Black Star Respiration -

Respiration - song and lyrics by Black Star, Common - Spotify

: Listen to the album version or the official music video on YouTube. Black Star Respiration

: It is the second single from the duo's only studio album of that era, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star . How to Listen Respiration - song and lyrics by Black Star,

: Broadens the scope, reflecting on the survival instincts required in the urban "concrete jungle" where people are "crawling under pressure". Technical Elements Technical Elements : Captures the feeling of being

: Captures the feeling of being trapped and small. He describes "deep city breaths" taken while sitting on "shitty steps" and looking for God in a sky filled with smog and "broken dreams".

: Samples a monologue from the 1983 graffiti documentary Style Wars , setting a gritty, authentic New York tone.

"Respiration" is a critically acclaimed 1998 hip-hop single by the duo (rappers Mos Def, now known as Yasiin Bey, and Talib Kweli), featuring a guest verse from Common . Produced by Hi-Tek, it is celebrated for its poetic, melancholy exploration of city life, comparing the concrete landscape to a living, breathing organism. Song Breakdown & Meanings