[Intro: Mos Def & Talib Kweli]
Haha
Against the canvas of the night
Appears a curious celestial phenomenon, called Black Star
But what is it?
Black people — unite, and let's all get down
We got to have what? We got to have that love

[Verse 1: Mos Def, Talib Kweli & Both]
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
Black! My family thick like that-strap molasses
Star! On the rise in the eyes of the masses
Black is the color of my true love's hair
Stars are bright, shinin' and hot balls of air
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 belly that brought us here
Black like the cheeks that are roadways for tears (Mmm)
That leave black faces well traveled with years
Black like assassin cross-hairs
Blacker than my granddaddy armchair
He never really got no time to chill there
'Cause his life was warfare, warfare
See, on the front lines, the 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 without imagine happen, but maybe I'm just a dreamer
I love rockin' tracks like John Coltrane love Naima
Like the student love the teacher, like the prophet love Khadija
Like I love my baby' features, like the Creator love all creatures!
Who are knowledge, truth and peace seekers
We on point like heat-seekers
Targetin' the black marketin' 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
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 Fela 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 (Ugh!)
Climb the mountain top and tell it 'til the valley's enveloped
You're full of big chat, but ya nah know me
I'm dark like the side of the moon you don't see
When the moon shine newly
[Hook: Mos Def, Talib Kweli & Both]
You know who else is a Black Star? (Who?) Me!
You know who else is a Black Star? (Who?) Me!
You know who else is a Black Star? (Who?) We!
(And we) Be shinin' and shinin', when we rhymin' and rhymin'
We be shinin' and shinin', when we rhymin' and rhymin'
Now, everybody hop on the one, the sounds of the two
It's the third eye vision, five-side dimension
The 8th Light is gon' shine bright tonight
It's the third eye vision, five-side dimension

[Verse 2: Mos Def, Talib Kweli & Both]
You know the light come from the dark
The other way is ass-backwards
It's absurd! Make you wanna crow like a blackbird
That's right! You livin' from your first day to your last night
Sometimes you show your ass like
Lint on your clothes when you froze in the black light!
Dead that! Before you get your head wrapped like Badu
We see through your voodoo
Just like Eve's Bayou, you dealin' with that black magic
Try to civilize you! Not walk on by you
Like Sybil lies do, get you blacklisted
It'll be unlucky for you like a black cat, a panther
Revolution is the answer — that's what we need
Greed plague my people like the cancer — true, indeed
[Hook: Mos Def, Talib Kweli & Both]
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 gon' shine bright tonight (Uh, uh, uh)
Everybody hop on the one, the sounds of the two
It's the third-eye vision, five-side dimension
The 8th light is gon' shine bright tonight
It's the third-eye vision, five-side dimension
Equalin' up to 8th light, shine bright!

[Outro: Talib Kweli & Mos Def]
It's that black 101 right there (Hahaha)