The Black Star Movement

True hip-hop resides in the underground. This statement, of course, comes as no surprise to hip-hop aficionados, a group to which admittedly I do not belong. Still, I have a keen sense of what transcends the genre and what wallows in mediocrity. This isn't to say "recognized" rappers don't produce heady, innovative material. (Guys like Nas, Tupac and Biggie have enormous crossover appeal, while at the same time maintaining their credibility as artists and rappers.) But it does mean the fringe players -- the ones that elicit the "I've heard of him, but I don't really know his stuff" response -- often release, however unheralded, the cleanest, most earnest, most important music.

Mainstream rap exhibits none of the tenets upon wich the hip-hop genre was built. Run DMC and Public Enemy wanted rap to be socially conscious and politically biting. Today, the standard "radio rap" focuses on money, women and the generic "bling." Hip-hop has devolved from a forward-thinking world that featured A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and Gang Starr into a homogenized, bursting-at-the-seams, overall mess. There's little to distinguish between rappers. How many studded necklaces do they wear? How many scantily clad women are in the videos? How many cars do they drive? Today's effete assembly of rappers include such tedious acts as Lil' Wayne, Lil' Jon, Bow Wow, Nelly, DMX, 50 Cent, P. Diddy, and the ringleader of this motley crue, Jay-Z, the most overrated, overwrought, self-indulgent, talentless act in rap history.

The state of hip-hop has gotten so bad that Common took aim at the music and released a stinging verbal indictment in his song Chi City off his newest album Be. In two separate verses, he raps: "I wonder if these whack niggaz realize they whack/And they the reason that my people say they tired of rap." And then, he offers an even more cutting commentary: "A black figure...in the middle of chaos and gunfire/So many raps about rims, surprised niggaz ain't become tires."

I've become increasingly fed up with the hip-hop albums being pushed on the public. The radio overplays what ultimately equates to garbage. Do they play Talib Kweli or Common or Mos Def? Hell no. Kweli recognizes as much in his song Back Up Offa Me off his album The Beautiful Struggle. He says, "Radio suckers never play me 'cause I don't let 'em/They like a pimp, only hos sweat 'em."

So, that leads me into my top five list of hip-hop albums. In order, they are:

1. Nas -- Illmatic
2. Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star -- Black Star
3. The Roots -- Illadelph Halflife
4. Common -- Like Water for Chocolate
5. Gang Starr -- Moment of Truth

I'm going to review each hip-hop album listed in a five-part series, and today, I'll start with Black Star.

Black Star, released in 1998, combines the unique talents of Mos Def, who's more well-known for his acting prowess these days, and Talib Kweli, a perennial undergrounder, who receives respect from rappers in all circles. Both are underrated and unappreciated MC's who showcase their flawless abilities on the only album they released as a duo. It's a 13-track effort with only two-throw aways, one an intro and the other more or less an interval. A funky bass riff underlies the deft scratching on their cut Astronomy (8th Light). They have fun with the back-and-forth style popularized by Redman and Method Man. They eschew the typical three verse, three chorus set-up as they take turns grabbing the mic. It's an empowering track for black people, almost a call to arms to get together and unite as one. But they do it in a fun way. Mos Def: "Black like the slave ship that later brought us here/Black like the cheeks that are roadways for tears/that leave black faces well traveled with years." They follow with the track Definition, dedicated to, sure enough, defining who they are for the purposes of this album. This is essentially an introduction to the group, and as they say, they are the "best alliance in hip-hop." The rest of the album proves them correct beyond a doubt. The next song is called RE:Definition, a rougher, more abrasive follow up to Definition, as they provide the listener with a more hard-edged portrait of the duo.

Children's Story features only Mos Def (each rapper has one track to himself on the album), and paints a gripping narrative that chronicles a wayward youth, who succumbs to the pratfalls of money and fame. It starts, "Once upon a time not long ago/When people wore Adidas and lived life slow/When laws were stern and justice stood/And people was behavin' like hip-hop was good/There lived a little boy who was misled/By a little Sha-tan and this is what he said/'Me and you kid we gonna make some cash/Jackin' old beats and makin' the dash.' " This socially-driven track illustrates a perfect example of all that hip-hop should be, yet sadly, it only provides a frustrating contrast to all the crap that's on the radio these days. Most rappers would do well to go back eight years and take another listen to this song. The next song, Brown Skin Lady, is about women. Read that again. It's about women, not bitches. It's not the traditional hip-hop version and vision of females. No, it treats women as people with worth. Who knew rappers were allowed to write songs like this? Kweli says, "DAMN SHE'S FINE, I think I add the R-E, in front of that/and see if she D, to get, with a cat like me."

B Boys Will B Boys is a short, fun track. Mos Def and Kweli alternate lines briefly at the end of the song in rapid-fire fashion. K.O.S. (Determination), Kweli's solo effort on the album, follows. Kweli implores the black youth to dedicate their lives to education and self-determination. He pens a song explaining the power they hold to set the course their lives will take. Don't roll over, stand tall, persist and prevail: "At exactly which point do you start to realize/That life without knowledge is, death in disguise?/That's why, Knowledge Of Self is like life after death/Apply it, to your life, let destiny manifest." In Hater Players, Black Star fulminates against the state of hip-hop and wannabe rappers that have infested the business. This track exhibits the most raw emotion on the album, as Kweli and Mos demonstrate the more vitriolic aspects of their personalities. Kweli says, "I'm like shot clocks, interstate cops, and blood clots/My point is, your flow can stop!" Mos Def raps, "My, method is unorthodox, but of course it rocks/My serious synopsis will drop kick, my topics/run the gauntlets and galvanize the audience/I must represent, I don't come off with no corniness."

On Respiration, Black Star employs Common, the Chicago-based MC, who provides a strong third verse to this track about life in the city. When a writer -- be it a journalist or author -- can provide a description so vivid that it paints a picture in the head of the reader, he's provided an indelible and impressionable memory. Some rappers have the uncanny ability to pen narratives so descriptive that the listener gets lost in the song. Nas is widely considered the best story-telling rapper, but the trio on Respiration construct a strong, imaginative, yet nonfiction, story. Mos Def: "You either make a way or stay sobbin, the Shiny Apple/is bruised but sweet and if you choose to eat/You could lose your teeth, many crews retreat." The next song, Thieves in the Night, is the best track on the album, and one of the best hip-hop songs ever produced. A line from the chorus says it all: "Hidin' like thieves in the night from life/Illusions of oasis makin you look twice." This track catalogs the difficulties that life often thrusts on all of us from time to time. How you handle that adversity ultimately defines your character. This is a heady topic, but Black Star handles it with dexterity and ingenuity. The album ends with Twice Inna Lifetime featuring Jane Doe and Punch & Words, more of a catchy, party song, and a perfect closing track following the emotional K.O.S., Hater Players, Respiration and Thieves in the Night.

It's rare that an album resonates so clearly and perfectly with me, but Black Star's eponymous effort does. It's an eight-year-old album that reverberates even in today's culture. The great works never grow old or lose relevance.

The next installment will be Illmatic.