It was all good 16 years ago……..Black Star ushered in a new era within the hip-hop era in my opinion. They were not the originators of the conscious Hip-Hop movement by any means but they played central figure heads within this revolution. Do not believe me? How about you go back and really study the albums from Mos and Kweli. Recognize what they were doing, who they were doing it with and what they were saying. This album will always hold a special place in my collection. It sparked the mind of a 21 year old to dig a little deeper into the music, into the social/political issues going on around me, and it changed my opinion on how music can effect the masses. They were the obvious evolution of the Public Enemy message. I really studied this album, unlike any album I had studied before. I could go on, but I have to get to work. So dust off your copy of Black Star and enjoy. Share it with someone who has not heard it. Spread the word.
JAMLA IS THE SQUAD, drops next week on January 28th. In anticipation 9th recruits some of the Hip-Hop world’s best spittas over some classic Khrysis musical melodies. So soulful, so excellent, so Hip-Hop. Just when one can lose their mind over another Trinidad James track dropping, we get some redemption like this.
One of my favorite track of all-time. So smooth, melodic production from 88-Keys and classic Kweli and Mos lyricism. I could listen to this track and zone out all day. Mos Def’s verse is ridiculous, you young cats should aspire to this level of lyrical control and supremacy.
Yo, I’m sure that everybody out listening agree
That everything you see ain’t really how it be
A lot of jokers out running in place, chasing the style
Be a lot going on beneath the empty smile
Most cats in my area be lovin’ the hysteria
Synthesized surface conceals the interior
America, land of opportunity, mirages and camouflages
More than usually, speakin’ loudly
Saying nothing, you confusing me, you losing me
Your game is twisted, want me enlisted in your usury
Foolishly, most men join the ranks cluelessly
Buffoonishly accept the deception, believe the perception
Reflection rarely seen across the surface of the lookin’ glass
Walking the street, wonderin’ who they be looking past
Looking gassed with them imported designer shades on
Stars shine bright, but the light, rarely stays on
Same song, just remixed, different arrangement
Put you on a yacht but they won’t call it a slave ship
Strangeness, you don’t control this, you barely hold this
Screaming “brand new!”, when they just sanitized the old shit
Suppose it’s, just another clever Jedi mind trick
That they been running across stars through all the time with
I find it’s distressing, there’s never no in-between
We either ni**as or Kings, we either bitches or Queens
The deadly ritual seems immersed, in the perverse
Full of short attention spans, short tempers, and short skirts
Long barrel automatics released in short bursts
The length of black life is treated with short worth
Get yours first, them other ni**as secondary
That type of illin’ that be filling up the cemetery
This life is temporary but the soul is eternal
Separate the real from the lie, let me learn you
Not strong, only aggressive, cause the power ain’t directed
That’s why, we are subjected to the will of the oppressive
Not free, we only licensed, not live, we just exciting
Cause the captors own the masters to what we writing
Not compassionate, only polite, we well trained
Our sincerity’s rehearsed in stage, it’s just a game
Not good, but well behaved cause the camera survey
Most of the things that we think, do or say
We chasin’ after death just to call ourselves brave
But everyday, next man meet with the grave/Great I give a damn if any fan recall my legacy I’m trying to live life in the sight of God’s memory like that y’all
Want to know what Kweli thinks about the Illuminati? He gives his view of the secret societies over some Oh No production coming from the forth coming album Gravitas. Word has it the album is coming in Feb of next year.
Featured on the single for “The Blast” this is the title track from Talib Kweli & DJ Hi-Tek’s debut collective album, which didn’t appear on the actual album. Maybe they felt like it didn’t fit sonically on the album, I don’t know but I’m glad it survived in vinyl form and with the age of the internet, it can be found anywhere. So go hunt it down and find it for yourself. It’s not too difficult I promise. Classic Hi-Tek production from a great time in hip-hop history in my opinion. I’m hoping to come up on a lot of these Rawkus singles soon……I have several but there are several more that I need.
Iron Solomon’s album Monster, is available where you buy your finest hip-hop albums. This is an excellent depiction of the New York that I like. Forget Manhattan, take me to BK or Queens any day. So much history in the city that birth this thing I love. I can’t even begin to shout out the cameos in the video, Lord Ezec stands out though.
Talib Kweli, Kool G Rap, Rah Digga, SPorty Thievz, Mos Def, Shabaam Shadeeq, Common, Pharoahe Monch, & Posdonuos….though the song was originally recorded after the shooting death of Amadu Diallo in New York City in 1999, it’s message rings just as true today…listen and get some revolutionary bars….
