Black Star

Rolling Stone (10/29/98, p.77) - 3 Stars (out of 5) - "...not only an eagerly awaited rap album but also a desperately needed one....Black Star are socially conscious and lyrically sound--with their hearts close to the underground." Entertainment Weekly (10/23/98, p.80) - "...Mixing rugged street beats and rhymes brainy enough for boho B-boys (they cite literary references and quote Nina Simone) makes this Black Star shine bright." - Rating: A- The Wire (1/99, p.27) - Included in Wire's "50 Records Of The Year [1998]" CMJ (1/11/99, pp.5-6) - "...Mos Def and Talib Kweli truly are 'the best alliance in hip-hop,' with Mos's stylized, grainy delivery serving as yang to the smart, spoken words of Kweli's yin..." The Source (11/98, p.198) - 3.5 Mics (out of 5) - "...With a delicate balance of Black Nationalism, well-chosen interludes and lyrics to go, high-pitched metaphor specialist Kweli and straight-up showman Mos prove that they're more than just 'lyrically handsome'..."