[Mos Def] Against the canvas of the night Appears a curious celestial phenomena called Black Star, but what is it?
[Talib Kweli] Black people unite and let's all get down We got to have what? We got to have that love
[Mos Def] What is the Black Star? Is it the cat with the black shades, the black car? Is it shinin from very far, to where you are? It is commonplace and different Intimate and distant Fresher than an infant
[Talib Kweli] Black, my family thick, like they're striped molasses Star, on the rise, in the eyes of the masses Black is the color of my true love's hair Star's are bright, shining, hot balls of air
[Mos Def] Black like my baby girl's stare Black like the veil that the muslimina wear Black like the planet that they fear, why they scared? Black like the slave ship that later brought us here Black like the cheeks that are roadways for tears that leave black faces well traveled with years Black like assassin crosshairs Blacker than my granddaddy armchair He never really got no time to chill there Cause this life is warfare, warfare
[Talib Kweli] Deep on the front lines, and blacks is all there Black like the perception of who, on welfare Black like faces at the bottom of the well I've been there before To bring the light and heat it up like la cocina Make without imagine happen but maybe I'm just a dreamer I love rockin tracks like John Coltrane love Naema
[M] Like the student love the teacher [T] Like the prophet love Khadeja [M] Like I love my baby features [A] Like the creator love all creatures
[Talib Kweli] Who acknowledge truth and peace seekers We on point like heat seekers Targettin the black marketing strategists Run up on em with the heaters Everybody followin with no leaders Feelin like we killin ourselves because I know they can't defeat us It don't stop til we complete this, keep this fly There's so much to life when you just stay Black and God
[Mos Def] Blacker than the nighttime sky of Bed-Stuy in July Blacker than the seed in the blackberry pie Blacker than the middle of my eye Black like feh-lah man cry Some man wan ask Who am I? I simply reply, The U.N.I., V.E.R.S.A.L. Magnetic Work to respect the angelic, climb the mountaintop and tell it til the valley's enveloped You're full of big chat but you nah know me I'm dark like the side of the moon you don't see when the moon shine newly
[M] You know who else is a Black Star? (Who?) Me [T] You know who else is a Black Star? (Who?) Me [A] You know who else is a Black Star, who we? (And we) [A] be shinin and shinin, when we rhymin and rhymin We be shinin and shinin, when we rhymin and rhymin
[Mos Def] Now everybody hop on the one, the sounds of the two It's the third eye vision, five side dimension The 8th Light, is gonna shine bright tonight It's the third eye vision, five side dimension
[T] You know the light [M] Go from the dark [T] The other way is ass-backwards [M] It's absurd [T] Make you wanna crow like a blackbird [M] That's right [T] You livin from your first day to your last night [T] Sometimes you show your ass like [M] Lint on your clothes [T] When you froze in [A] THE BLACK LIGHT