Madlib is a super lowkey icon but he was performing a DJ gig in Denver last night and he brought out Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def), who leaked the news that a new Black Star album, produced by Madlib would be coming this year.
Black Star is the duo of Mos Def and Talib Kweli who made history and a legendary album with their one and only album Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star back in 1998. It’s the seminal album that broke the former New York freestylers into salient hip hop artists. A sequel album has been rumored and talked about many of times because Yasiin and Talib are still great friends but they’ve just focused on their solo careers and other endeavors since their album together.
Now let me throw my skepticism into the room. This isn’t the first time a new album’s been talked about. Back in 2011 they dropped the singles “Fix Up” and “You Already Know” and promised that a new album was in the works. Both songs were incredible, which put the anticipation high but that was the last we heard from the two of them. After all, this could’ve just been a drunken Yasiin trying to say that he Talib and Madlib had cut a few tracks and were putting together the pieces of an album. We all say optimistic things when we’re drunk right?
But this could also be a very real thing and that’s what I’m sticking with. Madlib‘s seemingly got his Bandana album with Freddie Gibbs coming out this year as well but the man’s a mad scientist. He’s got thousands of beats on ice and he’s constantly creating more. After all, Yasiin’s free from South Africa now, he’s been seen around Kanye more than a couple times and he’s out and about looking like he’s in a good, creative space. Go ahead and listen to the clip of Yasiin announcing the album down below.