4/5
Fear Of A Black Star Planet.
Fear not, Luminary's. If you air on the Neil Young and Joni Mitchell anti-Spotify side now Joe Rogan and his podcast of misinformation sounds like he smokes rocks and not the 'Chappelle Show' Tyrone Biggums character that appeared on his 'Fear Factor' show (this is not the first time he's been told to taste you know what). 'No Fear Of Time' is here for you in a time were Tower Records are being torn down (except here in the CD crazed Japan) and streams are being crossed like 'Ghostbusters' from Amazon to Apple Music. There was a time back in university, were if you weren't a 'College Dropout' like Kanye, your album might be pushed back further than this writers hairline (credit to The Game for this original line on trailblazing Portland basketball legend Clyde 'The Glyde' Drexler). Release dates for albums in stores would be anticipated on high, but these days rappers from Kanye to Drake drop like the bird excrement the Notorious one spat about. But how about 24 years? That's how old I was when I first got into these hip-hop legends that have just changed the world in 24 hours. And that's how many years it's been since the last album from the great, 'Black Star'. An act so classic we want to say Bowie named his last iconic album after them (we can't verify that, but we can dream). Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey (the artist formerly known as Mos) have released classic albums since then ('Reflection Eternal', 'Black On Both Sides', 'Eardrum', 'The New Danger' and so many more). Appeared on each others ('Supreme, Supreme' off Kweli's 'Beautiful Struggle'. 'History' off Def's 'The Ecstatic'). Given Mary J. Blige a truly 'Beautiful' remix. Reunited at Dave Chappelle's 'Block Party' like The Fugees (and even recorded a new 'Born and Raised' studio cut for the soundtrack). And even appeared in movies (Bey a bona-fide actor starring in many movies like '16 Blocks' alongside the great Bruce Willis we wish well in his retirement in from acting. What a hero). But now since 'Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star', this is the first time we look upon one since the great 1998.
Backpacks back on. Because the socially conscious legends that Kanye and even Jay-Z talked about in his 'Moment Of Clarity', breathe back out after holding in their 'Respiration' in Common for almost a quarter of a century. Even with the controversy that surrounds Kweli on social media, these two giants of the genre still have something to say. And, yes, we can't not address it and our concern for the situation between Talib and one of our favourite artists Res, who really made beautiful music together in this struggle. But we have talked recently on our brother blog 'Films For Fridays' from reviews about 'Fantastic Beasts' to 'Death On The Nile' that when we don't know the whole story it's hard to comment with any real clarity without looking like we're on some distancing, or virtue signalling s###. Plus denying a review of something when we try to cover everything we can because of one man, diminishes the hard work of others. We will just say this; bad, or even bullying behaviour should not have to be tolerated in any forms and should be dealt with in a way that is more than just another blogger sounding off on something he knows nothing about (let alone the fact that I'm hardly qualified to talk about this music thing). Let's all try and be better people. Learn from the many mistakes we make. Replace our anger to burn with understanding to learn and realise that even if we escape certain laws, rules or regulations. God sees everything. Everyone has a right to be safe. And everyone has the right to right their wrong. We wish we could put it a better way. But it sure looks like Kweli and Bey are trying to do that for music. Making this album a true exclusive and only available to those who subscribe to the Luminary podcast. A platform that also sees the pairs show with classic comedian Dave Chappelle. A man no stranger himself to recent controversy last year, although we really belive he was trying to make a more forgiving and unifying point with his humour (again, see, Harry Potter). But then that all came to a head and realisation of what's actually a joke and what's real abuse, when a fan went all Will Smith on him last week until Jamie Foxx stepped in with a sheriff's hat.
Rick James energy like a Reflection Eternal interlude, what did the five fingers say to the review? Just talk about the music, bitch! So heeere we go. Because this thing more than slaps as the kids say today. It's a classic worthy of the original greats like the grand return of A Tribe Called Quest (2016's 'We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service'). Sounding so innovative and throwback at the same time like new Wu-Tang, Wu-Tang. So old and new, like the traditional and modern Tokyo (or 'Conrad Tokyo' as Q-Tip put it). A half-hour of all power, no filler. Produced entirely by the music maestro Madlib. Now a frequent Kwe' collaborator on the boards like production partner 9th Wonder (racing around on the 'Indie 500' album), or the eternal Hi-Tek ('zilla) on Reflection. After their 2007 'Liberation' they briefly released for free (already ahead of the game before this podcast game changer) on MySpace of all social media outlets. Feel old yet? Because 'No Fear' will stand the test of time as these two 'o.G.'s trade bars. "Joy and pain, coin of the realm, both sides, racks/Such powerful current could make tears touch the eyes, facts/Grace for every morning, God opened up mine and thine, Alhamdulillah/We all on notice that any next moment could be the last time/You stand on this side, slow down, son, you're killing 'em/But only the phony because the real don't die, on God." To Talib stating his case, "I'm making it plain, I talk to 'em/Dissecting all the doors of perception, I walk through 'em/They think I'm arguing, I'm not talking to 'em, I talk through 'em/Way too many garbage humans, they sewage." All as Yasiin brings his beautiful singing back for the chorus. "I want to thank you for helping me reach the understanding/That time is relative 'cause the truth is everlasting," he repeats, as you put this one on the same. And this whole nine-track wonder plays the same, 'So Be It'. In a symphony of syncopated sound like 'Sweetheart, Sweethard, Sweetodd', one of the best things heard in years ("One said I'm too noble for simple love/Said the other, "Have you ever been noble enough?"/But, never mind, clever fool, I love you still"). Dimes over jewels. Raw lyrics over beats just as fresh. Ooh baby, ODB would have loved this. Popping shot like 'My Favorite Band'. Rocking over riffs and affirmations like 'The Main Thing Is To Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing'. Exactly. All the way to 'No Fear Of Time's' classic album title-track closer, Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey have changed the mainstream without being industry in these streams. This Black Star still beautiful with a new North. On 'Yonders' it's 'Supreme Alchemy' for your 'Supreme, Supreme'. Like they say with Bey, getting free on 'Freequency' with The Roots of Black Thought, "Bismillah/Reversing the misfortune by moving forward/Every direction is determined by intention/Life is a school for all of us without exception/24/7, seminars are in session, ha/Some serious studious, some class clowns/The reality like gravity shut that ass down/They laugh now then cry later and longer, ha/They told me ain't nothing growing without some water." Both real rappers and their guest's book of rhymes here is encyclopedia thick (f### a phone book). And why not? We've waited a long time for this story to be told on in the new American songbook. One that makes this genre as poetic for the people as Dylan. A Kobe or Kiefer number in years later. Black Star still shining. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: 'o.G', 'Sweetheart, Sweethard, Sweetodd', 'Freequency (Feat. Black Thought)'.
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