Blackstar - Thieves In The Night

[justgflo619]

Great track. I believe Mos Def most definitely kills it.

[Futang808]

Wake up Black youth

[shuriken86]

"I could give a damn if any fan recalls my legacy, I'm tryna live my life in the sight of God's memory"

[SSMONT3CARLO]

I love this song when I was in the 8th grade knew it word for word

[TheCorndogqueen]

dope ass song



[tcrizzle714]

when hiphop meant something

[Maximus2150]

@tcrizzle714 This is VERY recent stuff. Real hip hop still fights on man

[tcrizzle714]

@Maximus2150 really?! how recent? oh my god, this gives me so much hope

[Maximus2150]

@tcrizzle714 My bad man this song was released in '98 BUT Black Star has been actively droppin REAL hip hop since '97. So like I said before...real hip hop continues to fight on :-)

[TruMaster94]

This Song's So Real it Gives Me The Chills.

[nnomo7]

Mos brought it... the way he always seems to bring it. The guy has very few peers lyrically.

[uglyfacegeneral]

mos def caught the holy ghost on this song. one of the illest hiphop verses of all time. song is super deep.

[JakeRN1992]

This is my favorite hip hop song ever. The lyrics describe exactly how I see the world. It feels good to know i'm not the only one that sees through the social and societal bullshit.

[bigsoso20]

mos def's verse is my fave EVERRR

[drodism]

mos def's verse is one deep mothafukaaa

[HabbysCountdown]

Best hip hop song of all time.

[jongsin]

@HabbysCountdown its an amazing track, but isnt the G.O.A.T

[russodean2]

Of all time son. Big call haha

[russodean2]

love the song but

[Futang808]

WE WANT ANOTHER BLACKSTAR! WE NEED IT!

[OMGITSDRJESUS]

@Futang808 well that's me and a friend of mine.. you just wait lol

[senortico]

@Futang808 We are this year.

[bigsoso20]

mos def's verse is my fave verse ever!!! its just truth!!!

[gl0bal74]

Mos Def's verse = powerful perfection 

[yam2]

Taught a 9th grade class just on this song.

[mariolenard]

the realest song i know

[carale1986]

Cats got claws, a paw in everything. Else, a pawn. At worst, a dog. Setanta no longer, only the hound of Ulster. Warp spasm, shattered stylus, the one and newly the other. Samson can't hold what he can't grasp. Over his head; a crown unceremoniously stripped. Only he could see it was always inside. But that isn't for me. I'm just the writer. A ghost, in perfect parity to the machine.  Revenant and Dullahan, the infinite dominion of time and space, the immaterial and the material. Dimir

[LifeNesasioLife]

Miss Blackstar!!

[Braktooth]

Thanks for this. Blackstar is hip-hop.

[gadzuric69]

The best.

[amvd89]

Blackstar is the sickest combo since Madvillain...

[patmason893]

@amvd89 better than Madvillain.

I like Doom, but most of his rhymes make no sense at all.

He never says anything important

[MasterJaceBeats]

@amvd89 Older than Madvillian. This song was made in 97-98..

[SeanMcG95]

My favourite song of all time, never gets old...

[aligned576]

SEPARATE THE REAL FROM THE LIE..... THIS SONG HAS ALWAYS TOUCHED MY SOUL DEEPLY. THIS IS HIP-HOP. PURE AND UNALTERED. FIST IN THE AIR IF YOU NEED PURE HIP-HOP TO BREATHE.

[The139lenox]

Without faith. all of that is illusionary.

keep faith in hip hop. it aint dead. i hope .

[loganajoshua]

FIND THE BEAUTY IN THE HIDEOUS

[bmullen1]

I give a damn if any fan recall my legacy, im tryin to live life in the sight of God's memory, like that ya'll

[DayaReloaded]

@bmullen1 MANNNNNNNN i use this in LIFE

[MrBlackwings87]

Real recognize real. Look at the views.

[Youtagem]

lupe killer how poetic i like it

[TheHighwayRider]

As I watch the occupy crackdowns and casual police brutality on the Internet (the media is largely ignoring this). As I consider the SOPA, National Defense Authorization Act and increasing militarization of law enforcement I realize that we are living in a fascist police state.

[zakzero123]

just getting into these cats, whats some other good songs you guys recommend?

[Logicality]

@zakzero123 I can definitely recommend their album (If you haven't bought it already). There's a Mos Def CD called "We Are Hip Hop-Me, You, Everybody" that came out some years ago. It's a 4-CD set and there are a lot of unreleased joints from Mos Def, Blackstar and others with Mos Def on the track. I don't know how available it is now, but I'd give that a listen.

[zakzero123]

@Logicality Thanks alot, dude! i will definitely try and get ahold of those tracks! Merry christmas, bro!

[Logicality]

@zakzero123 Your Welcome! Merry Christmas to you too! Did you hear that new Roots album? "Undun" is a must-have!

[amedmido86]

this song is on the very top of my Itunes play list, 5 star rating baby!! This is Hip hop!

[areyouazombie]

first heard this album, I was living in L.A. on my emcee thang. Performing freestyle sets at club gabbah during set breaks for my homies, DISENFRANCHISED. Man, I remember we'd bump this in the ride on the way and back. Some nights when I walked, I remember the cool night breeze, strap on my headphones, lookin both ways (ha! cali traffic don't play!) walkin, freestylin to it. Hands and arms bruce lee swipin the air. START to FINISH. Man. See a cutie, say what's up (always one headphone off!) UHN!

[0709ae]

@areyouazombie lmao nigga you corny

[Kilosparks]

Spitting that articulate shit. Respects

[TheMrGebler]

As a teacher, a mother duding English literature teacher, I plan on teaching this song. its perfect, in so many ways. Message, alliteration, allusion; song has it all. What do we have now? Im not talkin about the music that is "hip hop", im talking about 'everything' we call art... its false with no substance... this shit is true, and will last forever.

[laughing31]

This is one of my favorite mos def songs for the longest time... decided to listen to it and realized it is very relevant for today... Blackstars were ahead of their time...#occupyeverything...

[cekc70]

10 people need to be smacked.

[Timmy123412]

@cekc70 make that 11

[kidzaretehbest]

Even though I have this CD I just wanted to here this right now... its just that good.

Also I was playing this while driving with my windows open in the rain last week. Great feeling.

[arth120]

awesome as fuck

[aliensupremacy]

for anyone one wondering why the name of the song is theives in the night because its a reference to the bible when it said jesus was gonna come during armaggeddon as unexpected as like a thief in the night thats why

[airborne87ful]

can't wait...Blackstar rocking Hawaii this Friday!!!

[xxD0p3]

@airborne87ful oahu?

[Hetkanookanders]

Real music, made by real people for real people. It,s important that we dont forget what the true esscense of Hip-Hop is.

Hip-Hop is the voice of those who don,t have a voice.True Hip-Hop is liberation and revolution of the soul. I,am asking everyone to boycot all Hip-Hop artist who projecting hate, violence and materialism. Stop buying or even download music of these artist. educate yourself with real music and books.

One World, One love from Amsterdam, The Netherlands- Hetkanookanders

[MrDecayzzz]

Mos' verse is one of the few I can rap from start to finish by memory.... this is one of the deepest hiphop tracks period.... right up there with 'one life' by Last Emperor with Too Poetic....

[aperturesandfstops]

Classic track, good times!

[kinggilo88]

i dont physically or mentally understand how u can dislike this song?

[coolidgejosiah]

One day I just woke up, got ready to go to school, played blackstar on my ipod and realized, almost instantaneously, "Holy crap, I freaking love blackstar...so so much."

[bakedgood420]

is illogic ft. in the beginning?

[lautour]

"we were not compassionate, we were polite; not good but well behaved, and hid like thieves from life. We substituted good grammar for intellect, we switched habits to simulate maturity; rearranged lies and called it truth"

[nhc521]

Classic

[DeadShkinMask]

I have deadset listened to this song 400000000,000000000,00,0,0,000­000 times. At least. From reading the comments on this vid and Astronomy, I am glad I am not the only one who is utterly fucking obsessed with those two songs. For the last 6 months I've listened to either/both at least 5 times a week.

[aychihuahua99]

real talk

[sumballaboi]

modern day poets

[RoofLight00]

Mos has one of the all time best flows. period.

[cradleofjohannes]

this is that nice afternoon beat or rainy day

[inFamousHero123]

Man, I recently started rapping, and I was having trouble. Started coming to BlackStar, Common, Tribe Called Quest and people along the lines for vibes. This helped me a whole lot and I hope I have half the talent that they brought to the game.

[gravityhammer25]

10 people cant hear.

[eboyd32]

@gravityhammer25 they just put a thumbs down because they were mad they couldn't hear the awesomeness of this song :P

[gravityhammer25]

@eboyd32

True everything Blackstar makes is so sick.

[kavkazE]

This is one of those songs that made me fall in love with hiphop

[pegbillable]

i give a damn if a fan recall my legacy

im tryna live life in the sight of God's memory...real talk

[Migas128]

mos def, talib and common should make a hip hop music channel

[dariotjuh]

@Migas128 naah they should make some undercover radio station

[Thee3]

@Migas128 sound so good it might happen...

[Migas128]

@Thee3 you look like one of them talking lol just dont invite weed kalifas and lil gaynes ;)

[GRG313]

Mos flipped out on this. Wow! There's very few verses that leave me in Aww every time I hear them, but this is definitely one of them.

[Keypinitreel]

Whenever you see somebody say that rap or hip hop is not an art, link them to this song, pull the lyrics..and ask them if they could do this shit. Challenge them to deny the talent that lies behind it. Mos Def destroyed this.

[PinedaJeans]

I saw Blackstar live, Mos Def gave an impassioned speech on Troy Davis before they performed this song, perfect set up

[TheRapResurrection]

Out of all the videos ive uploaded, the comments i get for this are my fav's, just thought id let all you like minded hip-hop lovers know. Im quite high right now, had a shitty as week, and this track and all yall's love for real hip-hop cheers me up a little lol. Keep it real my homies

[Majikai33]

@TheRapResurrection Reading your comment while listening to this track just brought a huge smile to my face...It's so nice to see the love in Hip Hop. Definitely one of the best Hip Hop albums of all time, and Kweli just announced a new Blackstar album for 2012!!

[DankulousTV]

@TheRapResurrection I feel you on that note ! This is the song I play when the times are hardest.. It helps so much .. It makes me thankful for what I have, and thankful for Blackstar

[THEREALSIDGUY]

@TheRapResurrection blackstar!!!! MOSDEF, one of my greatest influences to make my own music, talib quali, both with qualities that define real hiphop, blackstar2 what happened????

[imbobsaget]

Probably my favorite hip-hop track of all time.

And in my opinion, Blackstar is the second greatest hip-hop album of all time, behind Illmatic.

[headbangaboogie1]

hip hop (not rap) is for the PEOPLE

[L4Uhuru]

Must have CD PERIOD

[gandillion]

was the show cancelled in ATL? chatty...

[gandillion]

10 are lost in the night...

[Kilosparks]

When Hip-hop was real..

[MrWhiteMale]

So good...

I wonder if somebody say hiphop is dead.

Black Star 2 comin soon (I hope that will be really soon :))

[VozAnonima1]

I honestly hate mainstream rap now, this time and this style shall never die in my heart... pure truth.

[JayWalkerTV]

I think I'm on to something. Let me know what you think about my single.

Help an up and coming artist by giving feedback, subscribing and sharing with your friends.

[CKaosDub]

I wrote out this song for english class for our favorite poem and got an A+ no joke

[pootietangorade]

I find this to be a really powerful combination, this beautiful, relaxing beat with these heartbreaking lyrics...so rare in the game anymore, but to make such a conviction that hip-hop is dead ridiculous. Just look deeper, you will find gold.

[JavaSpitLava]

@pootietangorade agreed...i believe that can be applied to all genres...music is like dirt on the earth...you find alot of shit when you first start digging...but once in a while you will stumble upon gems....you just have to dig....

[pootietangorade]

@JavaSpitLava Exactly. People will soon realize.

[SaRaCeNzzz]

This shit mellows me out..

[platiumplay]

Mod Def spit pne of the best flows of all time !

[EmileA266]

Mos Def's verse on this song is something I live by. When I was young this seriously effected the way I looked at the world

[dupepo]

Everybody loves this song just look at the like bar... I know their is some unlike but it`s so difficult to check the right thing when you have your eyes close to let the flow in !

[lightman5]

1% of the population controls 40% of the wealth, and those motherfuckers don't give a damn about you and me, whether we're black or white, jewish or muslim. they just don't give a fuck.

[Hateocracy1989]

we need great music like this especially nowadays

[174recklezz]

albums like these are priceless

[Ferriswheeljunky]

Mos Def's verse on this track is the greatest of all time in my opinion. And Kweli killed it, too.

[blupouncch]

I 1st heard Blackstar about 12 years ago & wrecked me. It's like great food or sex/love, once you have it, everything else doesn't shine as much, and you can't forget it. In the years that have come and gone since, I've traveled the US, was in Japan for a few years, came back to NC. And in all of that, the original album, literally the same CD from the 1st year of college, was with me. It's still in my regular rotation. Easily heard it, start to finish, 1000+ times and it still blows me away.

[cKunke2]

@blupouncch Just goes to show that quality is really what matters. Think of all the albums that were all the talk even just a year or two ago that nobody mentions anymore. Mos Def and Talib knew what it took to make timeless music.

[teamvibralux]

These homiez make eminem look like madonna haha he's some popstar shit

[ASHTREFISHER]

Dis Song Make Me Kinda sad :(

[shimeneyteehah]

this is real music.

[Afrosmitty125]

This song just naturally brings tears to my eyes. I only listen to it when i'm alone

[druha10304]

i heard when this was being recorded talib kweli's mother died so he really put his heart into this song

[zack5tab]

Speaking loud, saying nothing.

[silvestri98]

two of the most soulful and heart-felt verses in all of hip hop. on the same track.

[supernavs2005]

Only a 137 thousand views.What the fuck else are people listening to.

[kanemku]

@supernavs2005 Look At Me Now (oh!)

[OMGITSDRJESUS]

@OnlySpeakTru why

[WuTangBoston]

@OnlySpeakTru bitch ass troll. one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all-time.

[Neuiko]

@OnlySpeakTru fassy hahahahaha

[merryjman]

this life is temporary but the SOUL is eternal!

great line

[OMGITSDRJESUS]

@merryjman no

[merryjman]

@OnlySpeakTru you are crazy!

[merryjman]

@OnlySpeakTru you are crazy!

[RWProductions2008]

8 people are still asleep,

[Kpublik1]

Who dat? mighy mos

[G35Pinoy]

8 people have a problem with real hip-hop. this is not hip-pop

[WingDeathscythe]

One of the best hip-hop songs ever.

[Kalefthebeast]

It's crazy that Talib had a great verse, but Mos Def's verse SHITS on his still.

I think Mos Def had the greatest verse in rap history in this song.

[Neuiko]

@Kalefthebeast Don't compare, they are both telling you something, it doesn't matter who tells it better since it all comes down to the same thing, and being able to not compare is one step closer to a more pure simple consious way of thinking

[WutDfuzz]

The dislike bar is nonexistent

[TylersBeard]

If GradLife sent you here THUMBS UP!

[scarrmd]

Content! Context! Real talk! No whack ass tracks just to turn a dime.

[deezshrizable]

Real hip hop only begins to explain this sequence of words that compose phrases. There is so much compassion that is involved with this level of hip hop. Hip hop at its highest level, pure, compassionate, and true to itself. Inner self see's it own reflection, and smiles at its own achievements.

Play on playas

The world is yours.

[174recklezz]

see there is hip hop that dosent need a buncha curses -_- i love this album

[kungmotherfuckingfuu]

real hip hop agreed

[BrolySMASH]

man if it was not for the artist now a days i proply would have never have started digging for real hip hop or heard this song. lol

[archy2frank2]

I remember when I first heard this song at a friends house in 1999 and I went crazy. Ever since then its been my favorite hip hop song period. I've tuned  many people on to this song and Blackstar. You guys should also check out, Slum Village- Fall in love, and Blackalicious -Deception(don't let money change ya).

[BESTBRAN]

sound like the roots as the band

[BoxOfOranges84]

Just bought the book The Bluest Eye because of this song

[Migas128]

i'm a metalhead...but guys like mos def, common , talib kweli and some underground hip hop artists give me that "feeling"...know what im sayin???

:) peace, have a great week

[GJAY420]

Im 16, and really feelin this. starting to get into mos def and just heard blackstar, any talib kweli with this kinda vib or some more blackstar songs. just with this kinda feel

[Migas128]

@GJAY420 mos def, common, talib kweli and hip hop underground(cunninlynguists, common market, and many others)

 :) keep that kinda of feel :D

[BebopMagnum7]

@GJAY420 It's great that you like blackstar, but to be entirely honest on behalf of all of youtube, nobody gives a shit that you're 16

[jugernautjuggalo]

@BebopMagnum7 Well 88 people obviously care.

[BebopMagnum7]

@jugernautjuggalo You're a juggalo so your opinion is invalid.

[jugernautjuggalo]

@BebopMagnum7 I made this account when I was 15, I have too many good friends on this account. I am not a Juggalo and even if I was you have no right, someone as insignificant as you does not deserve to listen to the prophetic lyrics of Talib Kweli and Mos Def.

[BebopMagnum7]

@jugernautjuggalo Let me go back to my original point. There are too many 13 year olds or 14 year olds etc that are on youtube saying "I'm 13 or 14 and I love this band" like we're supposed to "thumbs up" their hipster ass for being different and branching out musically at a young age. Nobody gives a fuck.

[jugernautjuggalo]

@BebopMagnum7 So do you curse out minors often? Develop a new hobby creep.

[BebopMagnum7]

@jugernautjuggalo As for no longer being a juggalo: congratulations.

[jugernautjuggalo]

@BebopMagnum7 To bad your still a you tube rager, I have hope for you though maybe you will grow up. If this amazing piece of music exists, then anything is possible.

[BebopMagnum7]

@jugernautjuggalo Says the massive homosex that used to be a juggalo. Be an hero and go drown yourself in Faygo.

[jugernautjuggalo]

@BebopMagnum7 Its funny how you know all these details about Juggalos, I'm thinking you actually were one. Do everyone a favor and go kill yourself, a hypocrite is the worst thing to be in this world, that's why this world is going to hell.

[iammrcancer]

@jugernautjuggalo I grandmother used to tell me that, 'if it weren't for the hypocrites, there would be no one at church."

[mizizshellybear]

@BebopMagnum7 amen, sir.

[benzodubya]

Separate the real from the lie, now let me learn ya.

[forlangston]

So many cats in the street need to hear this. How do we get this message to them? It cannot remain underground.  This is too poetic, too compelling, to powerful to remain underground.

"I give a damn if any fan recalls my legacy, I'm trying to live life in the sight of god's memory." WOW

[Decczar]

omg.....2:24 to 2:47.....that's when the beat change....that shit was hard as fuck!!!!.....i've always been a fan of these guys!!!!!

[FlamencoPassion]

"Not strong, only aggressive, because the power aint directed, that's why we subjected to the will of the oppressor" that line gets me every time. heavy, heavy shit

[Imptheshrimp]

I must have listened to this over 100 times by now. This video was the first time I had heard Mos Def or Talib Kweli, and the second time I'd heard underground hip hop after Immortal Technique. It showed me an entire new world of music and a side of rap that I'd never seen. It opened my mind beyond my metal-headed tunnel vision. It provokes an entire world view that is so brilliant and unique and the feeling of conversing quietly around a dimly lit fire. It is, I think, the best hip hop track.

[TheRapResurrection]

@Imptheshrimp Yeah Blackstar are the sole reason i got into Conscious hip-hop.

[TheRealReQuisite]

@TheRapResurrection You mean Hip Hop Bro. This is Real Hip Hop.

[IslamIstheWayforMe]

@TheRapResurrection

me fucking too! definition was the first real hip hop track i ever heard!

@TheRapResurrection Look up black milk. hes really good, probably one of the bes