After their upcoming Saturday Night Live performance, Talib Kweli and yasiin bey will be reuniting as Black Star for their first full-length set in New York after almost a decade. On November 15, the pair will be performing at Sony Hall at 11:59pm. The show comes on the heels of their debut SNL performance, hosted by Dave Chappelle on November 12.
Shop the best of iconic hip-hop titles on vinyl and more.
Earlier this year, Black Star released their heavily anticipated second album, No Fear of Time, exclusively available via the podcasting network Luminary. Entirely produced by Madlib, the project was their first release as Black Star in 24 years, following Mos Def & Taalib Kweli Are Black Star. This summer, the duo also performed at the Blue Note Napa Festival, performing alongside hip-hop’s most seminal acts, including Robert Glasper, Dave Chappelle, Thundercat, Flying Lotus, and more.
Although they only have two projects as a duo within their respective discographies, Black Star have become one of the most revered duos within New York, frequently dubbed “the best alliance in hip-hop.” Outside of pushing the production of boom-bap to become more animated and extraterrestrial, Black Star were the first hip-hop group to exclusively release a full-length album exclusively on Luminary. The site is also the home of bey and Kweli’s other projects, including the pair’s Luminary Original Show, The Midnight Miracle, with Dave Chappelle. Talib Kweli is also the host of the Luminary/UPROXX Original People’s Party.
This new Black Star album is a result of years of waiting and teasing by Madlib, announcing in multiple interviews and DJ sets claiming, “Black Star 2 on the way.” After the album’s May 3 release, the duo have rarely performed, making these pair of New York performances a rare sighting.
When discussing their upcoming appearance on SNL, Chappelle explains the significance of Black Star reuniting : “I can’t recall seeing a more hip-hop, a more independent group than Black Star to ever do SNL, so I’m definitely excited to represent for the culture.”
