Although the archetype of Hip Hop usually comprises of a single emcee doin his thing over the instrumentals provided by the DJ, duos ultimately present a new element, an element that allows them to feed off of each other and fill in the gaps of the other member.Though there has been a number of successful Hip Hop pairs (Outkast, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, EPMD) for our money, Black Star, comprised of the legendary Mos Def ( who now goes by Yasiin Bey) and Talib Kweli deserved to be mentioned amongst the greats. With the appropriately titled Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star in hand, we’ve decided to take a look back at the legendary “Definition.”
Mos & Kweli have the kind of chemistry that rivals pairs from NBA Jam. To this day, I haven’t met a person who didn’t enjoy the track; the Brooklyn boys drop one of the most memorable hooks in their careers as Mos flows with the Hi-Tek beat, while Kweli drops facts on his strength behind the mic and how Black Star can’t compete with the struggle rappers of the time. If it’s been a while since you’ve bumped Black Star, Mos Def, or Talib Kweli, check out the video down below and make sure you catch that joke around the two minute mark.