black star Archives

Here Are The 16 Hip-Hop Groups Competing To Be Named The Best Of All-Time

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’ annual competition series features Hip-Hop’s greatest collectives vying for the #1 spot. Sixty-two groups were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and one slot was reserved for a wild-card entry, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no... Read more

August 5, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT

Black Star Show Why One Of Their Defining Messages Remains Timeless (Video)

Black Star represented a needed voice in the late 1990s when Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) and Talib Kweli first emerged under the group name. Their “Definition” single and its next track reprise, “RE:DEFinition,” spoke out against violence in Hip-Hop at a time when the community was mourning the losses... Read more

August 1, 2018 Exclusive, Video

Yasiin Bey Is Opening An Art Gallery To Keep Hip-Hop In The South Bronx

After Black Star album reports began in February, it has been a busier year than most for Yasiin Bey. He and partner Talib Kweli performed at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival just last weekend (July 14). It comes in the midst of a 20-year-celebration of their landmark Rawkus Records LP. Now,... Read more

July 18, 2018 Lifestyle, News

Black Star’s Talib Kweli & Yasiin Bey Define What Hip-Hop Means To Them Today (Audio)

Celebrating 20 years since their landmark album, Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) and Talib Kweli have been busy taking their show on the road. On Saturday (July 14), the pair rocked the hometown stage at the 2018 Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival. The day before (July 13), the former Rawkus Records... Read more

July 17, 2018 Audio

Black Star Is Performing Live With A Band Right Now. Watch Here (Video)

Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) and Talib Kweli, aka Black Star, are performing live right now Live at Jazz à Vienne 2018. If you miss the live performance, stay tuned. We will update the post with the on demand video, if it is made available.... Read more

July 11, 2018 Video

Finding The GOAT Group: Black Star vs. Slum Village. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’ annual competition series features Hip-Hop’s greatest collectives vying for the #1 spot. Sixty-two groups have been pre-selected by a panel of experts, and one slot will be reserved for a wild-card entry (which has been determined), including the possibility... Read more

July 9, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT

When Stakes Were High For Hip-Hop, De La Soul, Common & Mos Def Got Down To Bizness (Video)

De La Soul has always stood for raising the musical bar. Celebrating its 22nd birthday this week (July 2), the trio's 1996 album Stakes Is High parlayed the group into its second era of prominence. Three years since their last LP, the work also proved that they were able to... Read more

July 5, 2018 Do Remember

Do Remember When Pete Rock & Black Thought Breathed New Life Into Black Star (Audio)

In September, Hip-Hop will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, the album which launched Talib Kweli's solo career and spawned one of the most beloved unions in Rap music. Two decades later, the Rawkus Records masterpiece will be the star of a handful of... Read more

June 7, 2018 Do Remember

Finding The GOAT Group: Organized Konfusion vs. Black Star. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest collectives vying for the #1 spot. Sixty-two groups have been pre-selected by a panel of experts, and one slot will be reserved for a wild-card entry, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to... Read more

May 11, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT

Yasiin Bey & Talib Kweli Are Reuniting On Stage To Celebrate 20 Years Of Black Star

September marks 20 years since the release of Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star. The collaborative album was the first full-length efforts from both Brooklyn, New York MCs. The Rawkus Records pair has gone on to decorated solo careers, capturing some of that Black Star chemistry on a... Read more

April 24, 2018 Fresh

Talib Kweli Discusses The Genius Of Madvillainy & Its Impact On Hip-Hop (Audio)

Last month, Madvillain's album celebrated its 14th birthday. In the early 2000s, MF DOOM and Madlib formed the group and recorded Madvillainy in the latter's bomb shelter studio in Glendale, California. The resulting Stones Throw Records album was a game-changer in the careers of two elusive, decorated veterans, both creatively... Read more

April 23, 2018 Audio, Exclusive

Talib Kweli & Jay Electronica Release A Song Meant To Bring All Of Us Together (Video)

The latest example of Hip-Hop artists bringing awareness through their art to the brutality of some law enforcement is Talib Kweli's "All Of Us" visual. Featuring Jay Electronica, Yummy Bingham, and directed by Yassin "Narcy" Alsalman, the video illustrates police intimidating communities of color. It also portrays a shooting of... Read more

April 13, 2018 Video

Nas & Black Star Will Share The Stage This Summer

Nas and Black Star are two championed Hip-Hop acts. Whereas Nas has released 11 solo albums, in addition to compilations, and group work with The Firm and Distant Relatives, Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey have just one group LP. In 2018, reports are lingering that both entities have album plans... Read more

April 12, 2018 Fresh

Talib Kweli’s New Video Is Incredibly Powerful In Its Silence

Talib Kweli’s newest video for the single “Radio Silence” featuring Amber Coffman and Myka 9, visually mirrors the track’s message in the most artfully accurate way. The visuals for the title track off Kweli’s eighth solo album, Radio Silence (an inclusion in Ambrosia For Heads' Top 15 albums of 2017),... Read more

February 26, 2018 Video

Yasiin Bey Says Black Star Is Working On New Music With Madlib (Audio)

This August makes 20 years since the release of Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star. The Rawkus Records album is a benchmark album of Hip-Hop's underground uprising, and a key introduction of Mos Def (nka Yasiin Bey), Talib Kweli, and producer DJ Hi-Tek. While Talib and Yasiin have collaborated... Read more

February 11, 2018 Audio, News

An New Video Shows The Rise Of The Soulquarians & Why Things Fell Apart

During the week of special engagements leading up to last Sunday's Grammy Awards, The Roots held a four-day residency at The Gramercy Theatre in Manhattan. During the day, the three-time Grammy-winners programmed events that included the first live taping of Questlove Supreme with guest Common, as well as a Black... Read more

January 30, 2018 Throwback, Video

Talib Kweli Recalls A Great Story Involving Freestyle Fellowship, Neo-Soul & Rent Money (Video)

There have been several memorable Hip-Hop roommates. During the early 1990s, Gang Starr members Guru and DJ Premier lived together at several New York City residences (one was a Brooklyn home owned by Branford Marsalis). RZA and Ghostface Killah were under the same roof in the days before Enter The... Read more

December 6, 2017 Video

Talib Kweli & Jay Electronica Reunite. Times Are Hard & So Are Their Rhymes (Audio)

Less than one week ago, Talib Kweli released Radio Silence. Following April's The Seven collaborative EP with Styles P, Kwe' drops his first full-length solo effort in two years. This go-round features Anderson .Paak on latest video single "Traveling Light," along with Rick Ross and Freestyle Fellowship/Project Blowed member Myka... Read more

November 21, 2017 Audio

From Q-Tip To Chappelle, Talib Kweli’s Inner-Circle Shines In His New Video

Since the 1990s, Talib Kweli has maintained his role as one of Hip-Hop's leading voices striving for political empowerment and enlightenment. His passion for preaching righteousness and seeking justice had recently got Kweli's Twitter account briefly suspended for calling out a racist, homophobic lawyer. It may be poetic coincidence that... Read more

November 17, 2017 Video

Twitter Suspends Talib Kweli’s Account Following War Of Words With Texas Lawyer

Social media platform Twitter suspended the account of Talib Kweli this week after it claimed the Black Star and Reflection Eternal MC incited harassment towards a Texas-based lawyer after he posted the attorney’s business address to his more than one million followers online. In an interview with Uproxx, Kweli said... Read more

November 10, 2017 Lifestyle, News

Talib Kweli Details How He And Mos Def Became Family Before They Were Black Star (Video)

This week, Talib Kweli appeared on Desus & Mero to promote November 17's Radio Silence album. That LP reunites Kweli with Jay Electronica and Anderson .Paak, as well as features a range of guests, from Waka Flocka Flame to Freestyle Fellowship's Myka 9 to Rick Ross. In making his return... Read more

October 27, 2017 Video

9th Wonder Explains Why Soundbombing & Rawkus Kept His Hip-Hop Dreams Alive (Video)

Hip-Hop news and culture move fast, and it’s easy to miss significant developments. Every week, Ambrosia For Heads takes a look back at the LAST 7 days. This video series, hosted by Justin “The Company Man” Hunte examines the current issues with a colorful rundown of the what, where, and why. While the LAST... Read more

October 24, 2017 Exclusive, Last 7, Video

Talib Kweli Reflects On A “Train Of Thought” Song That Remains Eternal 17 Years Later (Audio)

Last week, Mos Def's solo debut Black On Both Sides celebrated its 18th birthday. Meanwhile, today (October 17), Talib Kweli, Yasiin Bey's Black Star partner, and DJ Hi-Tek honor the 17th anniversary of Reflection Eternal's Train Of Thought. Both Rawkus Records releases are benchmark albums to Hip-Hop, as well as... Read more

October 17, 2017 Audio

EPMD Are Working On An Album Only Featuring Classic Hip-Hop Duos (Video)

It has been almost nine years since legendary duo EPMD released an album. Late 2008's We Mean Business marked the seventh group effort for Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith. The EP/RBC Records release was a departure from the six consecutive gold albums the Long Islanders released dating back to 1988's... Read more

October 1, 2017 News, Video

Talib Kweli & Blu Gang Up On A Beat. It’s Fight Night For 2 Great MCs (Audio)

In 2007, the same summer Blu & Exile released Below The Heavens, Talib Kweli dropped Eardrum. One MC made an indelible underground debut, while the other, from a similar trajectory, released a #2 overall LP on the charts, marking a new plateau. Ten years later, these two artists from opposing... Read more

September 11, 2017 Audio

Ball So Hard: LaMelo Is The Youngest Athlete Ever With His Own Shoe (Video)

Hip-Hop news and culture move fast, and it’s easy to miss significant developments. Every week, Ambrosia For Heads takes a look back at the Last 7 days. This video series, hosted by Justin “The Company Man” Hunte examines the current issues with a colorful rundown of the what, where, and why. While the Last... Read more

September 6, 2017 Exclusive, Last 7, Video

Yasiin Bey Discusses The Drama That’s Caused Him To Fall Back From The Music Business (Video)

Even since his days as mighty Mos Def, Yasiin Bey does not do many interviews. However, the Black Star MC recently gave Ebro In The Morning more than one hour of his time—reportedly impromptu. The MC/actor/poet and activist jumped in a cab and appeared before Ebro and company to speak... Read more

August 30, 2017 Video

Weldon Irvine Influenced Black Star, KRS-One, JAY-Z, Common & Q-Tip. His Story Is Being Told (Video)

Best-known perhaps as the songwriter of the unofficial Civil Rights anthem, "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" (popularized by Nina Simone), the late Weldon Irvine bridged the generations as a key mentor and collaborator to Hip-Hop icons during the '90s and beyond. Guru, Roy Ayers, & Donald Byrd Brought Jazzmatazz... Read more

August 29, 2017 TV/Film, Video

Teen Bresha Meadows Stood Up To Her Abusive Father. Talib Kweli Tells Her Story (Audio)

In July of 2016, Warren, Ohio teenager Bresha Meadows fatally shot her father, reportedly as he slept. The 14-year-old killed Jonathan Meadows after years of physical abuse, which also included her brothers and mother, according to relatives. Despite the evidence of abuse, Meadows was charged with aggravated murder. Bresha and... Read more

August 28, 2017 Audio, Lifestyle

See The Full Historic Conversation & Cypher Between Mos Def, Big Pun, Canibus & DMX (Video)

Twenty years ago, Hip-Hop was in crosswinds. Microphones were grabbed by emerging voices from across the landscape, geographically, stylistically, and regarding content. As the genre collected itself following the sudden and tragic killings of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, it wanted new sounds, messages, and conversations. Mos Def & Dave... Read more

August 28, 2017 Throwback, Video

Mos Def & Dave Chappelle Did The Original Carpool Karaoke (Video)

For 25 groundbreaking episodes in the two official seasons Chappelle's Show, viewers could lean back, laugh, learn, and maybe even cringe every so often. The program was about comedy, but it was hardly an escape. Instead, Dave Chappelle and his cast confronted real life issues with a humorous approach. Racism,... Read more

May 25, 2017 Do Remember

WAIT…Talib Kweli & Styles P Released A Great New Project Too.

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with that good stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been before. Not only are we able to go... Read more

April 14, 2017 Audio, Playlists

Talib Kweli & The LOX Pull No Punches On An Earthshaking Collabo (Audio)

In 2000, The LOX released We Are The Streets while Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek dropped Train Of Thought as Reflection Eternal. At the time, these New York City artists appeared to some, to exist at opposite sides of the Rap industry. While Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch were... Read more

April 12, 2017 Audio

Talib Kweli’s 10 Favorite Albums Are An Eternal Reflection Of Great Music

Last month, Raekwon raised some eyebrows and even more discussion when he listed his Top 10 albums. While his own acclaimed purple tape and Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele were on the list, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) missed the cut. That prompted some discourse from fans, surrounding the classic LP upon... Read more

April 12, 2017 Fresh

Talib Kweli Drops a 64-Bar Video With The Kind Of Wordplay That Made Him A Star.

Talib Kweli is fast at work on his collaborative album with The LOX's Styles P. However, in the meantime, Kweli offers up a fresh batch of 64 bars built around everything that's made this Brooklyn, New Yorker so great for 20 years and counting. Just as Talib did on his... Read more

April 4, 2017 Video

Talib Kweli Explains How A Tribe Called Quest Fathered Hip-Hop Music As We Know It (Video)

Talib Kweli is one of the distinguished guests on A Tribe Called Quest's final album. Appearing on "The Killing Season," Kweli worked alongside Q-Tip, Jarobi White, and the late Phife Dawg. The album has topped the charts, and become one of music's most talked about releases in 2016. Speaking with... Read more

December 7, 2016 Video

Yasiin Bey Premieres New Music In An Intimate 15-Minute Set (Video)

Yasiin Bey is reportedly said to be hanging up his red microphone soon. The Brooklyn, New Yorker formerly known as Mos Def has vowed that he is soon taking a hiatus from albums and performing. As there are an estimated three LPs set to release in the near future, the... Read more

December 5, 2016 Video

Something Is Very Wrong With Kanye West. He Cancels His Tour. (Video)

2016 has been a whirlwind ride for Kanye West, including #1 albums, game-changing music videos, armed robberies within his family—and that's only some of the "highlights." The Saint Pablo Tour—which corresponds to West's February The Life of Pablo album has been making its rounds across the United States—featuring the artist... Read more

November 21, 2016 News, Video

Talib Kweli Is A Boss. He Showcases The Artists On His Self-Owned Record Label (Audio)

As he was ramping up his own career, Talib Kweli made critical appearances on compilations, 12" singles, and albums by the likes of Pharoahe Monch, The Roots, and others. The Brooklyn, New Yorker knew that careers didn't happen overnight—especially those that last for many, many days. Since his late '90s,... Read more

November 1, 2016 Audio

Yasiin Bey Shows He’s At His Best Making Powerful Thought-Provoking Music (Video)

Last month, A Tribe Called Red released its high profile single with Yasiin Bey (f/k/a Mos Def) and Narcy. "R.E.D." serves as an uplifting anthem for the indigenous people of the world. With percussion from Black Bear, this song fuses genres and two MCs of different backgrounds with a common... Read more

August 17, 2016 Video

Yasiin Bey Uses His Mighty Voice In Support Of Indigenous Cultures (Audio)

While it has been more than seven years since Yasiin Bey released an album (The Ecstatic, as "Mos Def"), the Brooklyn, New Yorker has been busy in 2016. Often times when there is a cause or a message close to him, the Black Star veteran comes out of an apparent... Read more

July 21, 2016 Audio

Remember When Little Brother & Black Star Picked Up Where Native Tongues Left Off? (Audio)

In the late 80s and early 90s, Native Tongues, the collective led by De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, and consisting of members like Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah, Black Sheep, Monie Love and more, began a movement that would last well into the 2000s. Beyond the musical legacy... Read more

June 23, 2016 Do Remember

Talib Kweli Recalls How Blown Away He Was By An Unsigned Kanye West’s Talent (Video)

Talib Kweli and Kanye West have made several notable collaborations. That artistry began 14 years ago, with the release of the Brooklyn, New York MC's first solo album, Quality. Following acclaimed full-length projects with Black Star and Reflection Eternal, the Rawkus Records flagship artist embarked on his first release through... Read more

June 3, 2016 Throwback, Video

Yasiin Bey’s Mysterious New Music Shows His Many Sides (Audio)

For the second time this month, Yasiin Bey (f/k/a Mos Def) emerges with a new song. Like the last (posted below), this is part of his Dec. 99th moniker. Today's (May 21) installment, "Dec. 99th - Tall Sleeves," finds the Brooklyn, New Yorker rhyming, singing, and speaking on a futuristic... Read more

May 21, 2016 Audio

Nas, Fabolous & Talib Kweli Among 2016 Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival Performers

2016's 12th annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival will celebrate some of the great artists from and around the New York City borough. The July 16 concert (with other festivities beginning on July 13) will take place at the scenic Brooklyn Bridge Park. This year's headliners include Queens' Nas, as well as... Read more

April 5, 2016 News

Mos Def & Talib Kweli Lay the Foundation for Black Star in this 1997 Performance (Video)

For Heads, there may not be a more-missed entity in Hip-Hop retail than Fat Beats. Established in New York City in 1994, the former brick-and-mortar outlet for tapes, CDs, LPs, and more now only exists as an online retailer, but its legacy remains vivid, thanks in part to live performances that... Read more

February 25, 2016 Video

Yasiin Bey Declares 2016 Album Will Be His Last & Announces Industry Retirement

This week, Yasiin Bey (f/k/a Mos Def) left a very unique voicemail on Kanye West's phone. West, who signed Bey to his G.O.O.D. Music imprint after years of collaboration, shared the message with the public yesterday (January 19). The Brooklyn, New York MC reacted to West's latest song, "No More... Read more

January 20, 2016 Audio, News

Talib Kweli, Problem & Bad Lucc Make A Minimalist Video All About Mic Rocking

Talib Kweli's "Pay Ya Dues" is the latest Indie 500 song to get the visual treatment. The record pulls talent from Brooklyn, New York to South Central, Los Angeles—as Compton's Problem and nearby Bad Lucc guest on the track. For a song about the elemental approach to getting your name... Read more

January 18, 2016 Video

Reflection Eternal’s Train Of Thought vs. Outkast’s Stankonia. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

January 13, 2016 Finding the GOAT

Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch & Last Emperor Freestyle In A Found 2001 Moment (Audio)

In 2001, things were taking off for Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch. As part of the Rawkus Records movement, these 1990s alums were paving the way for solo careers following extensive group success with the likes of Organized Konfusion, Black Star, and Reflection Eternal. Presumably doing the Hip Hop For... Read more

December 10, 2015 Throwback