“Escuchela…la ciudad respirando” the opening sample of Blackstar’s ‘Repiration’ translates to “Listen to it, the city breathing”. A perfect sample for a track that so perfectly captures the feeling of city life. Mos deliver the first verse giving listeners a strong visual of NYC laced with political commentary and intelligent metaphors, “The shiny Apple is bruised but sweet and if you choose to eat, you could lose your teeth, many crews retreat.” Kweli follows things up with a verse littered with quotables surrounding the perils of street life. A perfect depiction of personal struggles overlayed with the physical landscape. “Look in the skies for God, what you see besides the smog, is broken dreams flying away on the wings of the obscene.” Common closes things out taking us on a trip to Chicago that touches on everything from burying close friends, to riding the bus to feel closer to the city and finding it hard to imagine his homie having never left the city. Soak this in and take trip into the cold streets. Happy 17th anniversary to Blackstar’s Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star.
