Yasiin Bey Discusses Upcoming Black Star Projects With Talib Kweli

Post by Chelle Jones, Feb 1, 2012 at 10:57 am Speak Up0

The present day is the right time for Black Star to put out new work said one half of the group Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def. The rapper says that he is currently working on several solo projects, but added that he is excited about logging some studio time with his longtime friend and partner Talib Kweli.

Bey explained that he is recording his ongoing ‘Top 40 Underdog’ series for hip hop culture and compared his recent work to Jamaica’s Dancehall tradition and 50 Cent’s early mixtapes, adding that the project has also allowed him an opportunity to express himself in a new way. “I am doing this for the culture,” he noted. “The tradition, taking someone’s song and making your version out of it, is not new to Hip Hop. It is similar to Dancehall music, where there is one rhythm and many artists offer their interpretation of it. Covering songs is certainly in the DNA of the culture. 50 Cent, as a matter of fact, built his name in New York for a while doing just that. I also like the community mind aspect of it that it belongs to all of us. It basically gives and extends the life of our culture, our rhythm. Thus, this series is something that comes quite natural for me to do. I’ve done it before. Just look at ‘Children’s Story,’ or even my version of Jay-Z’s ‘Takeover’ in 2004. It is something that is really fun to do, you know, giving different perspectives on a familiar piece. There are a lot of songs on Top 40 Radio, not just in current day charts, that I have been a fan of and obviously my content is a lot different from what people would hear on Top 40 Radio to say the least. That being said, I am a fan of music and I seek for just another opportunity to express myself and give my point of view on certain things,” explained Yasiin Bey in an interview with Hypebeast.

The rapper also explained what it was like working with Kweli and compared their creative sessions to jazz collaborations where artists came together to complete a single project. “Talib and I have always worked on a project or song here and there ever since we started as Black Star. We always did shows together and whatnot. We have been close friends for at least 15 years now. There is no pressure whatsoever. We didn’t form our identities as solo artists to start the group. Kweli was a solo artist, I was a solo artist and we came together and produced Black Star much in the same tradition that you have seen with jazz collaborations. John Coltrane and Don Cherry teamed up with a group of artists to do one specific project. And that was the real intention behind Black Star. I like what this guy is doing. I have always liked his approach – his skill – and I like what he’s doing and what he has to say,” said Bey.

While Yasiin Bey says the two produce their collaborations without any pressure, he added that he was excited about working with Kweli on a new project and noted that there’s no time like the present for a Black Star comeback. “Now it feels like the right time for Black Star to come back. My sentiment was always like Black Star has always been a special time and space for both of us as men and artists. If we want to do it, then we have to do it for the right reasons. We don’t want to come back solely on the basis that people wanted it or a big check. In our professional and personal space we are very open and clear. Kweli is completely independent, no label, no obligation and it is good to have this full circle, having even more control to do what we actually want to do. I am excited,” says Yasiin Bey.