Today, the hip-hop world has received some truly exciting news from Black Star, the conscious MC tag-team of Yasiin Bey (a.k.a. Mos Def) and Talib Kweli. According to Bey, the duo is working on the follow-up to their first and only studio album under the Black Star moniker, 1998’s Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star. While the album initially attained only moderate commercial success, it was universally acclaimed by critics and remains an essential late-’90’s classic for many hip-hop heads.

As HipHopDX reports, Yasiin Bey jumped in on decorated producer Madlib‘s late-night set in Denver last night, where he announced: “New Black Star with Madlib, Talib Kweli, Yasiin, coming soon! All Madlib, all day…2018: Madlib Black Star, Madlib, Blackstar…” You can listen to Bey’s proclamation at Madlib’s DJ set below:

[Audio: mellowtooth]

While the two have recorded and performed together on various occasions, they have been too busy with their other various individual endeavors to pursue another Black Star album full-time. The two have both gone on to achieve considerable success on their own in the 20 years since the duo’s first LP. Yasiin Bey has found success on many platforms, including as a solo artist and as a film and television actor, with roles in high-profile films like 2001’s Oscar-winning Monster’s Ball, 2005’s hit adaptation of cult classic novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and long-running TV drama Dexter.

Talib Kweli has gone on to have a diverse and successful solo music career. In the years since Black Star, he started his own record label, Javotti Media, released 8 solo studio albums, linked up with esteemed producers like Just Blaze, Pharell Williams, and Kanye West, and toured extensively with various acts (most recently the Soul Rebels). He has also created a number of other collaborative albums including his 2017 joint attempt with Styles P, The Seven, his 2015 duo album with 9th Wonder, Indie 500 and, of course, 2007’s Liberation, with Madlib.

We can’t wait to hear what the trio is cooking up in the studio–especially after 20 years away from the project–but thankfully, it sounds like we won’t be waiting much longer.

Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star – 1998

[H/T – Billboard]