Подписавшись на Rawkus Records со своим школьным другом Talib Kweli, Mos Def создал группу Black Star, и в 1998 они выпустили альбом с незамысловатым названием «Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star». Большинство трэков для них спродюсировал Hi-Tek. В то время на пике популярности был гангстерский рэп, весь мир обсуждал убийства 2Pac’a и The Notorious B.I.G.. В ответ на произошедшие события, Mos Def и Talib Kweli в своих песнях стремились обратить внимание слушателей на насилие и обман, царившие в хип-хоп индустрии.
Дискография
Black Star - 1998 - Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star
Fans have waited years for Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli to release another Black Star album. According to Bey, the wait is almost over.
During a Madlib DJ set in Denver, Colorado, the MC formerly known as Mos Def claimed he and Kweli have teamed up with the Stones Throw producer for an entire project.
“New Black Star with Madlib, Talib Kweli, Yasiin, coming soon!” Bey says in a clip uploaded by a Reddit user who attended the show. “All Madlib, all day. 2018, Madlib, Black Star. Madlib Black Star.”
The return of Black Star is surprising since Bey announced his retirement in 2016. The former Mos Def planned to release three albums before calling it quits but only released one, Dec 99th with producer Ferrari Sheppard.
Black Star’s one and only album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, was released in 1998. The critically acclaimed LP was a defining project for Rawkus Records, which was one of the premier labels for alternative Hip Hop in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Bey and Kweli would later release their debut solo albums through Rawkus.