Truly restores my faith in Hip-Hop (Black Star - Mos Def)

Member Name: grandmasterflash

Product:	Black Star - Mos Def
Date:	09/10/04 (336 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: fantastic lyrics, potent themes, from the heart and soul

Disadvantages: a little short, some profanity (if that bothers you)

Coming from the New York underground Hip-Hop scene in 1998, an extremely competitive and demanding musical scene, Rappers Talib Kweli and Mos Def, along with DJ Hi Teck, dropped this collaborative album, which provided everything the Hip-Hop fanbase demanded- deft turntableism, top notch linguistics and poetry, genuine self-expression and intelligent and positive lyrics about streetwise social commentary, self-knowledge and black-pride which defy every negative stereotype about Rap music.

No nonsensical, mindless lyrics of materialism, ego, killing, malice, drugs or misogyny to be found here. The album begins with an announcement- "We feel we have an obligation to shed light into the darkness" and from there it breaks down the various problems of the various shades of the ghetto mentality.

The first track Astronomy (8th light) goes against Hip-Hop's disturbing casual use of the word "n**ger" and the song oozes with black pride and paints the colour black as something beautiful and positive, and reminds people of the true value of being a creation of God- both Mos Def and Talib Kweli are devout Muslims by the way. And the album carries on its uplifting ideals throughout.

They invoke nostalgia about Old School Hip-hop anthems of positive education as well, such as the track "Definition" which is heavily inspired by Boogie Down Production's 1988 track "Stop The Violence", the latter was originally made to oppose the growing thug attitudes in Hip-Hop at the time, violence and shootings in nightclubs, and particularly the violent death of bandmate Scott LaRock. This emulation of the song was made in reflection of history repeating itself with the fatal shootings of Rappers 2pac and Notorious BIG between 1996 and '97. Involking a very Boogie Down Productions style track of reggae guitars and rhythm, clever and thoughtful rhymes going on various tangents but mainly focused on challenging and attacking the thugs which plague the ghetto population and the Hip-Hop scene. With lyrics about street survival and self-defense which isn't dependant on being part of a gang or having a thug mentality.

"Walkin the streets is like battlin, be careful with your body
You must know karate or think your soul is bulletproof like Sade"

Basically the duo make an example of how Hip-Hop's positive messages of the past can be recycled and re-emphasised just as prominently as the Thug rappers can repeat the same old Gangster cliche's. They do the same again with the song "Children's Story" which was originally a song by rapper Slick Rick. A song originally about the dangers of crime, telling a cautionary tale of a Ghetto child who chose a life of crime and robbery only to get shot dead in his prime by the police. Mos Def takes the song and with a certain comicalness, he reconstructs its lyrics to tell the story of a young Rapper who publicises himself as a thug in order to get rich, only to find himself drawn through his music and fame into the real world of thug violence and ultimately loses his life. A song which with lines like "why you selling lies to our wives and children" points out many of the lies and facades that goes hand in hand with many Gangster Rappers and also how when Rappers proclaim themselves as thugs, and achieve fame, they can often unintentionally tap themselves into the real-life thug violence world.

Mos Def and Talib Kweli also take a stance against Hip-hop's sexist attitudes, as they drop the next song "Brown Skinned Lady" which is a refreshing display of motown chivalry on wax. A song evoking the beauty of womanhood with sweet platitudes of love "You provoke a brother we should get to know one another" It is mainly the spoken dialogue opening and closing the song which particularly carries the weight of the message from Mos Def's opening attack on Rappers who disrespect women "most of y'all brothers came from your mother" to Talib's closing beliefs in natural beauty of women and that people and the media place too much unhealthy emphasis on cosmetic beauty, and that people should let their natural beauty shine and not buy into cosmetics that will ultimately wear down their self-esteem.

Their declaration of producing Hip-Hop which is totally purged of its negativity is the song "K.O.S. Determination" which addresses one of Krs-One's speeches about maintaining a balance in Hip-Hop of positivity to level out all the Gangster Rap. "So many MC's focusing on black people extermination// we keep in balance with that knowledge of self determination". An examination of how black people integrate themselves into the white man's world and what they have often compromised of their soul and humanity in order to do so. The track "Thieves in the Night" perciveres with this theme and particularly challenges black people's obsession with living dangerously.

"Brought up, through endangered species status on the planet Earth
Survival tactics means, bustin gats to prove you hard
Your firearms are too short to box with God
Without faith, all of that is illusionary
Raise my son, no vindication of manhood necessary"

The biggest highlight of this CD, and there are a lot of highlights is the 11th track "Respiration" where another revered underground conscious Rapper, Common collaborates with the duo, with all three of them dropping verses giving the track a really epic feel. It's an excellent track about street life, the dangers of crime in a city "where you could get murdered over a glare"- and feelings of oppression. It's a masterpiece of urban art!

"Skyscrapers is collosus,
the cost of living is preposterous,
stay alive, you play or die, no options
No Batman and Robin,
can't tell between the cops and the robbers,
they both partners, they all heartless
With no conscience, back streets stay darkened
Where unbeliever hearts stay hardened"

I have actually been to New York about a year and a half ago, and this song vivdly brings me back there whenever I give it a spin. As each verse builds up a sense of oppression and rage, the chorus brings the release, describing vividly the calming act of respiration and unleashing and exorcising all the anger. This effect is very relaxing. The track has a lot to say about the Ghetto community and its need to unify against its enemies to peace, and to police itself because the justice system will do nothing to better the situation "we played against each other like puppets, swearin you got pull// when the only pull you got is the wool over your eyes// Gettin knowledge in jail like a blessing in disguise" and harks back to a responsible theme- regeneration "For trees to grow in Brooklyn, seeds need to be planted" and having faith in all that's positive about your community even as its falling apart, otherwise nothing will change because no-one will take the time to care.

"It's a dog-eat-dog world, you gotta mush on
Some of this land I must own
Outta the city, they want us gone
Tearin down the projects creatin plush homes
My circumstance is between Cabrini and Love Jones
Surrounded by hate, yet I love home"

All very responsible messages to convey and done superbly....

This album is superb- a modern classic of any genre which any musical critic must listen to. And furthermore the album embodies everything I love about Hip-Hop music and shedding off everything I hate about the art. Musically it's very pleasing as DJ Hi-Teck picks some excellent and lush Jazz and Motown samples which fit perfectly the style, emotion, atmosphere and verbal delivery of each track. Plus it's also very good for dancing to.

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