More than 20 years on, one of the most long-awaited hip-hop albums is on the way, with Madlib revealing that a new Black Star album in on the way.
Back in 1998, the hip-hop world was shaken to its core by the release of an album by Black Star. A rap duo consisting of Yasiin Bey (then known as Mos Def) and Talib Kweli, the record was a major critical success, though it didn’t sell as well as it should have.
Since then, fans have wondered when the pair may work together for a new record. Although the project is still active, Bey and Kweli have only released a handful of standalone tracks under the Black Star moniker, raising anticipation for a new album along the way.
Now, producer Madlib has all but confirmed that the new record is set to arrive, confirming the news during an appearance on Gilles Peterson‘s Worldwide FM podcast with manager Egon.
As Hip Hop DX reports, the pair confirmed the impending release of the album, with Madlib noting that his next project is “probably [the] Black Star album with Mos Def and Talib Kweli.”
“We’re mixing that right now,” added Egon.
Check out Madlib appearing on Giles Peterson’s Worldwide FM podcast:
This news comes after a year of conflicting reports regarding the new record, with Madlib claiming that a new Black Star album would be released in 2018.
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Announcing the news during his performance in Denver, Colorado, Talib Kweli sadly let fans down by noting that “I found out on the internet the same way y’all did.”
“We’ve been talking about doing an album with Madlib for years,” he added. “That’s been an idea we’ve had for so long, but for him to make that announcement…I didn’t know he was going to make the announcement.”
Earlier this month though, it appeared that Kweli had undertaken a rather busy year, confirming that now only was a new record from Black Star a reality, but that it was already done.
“This project with Madlib is done,” Kweli revealed during Ebro Darden’s Beats 1 Radio show. “We just trying to figure out when and how to release it.
“That’s a confirmed thing, I listen to it all the time.”
While it remains to be seen just when we’ll actually be hearing the new Black Star record, the fact remains that after 21 years of waiting for a follow-up, its release appears to be imminent.
Check out ‘Definition’ by Black Star:
