Day 7: Beautiful

Well heidi hey, heidi ho! And how are you on this fine Tuesday morn? Hope you don't mind, we'll be taking the subway today. We'll be heading to Brooklyn circa 1998 to listen to 2 of New York, and Hip Hop's, finest emcees: Black Star. Scientifically speaking, Black Star is comprised of one part Mos Def, one part Talib Kweli, two of Hip Hop's foremost conscious emcees. After their album Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star dropped in 98, the pair went their separate ways, occasionally reuniting for a song here or there. Kweli has become a well respected lyricist, critically acclaimed artist, and at times garnered some commercial success. Mos Def, the much more commercially successful of the duo, has, besides releasing numerous albums, also appeared in countless films and TV shows, proving to be a superb actor. Joining them on this particular track is, the internationally known "Queen of Hip Hop Soul", Mary J. Blige.


Song: Beautiful
Artist: Black Star Ft. Mary J. Blige
Album: Unreleased (leaked via bootleg around 1998)

The track opens to find Mary J. Blige harmonizing while Mos Def and Talib Kweli chant rhythmically in the background. Mos rattles off the first verse in poetic fashion:

"I dream that I could paint you with words, but there were no colors bright enough, black or white enough, blue or green enough, it didn't mean enough"
..."I tried to practice my war like tactics, but in the clutch of your touch my armor just collapses"
... "My prayer is this: God protect my beloved and keep her covered, from the valley to the summer like the land undiscovered, like the stars are numbered you are so beautiful".

Kweli keeps it rolling with lyrics like:

"The breath for my life, my sister and my lover, used to have cold feet now you the warmth under my covers, I can't ignore your aura 'cause it grabbed me by the hand, like the moon pulled the tide and the tide pulled the sand".

In the third verse the duo continues to spit fire with unfettering fluidity, this time seamlessly switching back and forth like a crossfader. Pay close attention as Mos Def's voice fades out, Kweli's merges in and vice versa. From the start to the finish Beautiful is Real Hip Hop.

Listen to Beautiful here

View the lyrics here

If you liked Beautiful check out these albums: Train of Thought by Reflection Eternal, Black on Both Sides by Mos Def, and The Beautiful Struggle by Talib Kweli.

Well thanks for coming to visit Brooklyn circa 1998, be sure to catch a Yankee game before you leave town 'cause this is their year!
I added a poll up on the left side so you can let me know how I'm doing so far on the diversity front. Alright my friends, see ya next time!