Black Star (hip hop group)
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| Black Star | |
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| Origin | New York City, USA |
| Years active | 1998 – Present |
| Genres | Hip-Hop |
| Labels | Rawkus Records |
| Members | Mos Def Talib Kweli |
Black Star is an alternative hip hop group formed by MCs Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Affiliated with the group is DJ Hi-Tek, who formed producer/MC duo Reflection Eternal with Kweli for the album Train of Thought and produced a portion of Black Star's debut album.
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[edit] History
Black Star is part of the Native Tongues Posse, a collective that contains, amongst others A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, the Jungle Brothers, Da Bush Babees and Common.
Black Star arose from the underground movement of the late 1990's, which was in large part due to Rawkus Records, an independent record label stationed in New York City. They released one self titled album. Though the record achieved little commercial success, they (and other members of the Native Tongues Posse) helped shape underground alternative rap and helped bring it further into the mainstream eye. Both have gone on to greater commercial and critical success in separate solo careers.
A sample on the album from the film Chameleon Street has generated the often repeated and often misattributed quote, "I'm a victim brother. I'm a victim of 400 years of conditioning. The man has programmed by conditioning. Even my conditioning has been conditioned!"
Most recently Mos and Kweli appeared together in the movie Dave Chappelle's Block Party, alongside Jill Scott, Dead Prez and The Fugees, among others. They even contributed a new song, "Born & Raised", to the movie's soundtrack.
According to hip hop website TheSituation.co.uk, Kweli has said that a new Black Star album is "in the pipeline".[1]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Black Star (1998) Rawkus Records
[edit] Singles
- "Definition" (1998)
- "Respiration" (1999)
[edit] Other collaborations
- "Know That" from Mos Def's 1999 album, Black on Both Sides
- "Joy" from Talib Kweli's 2002 album, Quality
- "Supreme Supreme" from Talib Kweli's 2005 album, Right About Now
- "Bright as the Stars" from Mos Def's 2005 single, "Ah Ha"
- "What It Is" from Talib Kweli's 2005 mixtape, The Beautiful Mixtape Vol. 2
- "Born & Raised" from the 2006 soundtrack, Dave Chappelle's Block Party
- "This Means You", produced by DJ Hi-Tek on the album Train Of Thought
- "What's Beef", live from Chappelle's Show
[edit] External links
This article on a United States hip hop music group or collective is a stub. You can help by expanding it.| Talib Kweli |
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Albums and EPs: Black Star | Train of Thought | Quality | The Beautiful Struggle | Right About Now | Liberation | Ear Drum |
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Singles: "Move Somethin'" | "The Express" | "The Blast" | "Down for the Count" | "Good to You" | "Fortified Live" | "Waitin' for the DJ" | "Get By" | "Peace of Mine" | "I Try" | "Never Been in Love" | "Flash Gordon" | "Fly That Knot" | "Getting Up Anthem" | "Listen" | "More Or Less" |
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Other: Reflection Eternal | Native Tongues | Blacksmith Records | Black Star |
| Mos Def |
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| Studio albums |
| Black Star (1998) | Black on Both Sides (1999) | The New Danger (2004) | True Magic (2006) |
| Singles |
| "Definition"/"Twice Inna Lifetime" | "Respiration"/"Respiration (Flying High Mix)" | "Ms. Fat Booty"/"Mathematics" | "Umi Says"/"Universal Magnetic" | "Sex, Love & Money"/"Ghetto Rock" |
| See Also |
| Soulquarians | Native Tongues Posse | Black Star | Def Poetry | Selected filmography |
