Black Star on 'SNL': What to Know About the Legendary Rap Duo

By Michael Hein

The legendary hip-hop duo Black Star is the musical guest on Saturday Night Live this week, and hopefully they will be picking up plenty of new fans when they hit the national stage. The group seem to be a natural compliment to host Dave Chappelle, who often champions Black American artists of his own generation. Like Chappelle, Black Star also had a long period of inactivity that left fans confused.

Black Star is made up of rappers Yasiin Bey (a.k.a. Mos Def) and Talib Kweli. They formed the group in Brooklyn, New York in 1996, in the context of NYC's underground rap music scene. They released one album in 1998 to critical praise, then went on to separate solo careers that were greatly successful. Now, the duo has reunited for a second album released earlier this year.

Black Star's debut album in the 90s was called Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, and its lead single was "Definition." Its best-known song is probably "Respiration (Featuring Common)." The album is generally very positive and thoughtful, with some moments of philosophical contemplation. It includes subtle jazz influences but plenty of nods to contemporary acts like Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. as well.

The duo's belated follow-up album is called No Fear of Time, and it was released on May 3, 2022 exclusively on the podcasting platform Luminary. Fans can find it there for free on the ad-supported tier or they can subscribe for $4.99 per month. The album has generally positive ratings, although critics can't help but point out the relative obscurity of its streaming home. Hopefully some notoriety from SNL can remedy that situation.

To fans, Yasiin Bey is better known by the stage name Mos Def. He has had a wide-ranging career in the music industry as well as the TV and movie industry. He played Ford Prefect in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, for example. All the while, when asked about Black Star he assured fans that he and Kweli would get back to the project some day.

Meanwhile, outside of Black Star Kweli is best known for collaborating with some of the biggest names in the music industry including Kanye West, both as a rapper and as the founder of Javotti Media. His work has often had strong social messaging, particularly when it comes to police brutality and racial profiling.

This makes him Black Star a natural fit for Chappelle, who is hosting SNL for the third time on the episode immediately after a U.S. election. The broadcast begins at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. It will be streaming afterward on Peacock and Hulu.

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