Black Star is Officially Back

Rejoice!

One of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time is back and will release its second album later this year.

That’s right, the duo of Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def), along with producer Madlib, are back with a new album, No Fear of Time, which is set to drop on May 3

The trio’s debut LP, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, was released in 1998 and is today widely considered a classic and influential record.

The new album will be exclusively released via the subscription platform Luminary.

“The new Black Star album was recorded in hotel rooms and dressing rooms across the globe,” said Kweli a few months back after teasing the possibility of new music. “I love how my brother [Yasiin Bey] pushes me musically.”

Luminary is also home to the duo’s podcast, The Midnight Miracle, which they host with comedian Dave Chappelle.

Kweli also said the process to make the new album was “very similar” to that which the rappers undertook for their 1998 album.

“There was one day we were just in a hotel listening to Madlib beats, and [Yasiin Bey was] like ‘Play that Madlib tape again,” said Kewli of the origins of the new LP. “I’m playing the beats and he starts doing rhymes to the beats. And that’s how we did the first song.”

“With No Fear of Time, Black Star has crafted an important record and a different kind of record release, partnering with Luminary—a cultural label that is becoming home for the world’s most thoughtful artists,” said Luminary CEO Rishi Malhotra.

Check out some of the classic songs from the original Black Star album, as well as a trailer for the new LP.

Photo courtesy Instagram