Talib Kweli says “interlopers and culture vultures” are preventing release of new Black Star album

"Too many greedy people in the way stopping us from working with Madlib"

Talib Kweli, one half of rap duo Black Star alongside Mos Def/Yasiin Bey, has suggested that the new Black Star album may never see the light of day.

In a series of frustrated Tweets yesterday (July 8), Kweli mentions the album release was hindered by “interlopers and culture vultures”. He also notes the record had “been done for over a year” and that he “paid for the whole album” himself.

Advertisement

“Too many greedy people in the way stopping us from working with Madlib. I wash my hands of it at this point,” he wrote.

The veteran rapper then delivered a longer explanation on a since-deleted Instagram post.

“I’m tired of being silent about this. I tried my best y’all. Flew around the globe. Paid for this out of pocket. All for the culture. I’m a fan of Black Star too,” he wrote.

“I want to see this come out as bad as y’all do, or more. But people who never made a beat, never wrote a rhyme in they life got they fingers in the pie and are being disrespectful to what me and my brothers built. It’s in Gods hands now. I’m on to other things, life is too short to be disrespected by culture vultures. Maybe y’all will get to hear this album after I’m gone.”

Advertisement

Kweli clarified to a fan that even though he paid for the recording out of pocket, he still did not own the rights to Madlib’s production, claiming lawyers and managers were getting in the way.

Kweli originally announced that the new Black Star album was finished late last year. “This project with Madlib is done,” Kweli said on an episode of Apple Music’s Beats 1.

“We’re just trying to figure out when and how to release it.”

You May Also Like

Advertisement

TRENDING

Advertisement

More Stories