Black Star - No Fear of Time

Nearly a quarter century after their landmark debut, Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli reunited as Black Star for No Fear of Time, a 2022 album produced from start to finish by Madlib.

The original Black Star record from 1998 became a cornerstone of lyric-first, socially conscious hip-hop, and fans waited a very long time for a follow-up. When it finally came, it arrived quietly, first released on a podcast platform before reaching physical formats. The duo recorded much of it on the road, in hotel rooms and backstage at Dave Chappelle's shows, and that loose, unhurried spirit runs through every bar.

Madlib's beats are dusty, crackling and full of left turns, flipping reggae, jazz and Indian film music into hazy, off-kilter loops. So Be It is sharp and meditative, with both MCs sounding relaxed and locked in. Freequency brings Black Thought aboard for the album's longest stretch, a winding, generous exchange of verses, and the title track No Fear of Time closes things with Yummy Bingham's soulful voice floating over the final loop.

At nine tracks and around half an hour, it is concise and dense with ideas, the work of two veterans with nothing left to prove.

For crate diggers and longtime fans alike, this is a reunion that honors the original.