Black Star Reunion Album Announcement Was News To Talib Kweli

    Yasiin Bey set the internet ablaze after proclaiming Black Star was working on a Madlib-produced follow-up to 1998’s Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star earlier this month. But the announcement came as a surprise to his Black Star partner Talib Kweli.

    Tucked away in the smoke-filled green room of Boulder’s Fox Theatre on Tuesday night (February 27), Kweli spoke about the nearly mythical Black Star reunion album and his own latest solo project, Radio Silence.

    While Bey’s proclamation was — in fact — news to Kweli, there’s a strong possibility it could manifest, although it’s an idea the two have been toying with for years.

    “It looks like it might happen,” Kweli told HipHopDX. “I found out on the internet the same way y’all did. We’ve been talking about doing an album with Madlib for years. That’s been an idea we’ve had for so long, but for him to make that announcement … I didn’t know he was going to make the announcement.

    “He went to a Madlib show and he got hype. It’s not like we discussed it and said, ‘Ok, we’re going to announce it.’ I got off the plane, I landed and was like, ‘Oh ok.’ It’s an idea we have been discussing for a long time, now we just gotta make it happen.”

    Bey’s announcement came during a Madlib DJ set in Denver and had Hip Hop purists salivating at the thought of it actually coming to fruition. A week later, Bey mentioned he’d recorded the first verse for the Black Star reunion album during an appearance at the Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco, but Kweli had been relatively mute on the topic aside from some sly comments on Twitter.[apple_news_ad type=”any”]

    When asked who some of his favorite collaborators have been over the course of his career, Kweli replied quickly, “Obviously Black Star and Reflection Eternal, but really all of them.”

    He added, “I came into this game as a collaborator, so I’m all about the collaboration and the collaborative energy.”

    There’s still one person on his list he (surprisingly) hasn’t had a chance to work with yet — DJ Premier.

    “As soon as I can make it happen,” he said. “That’s my big bro. We just need to get to it.”

    Elsewhere during the event, tourmate Niko IS kept the crowd warmed up with his polished set before Kweli hit the stage. The tenured MC then performed a mix of classics and newer material from Radio Silence, including the Waka Flocka Flame-assisted joint, “Chips.”

    The video for “Chips” played behind them on a giant screen as Kweli rattled off his verses with absolute precision.

    At one point, Kweli told the audience, “I have a message from my friend Dave Chappelle.” Suddenly, the legendary comedian appeared on the screen and delivered his version of a PSA about the dangers of social media.

    “I’ve never seen Paul Bunyan but I know who the fuck he is,” Chappelle said. “You gotta make ’em talk about you. You gotta make ’em experience you. I’m saying this to all you young people out here who look up to Kweli and maybe even me unwisely.

    “Happen in real life … pull that fuckin’ feeding tube out of your stomach and get first-hand information. Know for yourself what it feels like. Then you too can become a super human, empathetic person. You can care about people you never met and worry about problems you’ve never even had. This has been a real nigga PSA.”

    27 thoughts on “Black Star Reunion Album Announcement Was News To Talib Kweli

    1. Soooo mos aint even communicating well with kweli? Is he recording that “verse” without kweli also? Sensing a lack of chemistry.

      1. yeah thats not a good look so far. I’d rather artists like them, especially after so long of NOT collaborating, ONLY proceed with these reunion projects if and only if the energy and chemistry is right.. like Tribe’s last album- obviously, they took their time, but they only did it when it felt right. unless Kweli was just joking, this is already not a good sign.

      2. yeah we’ll have to see but they both been average or worst as of late but PAhiphopFAN where you been bro? i tried to get some info from you on ughh msg board about bis hoping you would answer cause i know you know if you had any but you know how stupid act on there so it didn’t take long before trolls showed up.

    2. LOL Talib lost all his credibility once he signed up for Twitter and then again when he opened up for Macklemore on tour

      1. Mos Def is the true artist in this duo. Only reason he’d do a Blackstar album is to pull in the old heads that loved the original Blackstar and haven’t followed music much these last few years. This would explain why Talib doesn’t know the plan yet and there’s a 0% chance Talib will say no.

    3. I love Talib’s old music, but his new SJW persona is so cringy, like dude man up. Calling everybody racist who disagrees with you is for women and homos, but Talib has an entire network of social media platforms in which he does just that. He got into a debate with Diabolic for making generalizations about white people, then instead of arguing facts he posted a list of all the conservative pundits that ‘Bolic followed on Twitter, complete with a list of the most controversial things they had ever said, with his point being that ‘Bolic follows these guys on Twitter, therefore he is racist. He debates like a woman, he clearly has low testosterone, somehow he is proud of himself for doing these things when he should be too embarrassed to leave his house for acting so girly. I’m off on a tangent, basically Talib Kweli has turned into a huge sissy, and for some reason Mos Def wants us to call him Yasiin Bae, and its pretty homo to call a man “bae”. Madlib is the greatest producer ever though, and Black Star is one of the best albums ever. If this actually comes to fruition I’ll check it out, but I’m not holding my breath, I’m still waiting on the Mos Def and Mannie Fresh album.

    4. If Mos randomly blurted a project without consulting with the main person. Thats not cool.

      It should decided between them both then announced. Good luck

    5. I can’t stomach a Talib solo record, and The Ecstatic is still one of my favorite hip-hop albums of all time….so I’m all in….give us 16 tracks, dig in the crate and source 8 beats a piece.

    6. Kweli used to be a great artist, but his new found personality and music haven’t been too favorable. It almost seems like after the first reflection eternal album he was anticipating a new blackstar release that just never came into fruition forcing him to become a solo artist. A solo artist that no one was really checking for. With his split from hi-tek it was ever more apparent they ran into some road blocks… Sad to say and see but, i think hi-tek elevated, mos elevated… and Talib…. he just sank. He stopped making music for avid listeners. He’s always talking fragility but it kinda relates to him more, I hope he doesn’t hinder this album any more than what it has already been… his best bet would be to keep it moving and just follow the plan. I hope he can ground himself and come back to some of us day 1 fans. That would be really appreciated. (say no to evil Kweli)

      1. Last time i checked kweli has been touring all over the world doing shows concistantly. Im not the biggest kweli fan but he never fell off when it comes to touring. Which in the end is where the real money comes from.

    7. Unfortunately this too little too late…neither are what they used to be, and Kweli is just cringy to me now. I’d rather just have a Mos Def solo. Let’s be honest, Kweli could never stand on his own he’s just not good enough. He came up in the backpack days, if not for that noone would know who Kweli was…Mos shit on Kweli on Blackstarr. Plus Talib made a fool of himself on CNN and it really hurt my soul to see a guy I looked up to as a kid be a fuckin moron

    8. A possible Black Star album entirely produced by possibly Kanye West and Madlib with features from Kanye, Kendrick Lamar, Common, John Legend, The Roots, Dave Chappelle and tracks done by Pete Rock, 9th Wonder, Hi-Tek, DJ Premier, 88 Keys, will.i.am, Pharrell, and Nottz would be dope.

      1. Swap will.i.am and pharell with Diamond D and Kev Brown or maybe even throw in Bink! and Dj Quik and you got certified heat bro!

    9. I knew they was going to come out with a new album. They recently did a Black Star Reunion Tour in California. They started in Northern Cali then went down to Southern Cali. One of the best shows I’ve been too they still have great chemistry. Mos Def had the crowd chanting FAWK TRUMP
      It was great. Seen them in Santa Ana.

    10. LOL at all the disgruntled burnt white people in the comment section! You guys are really that upset that Talib Kweli is standing up for the social injustices of his people?? How you feel regarding that is invalid regardless, this ain’t your culture! Let me issue a quick reality check one time, Talib hasn’t just suddenly morphed into a ‘SJW’ as some of you claim, if you payed attention to him as an artist he’s always challenged social injustice in his subject matter. Another rude awakening to you culture vultures A Tribe Called Quest budged the door for a white audience then Talib and the Rawkus era kicked it in allowing you corny UUhites to usher in so essentialy you’re spitting on the plate you eat from by disrespecting Talib. You corny suburbanites have clearly forgotten that this artform was and is a voice for the voiceless, but you wouldn’t understand anyway. Why can’t you UUhites just understand that you can like a culture without having to attempt to take it over or appropriate it, like it defo must be related to your violent history and CALCULATED aggression as a race be it land, divisive tactics, natural resources to even the culture and arts. I mean a black person could love indian music but you don’t see any of us claiming or appropriating indian culture or bollywood because it is THEIR culture, so I don’t understand why you can’t understand that Hip-Hop is black music which isn’t your culture so your opinions regarding Hip-Hop hold zero weight. For the record to those calling Talib racist, blacks cant be racist we lack the power. Blacks cant stop you getting that bank loan, gentrify your neighbor hood, regulate your educational curriculum, utilise mainstream media to influence public opinion etc etc however we can be prejudice which means to prejudge and however you choose to deny it everyone prejudes even animals, its an instinct. Based on UUhites brutal history blacks would be fools not to prejudge or weary becuase our lives depends on it. I guess uplifitng and supporting your own kind is ‘reverse racism’ nowadays.
      On a side note you UUhite people saying Talib is boring as a solo artist are delusional, I love talib as a solo artist his lyricism and flow are impeccable.

      1. Blablabla.. if you think white people hate kweli you must be high on sherm dude. You out of touch with the world. His biggest audience is white. Gtfoh with that rambling. PS. Hiphop is a worldwide thing now.

        1. You’re clearly oblivious to the comments by white people below anyway Worldwide/local/universal/astronomical/intergalactic Hip-Hop was, is and will always be a BLACK ARTFORM & CULTURE so accept that you can like something without having to claim it. Smh corny butt hurt white dudes.

        2. You’re clearly oblivious to the comments by white people below anyway worldwide/local/universal/astronomical//intergalactic Hip-Hop was, is and will always be a BLACK ARTFORM & CULTURE so accept that you can like something without having to claim it. Smh corny butt hurt white dudes.

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