Artist: Black
Star
Song: Astronomy
(8th Light)
Album: Mos Def
and Talib Kweli are Black Star. 1998
Corrections by:
Joe Berhan. Note: These corrections are focused on capturing the M.C.'s true
intentions. Although there are numerous errors in the lyrics entered in the
Hip Hop Archives, Joe has focused only on significant errors in word choice,
etc. 3/22/01
[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 black strap 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 what I 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 die.
[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 till
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.
[M] Dead that
[T] Before you
get your head wrapped
[M] Like Badu
[T] We see through
your voodoo.
[T] Just like
Eve's Bayou, you dealin with that black magic.
[M] Try to civilize
you
[T] Not walk on
by you.
[M] Like civil-(lies
do get you black listed) it'll
[T] Be unlucky
for you like a black cat
[M] A panther.
[T] Revolution
is the answer.
[M] That's what
we need.
[T] Greed plague
my people like the cancer.
[M] True indeed.
[Mos Def]
Now black people
unite, and let's ALL GET DOWN
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.
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
Equalin' up to
eight, light shine bright.