The Rawkus era, so fondly remembered by misty-eyed hip-hop forum regulars as some kind of third golden era, left me largely nonplussed at the time and with the steady passage of time passing us by, many of those records haven’t aged well at all. I was all about Hydra Entertainment and Tru Criminal, personally, but I did have an unfortunate run-in with the horrendously overrated Black Star LP after a buddy of mine who worked in a record store recommended it to me while I was ordering second-hand Big Noyd singles. After the records arrived in the mail and I threw on the Mos Def and Talib Kweli album, which certainly looked the business courtesy of Brent Rollins sharp artwork. I was then subjected to what can only be described as the most disappointing album purchase since I copped the first Arabian Prince album.
Let me break it down the issues I have with this record, one at a time:
1. Talib Kweli.
Dude sounds like he’s reading his rhymes straight off his recycled paper notebook, granola bar crumbs and all. While he’s certainly improved his flow since, his “jam as many big words into every bar as possible so that it sounds like your stumbling around Whole Foods on a wheat grass shot bender” flow is absolute agony to endure. Even the more accomplished beats such as “Thieves In The Night” and “Respiration” are marred by his efforts. As he explained in this Cuepoint piece, musicians don’t owe fans anything just because they’re bought a record. By the same token, fans don’t have to be happy about dropping cash on an album that they don’t enjoy.
2. The whole “Children’s Story”/”Definition” hypocrisy.
This typically whiny backpack protest song about the evils of Puff Daddy, set over an awful ‘live’ Shawn J. Period production during his “I’m not sampling anymore” era, complains about beat-jacking despite the fact that two tracks earlier the crew rapped over a flip of BDP‘s “Remix For The P Is Free” beat and “borrow” several classic hooks.
3. They recruit Punch, Words and Jane Doe for the posse cut.
They had access to label mates Scaramanga, B-1 and Pharaohe Monch, but chose these three cornballs?
4. It’s painfully earnest.
I appreciate that Black Star were making a conscious effort to bring some, erm, conscious rap back into the mix, but most songs wear the Backpack Rap insignia so proudly that even Joey Badass would be embarrassed to remake one of these songs.
5. Too many coffee shop beats.
The majority of the production sounds like it was tailored for an afternoon of shopping at Bed, Bath and Beyond with the dame you met at the food co-op.
6. Mos Def isn’t as great as he thinks he is.
Yasiin Bey has a troubling tendency to launch into warbling at every opportunity, which I can’t support. The only rappers who have a pass to sing from time to time are Biz Markie, Nas and Q-Tip. The audacity to record that wack remake of Slick Rick‘s classic is never forgiven action, like writing “WAR” on Fat Albert. It’s only because Kweli sounds so sloppy that Mos comes off as halfway decent by comparison on the majority of the tracks.
While I was unable to return the Black Star album since I copped it via mail-order, I was able to ebay it for twice what I paid for it the following week and would never have to endure it ever again. Gotta love happy endings.
Hahaha! I loved that album..
what’s a granola bar/can i pick one up at woolies or coles?
btw not fashionable but have a definite soft spot for black star and the first mos and kweli lps – was a young bloke when they came out, impressionable age, summer fun, etc. and fwiw kweli was unlistenable post quality.
Definitely cosign this piece. I still champion the B-1 12″es but most of the other stuff on Rawkus was garbage.
No sir menelik was a true cornball and talib still sucks
I should have said Scaramanga. Same dude but he raps better in that persona.
Wasn’t scaramanga on sun large records? And you’re right that black star album was garbage
This album influential to alota artists from this era .. It showed that it was dope to be a wordsmith .. The album Kept a steady vibe and it held a postive light .. The beats r loopy but catchy very creative .. These r two real emcees .. And this is real hiphop …
Rawkus records soundbombing 2 is one of my favorite albums of all time
#realhiphop
Technically, but it was the same person.
What are you on? No matter what you this shit is certified classic! You still have Young Thug & Rich Homie Quan coming soon. Funny ass nigga!
Besides respiration this albums pretty overated. I think because of the era it came out in it gets held in higher regard than it deserves, but in all honesty most of the bad boy and cash money stuff around this time is way better…let the hate begin.
One of the best albums of that era. To each his own, I guess
Black Star rapped over “P is Free” from BDP, NOT “9 MM Goes Bang”.
Well spotted.
Thank God for this site I felt guilty for years for not thinking this album is classic
To me i love the singles and brown skin lady but the rest has always meh meh to me…the Reflection Eternal single and the Mos Def Rawkus joints are fuckin classics though!!!! The first Mos Def and Reflection albums fuckin bang too….As far as B1 i couldnt really fuck wit his shit after i didnt hear Large Pro after the fuckin sticker on the single said featurin large Pro lol….Now that Scaramanga joint was the shit though..
Damn…. I love it when over rated albums get called out. I thought the album was somewhere between nice and dope. But def not a classic. Mos Def got on my nerves at certain points. Always thought Talib was dope but lost it for him after he got too wrapped up in that “Just to get by” phase, which he never came out of. Mos Def only has one dope album imo. Both emcees have dropped some dope singles since then but not any dope albums.
I think the passage of time is the best judge of quality. I bought this album when it came out, and I haven’t listened to it in this millenium.
Helle year. Lawals felt the same Way
Seven eyes seven horns classic that alphabetic hammer gives me a hip hop high…mos def the ecstatic was ill it had a slick rick appearance
Kweli was always trying so hard to sound complex, conscious, and next level and just came off like a a preachy, pompous douche. You’re right on the money with that cramming words shit, I hated that. There’s no grace to his style. His annoying ass nasal voice and cadence makes me cringe, and want to slap anyone who tells me that Kweli is their favorite MC. I admire him for what he’s trying to get across, but he fails at it miserably IMO.
thanks you… a few decent songs, but overall, WACK!!!
ITS OFFICIAL, I’M OLD. I ROCS WITH THIS ALBUM TILL THIS DAY.
@timothy billups I thought I was the only one feeling guilty that I didn’t like this album.
LAWWWWDDD Hav Mercy….Follow me now, see Robbie; he is trolling HipHop! Anybody shits on this Classic is fuckin trolling HipHop!
I didn’t even let you infect my mind by reading this shit GTFOH brah !
NOsign this blatant f__kery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ViV0vt2XSU
whut the fuc u talkin bout?
I still fux with that Definition song. Kweli hasn’t really made a decent album since the first one with Hi-Tek. “It’s time for people outside our community to stop telling us how to feel about” Black Star. No but really though I think a lot of us were grasping for any “realness” post Biggie/2Pac era when Bad Boy was owning disco rap, rawkus started to make a name for itself leading into the eventual rise and total industry takeover of pop rap acts like Nelly, Ja Rule, etc. etc. Most of Sir Menelik/Scaramanga stuff suffered from a badger or perhaps intelligent seahorse being responsible for the sound engineering even though the lyrics were top shelf.
RE: “The only rappers who have a pass to sing from time to time are Biz Markie, Nas and Q-Tip.”
Agreed!! I laughed hard when I read that – but I’d give an additional ‘singing pass’ to NICE & SMOOTH.
Erick Sermon sang beautifully on Unfinished Business.
A creative way to chastise a album that was released in 1998. A reach.
Also, I’ll say it before and I’ll say it again, Ghostface Killah has the voice of an angel.
“Dude sounds like he’s reading his rhymes straight off his recycled paper notebook, granola bar crumbs and all.” The last part made me laugh out loud. Good one, Robbie.
This article was too funny, Robbie. “The majority of the production sounds like it was tailored for an afternoon of shopping at Bed, Bath and Beyond with the dame you met at the food co-op,” bwahaaahahahahaha!
Can’t clap to this one … this is a dope LP … Mos Def is a beast … Pharoahe wasn’t yet signed to Rawkus officially when it was being made … Menelik wasn’t any better in terms of lyrics or swagger than any of the guests featured on “Twice Inna Lifetime” ….
agree on the “CS” hypocrisy to a degree … but let’s not act like Puff making music and becoming the biggest star in hip-hop didn’t (understandably) jar many core fans of hip-hop music …
I hated that entire Rawkus era, especially “The High And Mighty.” 2 self appointed “hip hoppers” who were wack as fuck and paid for features in a desperate attempt to gain credibility.
I fucked wit high n mighty…cant front on Open Mic Night and The Meaning….shit did get tired though after the first Eastern Conf comp….not to mention the nail in the coffin Masta Ace dis thats about as big a death blow as polka dot shirts..
Decent album, I’m indifferent to it. I believe it has aged well since the Rawkus Era, especially when compared to a lot of the material coming out today, but I barely play it twice a year.
I don’t think it’s a classic or anything like that, but I’ve always really liked the album since it came out. It’s still an album I listen to every now and then and it’s aged very well. 7/10
p.s. I loved most of the Rawkus shit and in general that was a pretty dope time period in Hiphop. *shrugs*
No love for high and mighty ..air force one and 12 man e.c.volume 3….all better than blackstar
It took two of them and they still couldn’t manage a decent Common Sense impression!
The album was decent…but far from a classic! At the time it was a much needed album both Mos and Kweli were releasing dope 12″ vinyls and to have them collab, definitely was a good thing for the underground hip hop movement in NYC! The Childrens Story joint was meh but some good tracks on there!.
I disagree. That Black Star album was Fly. I am not saying it is a classic but it was a good album with good messages. I put it before 2 PAC or the overrated dog pound or bone thugs and harmony, master p or any of that country garbage.
You buggin Punch and Words corny? They were and are true lyrical MCs and I would put their music above 95% the albums out in that period. I thought Talib and Mos solo albums were a let down compared to this. But hey I hated the chronic and eggy style. Corny albums!!
I dunno to each his own but this is way better than any Eminem album or 2 PAC bullshit.
To each their own. Respect.
Black Star live shows…now those are CLASSIC !!!
Mos Def’song “Umi Says” is an amazing record that features Mos singing. Stop frontin. He can harmonize and still drop a verse.
I heard the album when it came out. It was a letdown mostly because of beats. Th beats were definetly coffee shop, not hard hitting. But it had gems in it.I Their lyrics are on point. I have a fare share of Hydra and Tru Criminal records. I like that ignorant street rap, but I also like conscious rap. It is all about balance. Don’t hate on punch and words, they were great punch lines rappers from the Lyricist Lounge era class. Listen to Wordsworth punch line when he says “Rhyme about you dialing 9, just to get a line out” damn!.
@Dj Davito 10.02.14
Yo big up to DJ Davito. I till listen to “The intervention” mixtape from 2008. The mixtape had crazy heatrocks. It was the first time I’ve heard a guy named Action Bronson on “Swiss Alps”. Classic!
talib has all the best intentions but he’s just not that talented or smart. Dante is much the better musician but more than half a crackpot and not 1/100th the actor Roscoe Lee Browne was.
Also, however, Fizzy Womack is a good singer, just need to wash the stink of Termanology off him and…
LOL guess I’m not the only one who has an less than enthused opinion on a classic album…
…I really love this album but, to each his own.
File this under the same absurd and embarrassing misjudgment you penned of Illmatic (not that this album is even 15% the masterpiece that illmatic was). Just peep Yasiin’s lyrics on redefinition, respiration and thieves in the night and if you don’t think those are nicer than 98% of verses (give or take a few percent depending on your taste) spat before or since you’re wylin. Mos is a lyrical beast, not to mention being a very passable crooner (see Umi Says, Kalifornia, Lifetime and Travellin Man [also obscene verses on this track]). your critiques of Kweli, while harsh, are credible. First Reflection Eternal album is dope though
Way late on this…
Overall, this album is overrated – but that’s because it’s “the golden” to a younger generation that never lived through any of the real golden age.
When these two are at their best, they are making really dope music. When they are not, they are making music that is basically what a yonger rap fan who didn’t live through the golden era thinks authentic newer rap should sound like.
And, both are present on this album.
Astronomy, Thieves in the Night, Definition, Respiration, and Re-Definition are all dope.
The other tracks range from passable to “trying to hard to prove your roots.”
I appreciate what Rawkus was trying to do – and overall, their imprint on hip hop is a positive one, but most of it is derivative by nature, through no fault of their own.
Don’t get me started on B-1. It’s one thing when a dude is just generally slept on. But, this dude was so slept on that there isn’t even near enough B-1 music to satisfy my desire to hear the man rhyme. …My dude actually had B-1’s son in his class a year or two ago, and talked to his son about, “your dad is ridiculously ill on the mic.”
BTW, Black on Both Sides is literally a top 10 album of all time to me. I skip Umi Says every time, but the best shit on that album is so good, it can have a skip song and still one of my favorite albums of all time.