It’s been 24 (yes, twenty-four) years since Talib Kweli and a then-named Mos Def liberated their debut album as the Brooklyn duo Black Star. Considered a bonafide hip hop classic, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star contained 13 songs and additional assists from Weldon Irvine, Vinia Mojica, Apani B Fly, Punch & Words, Jane Doe, and Common, the last of whom assisted on the timeless ode to the inner city “Respiration.” Since then, Kweli and the man now known as Yasiin Bey continued to blossom as solo artists, creating iconic discographies and trading bars with the top lyricists of the culture. During this period, lucky fans would see them occasionally reunite — more recent years would also see the Kweli giving updates to a new Black Star project.
Today (May 3), the wait is officially over, as Kweli and Bey have now unveiled their sophomore LP No Fear of Time, a nine-song offering with notable contributions from Yummy Bingham, Black Thought, and Madlib, the last of whom handled the album’s production duties. In order to have a listen, one will need to subscribe to the podcast network Luminary, the same place where the Black Star members hold court alongside Dave Chappelle on the successful show “The Midnight Miracle.”
In addition to No Fear of Time, Kweli recently checked in with NPR to speak more on the project and their unique decision to make it available on a single platform. He also explains the album’s title in detail:
“I would say that the main message is “no fear of time” — to not let time, money, clout, trends dictate how you move. And to be closer to whatever your core is, whether it’s a belief in God, whether it’s a set of morals that you follow. Getting closer to what your core is.”
With that, you can press play on No Fear of Time over at Luminary.