13 Bands You Didn't Realise Were One Album Wonders
10. Black Star
Comprised of two of the most underrated emcees of all time, Mos Def and Talib Kweli, Black Star released their only album in 1998. Although youd easily be forgiven for mistaking it for 1988. Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star is a throwback album to the days of A Tribe Called Quest, Slick Rick and De La Soul. Words are the priority here, story-telling is at premium. That is in no way a knock on the beats though, Hi-Teks production is stark, simple and samples the likes of Gil Scott-Heron, Minnie Ripperton and Brian Jackson; its the perfect canvas for Mos and Kweli to paint on. As emcees, theyre underground purists. They reference Toni Morrison, the quote Nina Simone and bounce the beats back forth to one another like tennis players. This album strictly adheres to the four elements and it was the perfect to antithesis the Cash Money lifestyle that was emerging in the world of hip hop. Both emcees would go on to make brilliant solo albums post Black Star, Black on Both Sides and The Ecstatic for Mos Def and Quality and The Beautiful Struggle for Kweli are all spectacular. But theres just something magical about their chemistry as Black Star that manages to surpass their fantastic solo careers.