Mos Def Talib Kweli Knowledge of Self Determination New York Brooklyn Vinia Mojica Marcus Garvey Black Star hip-hop conscious
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Black Star (well, Talib Kweli) feat. Vinia Mojica - “K.O.S. (Determination)”
And that was…Knowledge of self! (Determination)
In 1998, rap was in an odd spot. The music was fully entrenched in the blingy mindset, with cash, women, and very expensive things all over the place. It was also still trying to rebound from the death of the Notorious B.I.G. a year before, and Tupac (15 years this week, Rest in Power) the year before that. Some listeners were feeling that hip-hop had come off the tracks. It had lost it’s way, and two Brooklyn emcees were out to set things right.
Black Star, named for Marcus Garvey’s proposed Black Star Line, a way for African-Americans to travel back to Africa, were emcees Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Mos had come up through his group Urban Thermo Dynamics and prominent features on Da Bush Babee’s awesome Gravity and a spot or two on De La’s Stakes is High. Talib had a few tracks with the hip-hop group Mood but started gaining traction with producer Hi-Tek. The two emcees had chemistry, and both were concerned about the direction of hip-hop music and Blackness in America, so, they got to work on a collaborative effort…and pretty much made hip-hop history.
When Black Star hit in the summer of 1998 it was hailed as a supreme work, which brought a healthy dose of responsibility and Afrocentrism back into hip-hop. It urged for bringing back skill and substance to rhyming, for power in knowing yourself and supporting your people, and to pay respect to rappers who’ve come before. It’s a refreshing record, elemental, intelligent, and with a lot of heart.
And this is one of my all-time favorites. Originally, I wanted a track which featured both Mos and Talib on the mic, but I’mma let this Kweli solo joint slide because lyrically, it’s damn near untouchable in it’s rhymes. Talib drops these outright incredible lines, which, if they don’t make you think, then you’re pretty much completely lost. Also thanks to the smooth vibes and great guest spot from Vinia Mojica (whatever happened to her?), this track is an excellent listen.
