Black Star Light Up The City [With Exclusive Pictures]

The 8th light shone bright as a reunited Black Star took to the stage for two shows Saturday night (May 30) in Times Square.

Mos and Kweli opened up proceedings with “Astronomy” off their 1998 classic, before bouncing between their respective solo work and collaborative efforts. Kweli followed with forays into his Reflection Eternal material (“The Blast”), but it was Mos who grabbed the spotlight. With an album to plug, Black Dante delved into new material from The Ecstatic (in stores June 30), as well his classics, such as “Hip-Hop,” “Umi Says,” and “Sunshine.”

Yet it was the duo’s performance of Black Star songs that enlivened the crowd as the hour-long set went past 3 a.m. After breaking the crowd off with “Definition,” “RE:DEFintion,” “Brown Skin Lady,” “K.O.S.,” and “Supreme [Side To Side],” Black Star closed up shop with arguably the LP's standout track, “Respiration.”

Fans who missed out on the two New York shows need not worry. Kweli hinted at the possibility of Mos joining him onstage when he hits the road this summer for a number of dates on this summer’s Rock The Bells tour alongside Hi-Tek. - Devin Chanda

Exclusive photos courtesy of Jonathan Weiner. Click on image to enlarge.