On this day in Hip Hop history 28 years ago, Brooklyn MCs Mos Def and Talib Kweli joined forces as Black Star to release their landmark debut album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, through Rawkus Records, delivering a project that became synonymous with the resurgence of conscious, independent Hip Hop at the end of the 1990s.

Arriving during an era when shiny-suit aesthetics and increasingly commercial sounds commanded much of mainstream rap, Black Star represented another side of the culture. Rooted in sharp lyricism, Afrocentric thought, Black pride and an unmistakable respect for Hip Hop’s foundations, Mos Def and Kweli created an album that never needed to compromise its message to make an impact.

Both MCs were emerging from New York’s thriving underground scene, but their contrasting styles made the partnership special. Mos brought an effortless combination of rhyming, melody, humor and soul, while Kweli attacked tracks with dense rhyme patterns and an urgency that demanded attention. Together, their voices complemented one another without either MC surrendering his individual identity.

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