by Black Star (Mos Def and Talib Kweli)It had been a couple of years since I listened to this album, but after catching Kweli and Hi-Tek last week-end at Manifesto, I wanted to slide back to one of my touchstone albums.
Whenever this album gets mentioned, I immediately think of such great tracks as 'Astronomy (8th Light)', 'Definition', 'RE:DEFinition', and 'Respiration'. These four tracks are all classics, and show some of the best work Mos of Kwe have ever done.
'Thieves in the Night' is perhaps my favourite hip-hop track of all time. I can listen to this song again and again, and each time I'm moved by the lyrics and beauty of this piece. Kweli is perfect in the first half of the song, and Mos starts slow, and then becomes so passionate by the end of his verse - it gets me every time. To me, this song epitomizes the potential of hip-hop.
So, that's what I expected when I put this in. I forgot how forgettable the middle of the album is. Listening to it tonight, it seems like Mos and Kwe are still trying to find their voices as artists - how else do you explain tracks like 'B Boys Will B Boys' or 'Children's Story'? I think I'm so used to hearing the awesome songs on my ipod, I'd built this album into a perfect EP in my mind.
That said, the strong points of this album still stand up against anything being put out today.
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