1/2 of
Black Star.
1/2 of
Reflection Eternal.
All good.
An (insert positive adjective here) MC hailing from Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY.
A family man, and a proud father of two.
The name few people get right on the first try ("Kwilly? Kwa-...").
The name that means "Student Of Truth" in Arabic.
Longtime friend and partner in crime to Dante Smith (lead singer of Black Jack Johnson, also goes by Mos Def).
A man with many monikers as a musician:
First as "Black Star" (named after the shipping line started by Marcus Garvey) with Mos Def, then as Reflection Eternal (with DJ Hi-Tek), and most recently as himself.
And now for my two cents:
Lyrically, he`s a provocative and genuinely brilliant rapper, equally adept at spitfire speed or soft-spoken word. All of his rhymes (even from the songs I don`t like) always provoke a long-lasting chain (train?) of thought and introspection.
Not that his subject matter isn`t diverse; from the birth of his children, bling-blangers who scream "playa hater!", the importance of self-determination and knowledge, "the city as a living organism," and the somber introspection he`s well known for (not to mention the occasional love song).
And to think, he used to want to be in the MLB.
Discography:
As Black Star:
--Talib Kweli And Mos Def Are Black Star (1998), Rawkus Records/Priority Records
1. Intro
2. Astronomy (8th Light)
3. Definition
4. RE: DEFinition
5. Children`s Story
6. Brown Skin Lady
7. B Boys Will B Boys
8. K.O.S. (Determination)
9. Hater Players
10. Yo Yeah
11. Respiration
12. Thieves In The Night
13. Twice Inna Lifetime
As Reflection Eternal:
--Train Of Thought (2000), Rawkus Records
1. Experience Dedication (feat....Nelson Mandela???)
2. Move Somethin'
3. Some Kind Of Wonderful
4. The Blast
5. This Means You
6. Too Late
7. Memories Live
8. Africa Dream
9. Down For The Count (feat. Rah Digga, Xzibit)
10. Name Of The Game
11. Ghetto Afterlife (feat. Kool G Rap)
12. On My Way
13. Love Language (feat. Les Nubians)
14. Love Speakeasy
15. Soul Rebels (feat. De La Soul)
16. Eternalists
17. Big Nel From Da Natti
18. Touch You
19. Good Mourning
20. Expansion Outro
--Lyricist Lounge Vol. 1, Disc 2; "The Manifesto"
As himself:
--Quality (2002), Rawkus Records
1. Keynote Speaker
2. Rush
3. Get By
4. Shock Body
5. Gun Music (feat. Cocoa Brovaz)
6. Waitin` For The DJ (feat. Bilal)
7. Joy (feat. Mos Def)
8. Talk To You (Lil` Darlin`)
9. Guerilla Monsoon Rap (feat. Black Thought, Pharoahe Monch, Kanye West)
10. Put It In The Air
11. The Proud
12. Where Do We Go
13. Stand To The Side
14. Good To You
15. Won`t You Stay
--The Beautiful Struggle (2004), Geffen
1. Going Hard
2. Back Up Offa Me
3. Broken Glass
4. We Know(feat. Faith Evans)
5. A Game
6. I Try (feat. Mary J. Blige)
7. Around My Way (feat. John Legend)
8. We Got the Beat (feat. RES)
9. Work It Out
10. Ghetto Show (feat. Anthony Hamilton, Common)
11. Black Girl Pain
12. Never Been In Love
13. Beautiful Struggle
Sources: