... Black Star is an alternative hip hop group formed by MCs Mos Def and Talib Kweli. ... is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alternative hip hop (Bohemian hip hop) is a style of hip hop distinguished by socio-political lyrics, sparse beats that sample few and/or unusual sources (see jazz rap) and uniquely positive rhymes. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Rawkus Records is an American hip hop record label, known for jump-starting the careers of both Mos Def and Talib Kweli. ... Universal Music Group (UMG) is the largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Shawn J. Period, real name Shawn M. Jones, is a well known New York City producer (originally from Richmond, Virginia) who has crafted singles for the likes of Mad Skillz, Boot Camp Clik, Mos Def, Da Bush Babees and various artists on the Rawkus Records label. ... Hi-Tek is an American Rawkus Records alternative hip hop artist from Cincinnati. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a large, comprehensive and high quality metadata database about music. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated EW) is a magazine published by Time Inc. ... Image File history File links Stars10095. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Image File history File links 3_stars. ... The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. ... Image File history File links 3. ... Dante Terrell Smith (born December 11, 1973), better known by his stage name Mos Def, is an American rapper and actor. ... Black on Both Sides is an alternative rap album by Mos Def, released on October 12, 1999 (see 1999 in music). ... Talib Kweli Greene (born October 3, 1975), better known as Talib Kweli, is an American MC from Brooklyn, New York. ... Train of Thought is the first and only album by Reflection Eternal, a hip hop duet composed of rapper Talib Kweli & DJ Hi-Tek. ... Hip hop music is a style of popular music. ... Talib Kweli Greene (born October 3, 1975), better known as Talib Kweli, is an American MC from Brooklyn, New York. ... Dante Terrell Smith (born December 11, 1973), better known by his stage name Mos Def, is an American rapper and actor. ... Black Star is an alternative hip hop group formed by MCs Mos Def and Talib Kweli. ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Damaged package The Panama canal. ... Pan-Africanism is a term which can have two separate, but related meanings. ... Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr. ... This article is about the New York City borough, or Kings County, New York. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

Overview

The album's fruition came about from the chemistry between the two emcees. Both planned to release their solo albums around the same time, but postponed their individual projects and decided instead to collaborate on a full-length LP.

The late jazz musician, Weldon Irvine, played the keys on the album's opening song, "Astronomy". The song interprets the word "black" in a positive way and contains similes such as, "Black like my baby girl's stare". For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Weldon Irvine (October 27, 1943 - April 9, 2002), also known as Master Wel, was an African American composer, playwright, poet, and pianist. ... Look up black in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The next song, and first single, "Definition", is a stern response to "hip hop's fascination with death", and a dedication to slain rappers Tupac Shakur, and Biggie Smalls. As the chorus goes: Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 â€“ September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac, Makaveli, or simply as Pac, was an American artist renowned for his rap music, movie roles, poetry, and his social activism. ... Christopher Wallace (May 21, 1972 - March 9, 1997), also known as Biggie Smalls (after a stylish gangster in the 1975 comedy, Lets Do it Again), but best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was a popular Brooklyn-born rapper of the mid 1990s. ...

One two three / Mos Def and Talib Kweli / We came to rock it on to the tip-top / Best alliance in hip-hop, Y-O / I said one two three / It's kind of dangerous to be an emcee / They shot Tupac and Biggie / Too much violence in hip-hop, Y-O

The chorus is also a play on Boogie Down Productions' anti-gun song "Stop the Violence". "Children's Story" is a re-imagined version of Slick Rick's original, with Mos Def cautioning against overly materialistic pursuits. Boogie Down Productions (1989) Boogie Down Productions was originally composed of KRS One, D Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. ... The Stop the Violence Movement was formed by rapper KRS-One. ... Childrens Story is a song by Slick Rick. ... Ricky Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known by stage names Slick Rick, MC Ricky D and Rick the Ruler, is a rapper. ...

"Brown Skin Lady" is an affectionate tribute to brown-skinned women. The song encourages black and brown women to be proud of their hair and complexion, and to not be influenced by Western and white supremacist beauty standards. Kweli says: "...We're not dealin' with the European standard of beauty tonight / Turn off the TV and put the magazine away / In the mirror tell me what you see / See the evidence of divine presence."

The centerpiece of the album, "Thieves In The Night", was inspired by author Toni Morrison's novel The Bluest Eye. In the album's liner notes, Kweli explains that the paragraph "struck me as one of the truest critiques of our society, and I read that in high school, when I was 15 years old. I think it is especially true in the world of hip hop, because we get blinded by these illusions." The excerpt interpolated in the song is as follows: For the Louisiana politician, see deLesseps Morrison, Jr. ... The Bluest Eye is a 1970 novel by Toni Morrison which details a year in the life of a young black girl in Lorain, Ohio named Pecola. ...

And fantasy it was, for we were not strong, only aggressive; we were not free, merely licensed; we were not compassionate, we were polite; not good, but well behaved. We courted death in order to call ourselves brave, and hid like thieves from life.

not strong, only aggressive/ not free, we only licensed/ not compassionate, only polite (now who the nicest?) / not good but well-behaved/ chasin' after death so we could call ourselves brave, still livin' like mental slaves/ hiding like thieves in the night from life/ illusions of oasis making you look twice.

Critical reaction

Black Star was hailed as a hip hop classic and is often cited as an anchor for the new wave of rappers directly or indirectly inspired by the Native Tongues. As a result Rawkus Records became the premier independent hip hop label, with a reputation for delivering underground albums of considerable quality. The praise would continue on subsequent albums by the two MCs. Despite popular demand, Mos Def and Talib Kweli have yet to deliver a follow up album, however both have gone on to produce their own albums to much critical acclaim. They have been instrumental in the rise of Kanye West, currently one of rap music's biggest artists. Talib has said that there will be a follow up album to Black Star on his myspace. The Native Tongues Posse is a group of late 1980s and early 1990s black nationalist hip hop artists known for their positive Afrocentric lyrics and jazzy beats. ... Rawkus Records is an American hip hop record label, known for jump-starting the careers of both Mos Def and Talib Kweli. ... Kanye Omari West (pronounced /kÉ‘njÉ›j/) (born June 8, 1977) is an American record producer and rapper who rose to fame in the mid 2000s. ...

Track listing

Hi-Tek is an American Rawkus Records alternative hip hop artist from Cincinnati. ... Talib Kweli Greene (born October 3, 1975), better known as Talib Kweli, is an American MC from Brooklyn, New York. ... Da Beatminerz are a hip-hop production crew from Brooklyn, New York, and are known for their dark, gritty sound that is very popular with the underground hip-hop scene. ... Weldon Irvine (October 27, 1943 - April 9, 2002), also known as Master Wel, was an African American composer, playwright, poet, and pianist. ... Definition is the first single from Black Stars eponymously titled 1999 album (see 1999 in music). ... Shawn J. Period, real name Shawn M. Jones, is a well known New York City producer (originally from Richmond, Virginia) who has crafted singles for the likes of Mad Skillz, Boot Camp Clik, Mos Def, Da Bush Babees and various artists on the Rawkus Records label. ... Vinia Mojica is a female recording artist who began her professional career singing on Hip Hop albums in the early 90s. ... Shawn J. Period, real name Shawn M. Jones, is a well known New York City producer (originally from Richmond, Virginia) who has crafted singles for the likes of Mad Skillz, Boot Camp Clik, Mos Def, Da Bush Babees and various artists on the Rawkus Records label. ... Respiration is the second single from Black Stars eponymously titled 1999 album (see 1999 in music). ... Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. ... eMC is a hip hop crew comprised of rappers Masta Ace, Wordsworth, Punchline and Strick. ... Wordsworth is an underground hip hop MC from Brooklyn, and a graduate of the State University of New York College at Old Westbury. ...

Samples

This article is about reusing existing sound recordings in creating new works. ... Boogie Down Productions (1989) Boogie Down Productions was originally composed of KRS One, D Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. ... Ricky Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known by stage names Slick Rick, MC Ricky D and Rick the Ruler, is a rapper. ... Chameleon Street is a 1989 independent film written, directed by and starring Wendell B. Harris, Jr. ... Gil Scott-Heron (born April 1, 1949) is an American poet and musician known primarily for his late 1960s and early 1970s work as a spoken word performer. ... Brian Jackson is a keyboardist, flautist, composer, and producer known mostly for his work in the 1970s with Gil Scott-Heron. ... Minnie Riperton (November 8, 1947 â€“ July 12, 1979) was an American singer and songwriter noted for her five-and-a-half octave vocal range, with her 1975 single Lovin You. ... Style Wars is an early documentary on hip hop culture, made by Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant, made in New York City in the early 1980s. ...

Album singles

Definition is the first single from Black Stars eponymously titled 1999 album (see 1999 in music). ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Wordsworth is an underground hip hop MC from Brooklyn. ... Respiration is the second single from Black Stars eponymously titled 1999 album (see 1999 in music). ... Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ...

Personnel

Hi-Tek is an American Rawkus Records alternative hip hop artist from Cincinnati. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Weldon Irvine (October 27, 1943 - April 9, 2002), also known as Master Wel, was an African American composer, playwright, poet, and pianist. ... Piano, a well-known instance of keyboard instruments A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. ... For the popular-music magazine, see Musician (magazine). ... Audio engineering is a part of audio science dealing with the recording and reproduction of sound through mechanical and electronic means. ... Audio mixing is used in sound recording, audio editing and sound systems to balance the relative volume and frequency content of a number of sound sources. ... Vinia Mojica is a female recording artist who began her professional career singing on Hip Hop albums in the early 90s. ... Black Moon is a hip hop group, consisting of members Buckshot, 5ft and DJ Evil Dee of Da Beatminerz. ... Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master); the source from which all copies will be produced (via methods such as pressing, duplication or replication). ... -1... Da Beatminerz are a hip-hop production crew from Brooklyn, New York, and are known for their dark, gritty sound that is very popular with the underground hip-hop scene. ... Chinese Jade ornament with flower design, Jin Dynasty (1115-1234 AD), Shanghai Museum. ... Example of book cover art. ... Dante Terrell Smith (born December 11, 1973), better known by his stage name Mos Def, is an American rapper and actor. ... A Rhodes piano A Rhodes piano is an electromechanical musical instrument, a brand of electric piano. ... Black star can refer to any of the following; Black Star, refers to the planet Saturn in ancient Judeism beliefs Dark star, a theoretical star that has a surface escape velocity that equals or exceeds the speed of light Black hole, any region of space time where escape to the... The term art director, is an overall title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games. ... Talib Kweli Greene (born October 3, 1975), better known as Talib Kweli, is an American MC from Brooklyn, New York. ... Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr. ...

Chart positions

Billboard Music Charts (North America) - album Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ...

Talib Kweli Greene (born October 3, 1975), better known as Talib Kweli, is an American MC from Brooklyn, New York. ... Train of Thought is the first and only album by Reflection Eternal, a hip hop duet composed of rapper Talib Kweli & DJ Hi-Tek. ... Quality is rapper Talib Kwelis second album. ... The Beautiful Struggle is an album by American rapper Talib Kweli. ... Liberation is a collaboration between MC Talib Kweli and producer Madlib. ... Eardrum is an upcoming album by American rapper Talib Kweli. ... Definition is the first single from Black Stars eponymously titled 1999 album (see 1999 in music). ... Respiration is the second single from Black Stars eponymously titled 1999 album (see 1999 in music). ... The Blast is a hip hop single from Reflection Eternals only album, Train of Thought. ... Listen!!! is the first single from Talib Kwelis upcoming album Eardrum. ... This is the discography of Talib Kweli, an American rapper. ... Reflection Eternal is a hip hop duo composed by rapper Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek. ... Black Star is an alternative hip hop group formed by MCs Mos Def and Talib Kweli. ... The following is a list of songs by Talib Kweli organized by alphabetical order. ... Dante Terrell Smith (born December 11, 1973), better known by his stage name Mos Def, is an American rapper and actor. ... Black on Both Sides is an alternative rap album by Mos Def, released on October 12, 1999 (see 1999 in music). ... The New Danger is the long-awaited second album by Mos Def, released on October 19, 2004. ... True Magic is the third solo album from New York rapper Mos Def. ... Definition is the first single from Black Stars eponymously titled 1999 album (see 1999 in music). ... Respiration is the second single from Black Stars eponymously titled 1999 album (see 1999 in music). ... Hurricane is a single by Black Thought, Common, Dice Raw, Flo Brown, Jazzyfatnastees and Mos Def from the 1999 film The Hurricane. ... Mathematics is a b-side single from Mos Defs solo debut album, Black on Both Sides. ... Sex, Love & Money is a single by rapper Mos Def. ... GHOSTS is a short feature film by Michael Jackson which could also be classified as a long-form music video. ... For the teletext, see Bamboozle. ... Cover of DVD Carmen: A Hip Hopera is an MTV production from 2001 starring Beyoncé Knowles, Mos Def, Rah Digga, Wyclef Jean, Mekhi Phifer, Da Brat, Joy Bryant, Jermaine Dupri and Lil Bow Wow, directed by Robert Townsend. ... Monsters Ball is a 2001 American drama/romance film. ... Showtime is a 2002 comedy/action film starring Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro and directed by Tom Dey. ... Civil Brand is a movie with women going to prison for murders and has plot against Captain Dease for different and mysterious reasons. ... Brown Sugar is a 2002 romantic drama film, written by Michael Elliott and Rick Famuyiwa, and directed by Rick Famuyiwa. ... The Italian Job is a 2003 action-adventure film, directed by F. Gary Gray. ... The Woodsman is a 2004 film directed by Nicole Kassell. ... SOMETHING THE LORD MADE is a moving story of men who defy the rules and start a medical revolution. ... Lackawanna Blues is an American television movie that aired in 2005. ... The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy film based on the book of the same name by Douglas Adams. ... Dave Chappelles Block Party (aka Block Party) is a documentary film hosted and written by comedian Dave Chappelle, and directed by Michel Gondry. ... 16 Blocks is a 2006 film directed by Richard Donner and released by Warner Bros. ... Be Kind Rewind is an upcoming 2008 comedy film directed by Michel Gondry and starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover, and Mia Farrow. ... Soulquarians (common misspelling: Soul Aquarians) was a neo soul-informed hip hop musical collective with members from Philadelphia, Detroit, Richmond and Chicago. ... The Native Tongues Posse is a collective of late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop artists known for their positive-minded, good naturedly-Afrocentric lyrics, and for pioneering the use of eclectic sampling and later jazz-influenced beats. ... Black Star is an alternative hip hop group formed by MCs Mos Def and Talib Kweli. ... Black Jack Johnson is the house band for Mos Defs sophomore album The New Danger. ... Def Poetry, also known as Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry or Def Poetry Jam, is an HBO television series produced by hip-hop music entrepreneur Russell Simmons. ... Nkiru Books is the oldest African-American bookstore in Brooklyn, New York City, USA. Founded by Leothy Miller Owens in 1976, the bookstore was bought by Talib Kweli and Mos Def in 2000. ...

Contents

Overview GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");