Black Star Has Released The Best Rap Album Of 2022 So Far – Ambrosia For Heads

Earlier this week (May 3), one of the most anticipated albums has released. Black StarsNo Fear Of Timearrived after nearly a quarter-century since the duos first and only other album,Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star. The two MCs havehinted towards a sophomore albumsporadically over the last four years,eventually revealing that Madlib produced it. Last month, a title, release date, and guests confirmed the event. Like Talib and Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def), Madlib is a product of the 1990s Underground Hip-Hop movement. WhereasMos and Talib helped galvanize Rawkus Records into a mainstream movement,Madlib and his Lootpack crew were staples of Stones Throw Records, which eventually became a creative home to J Dilla, MF DOOM, and others.

At present,No Fear Of Timeremains exclusive to Luminary, a podcast and audio platform that featuresKwelisThe Peoples PartyandYasiin, Kweli, and Dave ChappellesThe Midnight Miracle, where news surrounding the album was revealed last month. In 2022, all three artists are independent and using that freedom to combat the current digital streaming platform model. As the album trailer suggested, the two veteran MCs have reason to steer listeners away from the traditional DSPs. Yasiin has previously unveiled albums as art exhibits, while some of his back catalog is removed from platforms. UnlikeKanye WestsDonda 2move ordirect-to-consumer strategies from Roc Marciano(and others), fanscan legally accessNo Fear Of Timefor less than $5. However, time will tell if Black Stars distribution shifts and if that exclusivity alters the albums reach.

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No Fear Of Times merits are the subject of the latest episode oftheWhats The Headlinepodcast. TheAmbrosia For Headsteam goes track-by-track through the 33-minute album after setting the table for what Black Star means to Hip-Hop and the nearly quarter-century between releases. The conversation ultimately agrees that in a developing 2022, this is the best album to have been released so far. Over the last four months,AFHhas examined releases fromBenny The Butcher,Dreamville,Pusha-T,Snoop Dogg,Fly Anakin, and many others throughWhats The Headline. However, a tight concept, poetically wise lyricism, and ancient futurism in beats and rhymes makeNo Fear Of Timea compelling listen from three elite artists. Having no fear of time has led to a slow-cooked release that sounds like its process in a time of pressure and rushes. Notably, some ofthe announced guests(including Roc Marci) did not make the final nine songs, perhaps hinting at more Black Star music to come.

The Whats The Headline conversation also covers reports ofKendrick Lamars May release, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, being a potential double album, andPusha-TsIts Almost Dry, earning him his first #1 in a 20-plus-year career.

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The time codes for episode #82 of the Whats The Headline podcast (with hyperlinks to skip around):

0:00 Intro0:33 Recapping the history of Black Star and Rawkus Records 8:42 Reviewing the solo careers of Mos Def and Talib Kweli 12:40 Revisiting the Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star album 18:48 Black Stars No Fear Of Time album has been at least four years in the making24:25 Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli released No Fear Of Time exclusively on Luminary 32:59 Black Stars No Fear Of Time does not have curses35:30 Talib Kweli explains the meaning of the album title 39:13 Reviewing Black Stars No Fear Of Time song by song 41:36 o.G. 51:31 So be it 56:40 Sweetheart. Sweethard. Sweetodd.59:19 My favorite band 1:04:52 The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing 1:07:25 Yonders 1:11:06 Supreme alchemy1:15:32 Freequency featuring Black Thought1:17:00 No fear of time 1:19:41 Where does No Fear Of Time stand among albums Madlib has produced? 1:22:10 Where the album fits alongside Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star?1:23:58 Where Black Stars No Fear Of Time stands among the best Hip-Hop albums of 20221:27:10 Kendrick Lamars Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers may be two different albums 1:32:42 Pusha-T has his first #1 album with Its Almost Dry

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AFH readers can catch regular discussions about the culture on our Whats The Headline. The podcast also has interviews with Joell Ortiz, AZ, Blu & Mickey Factz, Kurupt, Evidence, Skyzoo, Pharoahe Monch, Prince Paul & Don Newkirk, Statik Selektah, Lyric Jones, The LOX, MC Eiht, Havoc, Duckwrth, photographer T. Eric Monroe, and Lord Finesse. All episodes of the show are available to view or for listening wherever you stream your pods.

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Black Star Has Released The Best Rap Album Of 2022 So Far - Ambrosia For Heads