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
From Amazon.co.uk
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 internalised 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
