Talib Kweli

Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star

The most inspired hip-hop duo of all time...

Review Score:

(10/10)
despite only releasing one group album before persuing solo projects it was this album the restored the concept of hip-hop having artistic credibility.

As everyone knows these days most peoples opinion of rap is derived from, if you will "image rap". Get some guys to act like walking sterotypes and let them make money releasing the same rap over and over again.

I'm writing this having reviewed both Mos and Kweli's solo projects and I came up with a good comparison, they are hip-hops answer to John Lennon and Paul McCartney, in that they are a great lyrical duo that bring different styles, Mos a little less serious and lighter and Kweli who is an ultra intense hip-hop activists.

The most well know track on this album is "Definition" which is a great track that give you a good preview what this duo is capable of. It is also the first track in which Mos Def is able to showcase that on top of his rhyming he is a very solid singer as well, doing a kind of Reggae-esqe chorus.

Apart from "Definition" and its more sub dued continuation "RE:Definition" the album has another of great tracks.

"Children's Story" is an attack at beat-biters done in the form of Mos Def telling a childrens story.

Then comes "Brown Skin Lady"- a very strong track, that is the antithesis of the more commercially accept tracks that objectify women.

The other really great songs on the album are "K.O.S.", "Hater Players", and "Respiration", and when I say great its like great as in classic, as the rest of the album is very good as well.

This album restored the true hip-hop fans spirits by tearing all the commercial conformmity that is ruining a genre of music with limitless social potential, and deserves a place in anyone who is a true music fan's collection.

More Reviews: