Black Star ft. Common – “Respiration” ( Rawkus / 1998 )
A classic moment from the independent Hip-Hop renaissance of the late-90s that still causes goosebumps today.
Back when Black Star’s self-titled debut album dropped I was involved with UK-based underground Hip-Hop mag FATBOSS – listening to Mos Def and Talib Kweli on cuts such as “Respiration” and “Definition” will always take me back to that time when I felt like every word I wrote about subterranean acts such as The Arsonists, Non-Phixion and Rasco was helping keep the spirit of real Hip-Hop alive in the face of an increasingly shallow and money-driven mainstream rap industry. Ahhh, the good old days.
Old To The New - Ryan Proctor's Beats, Rhymes & Hip-Hop Nostalgia 
I feel you on those goosebumps homie. This is one of the best tracks ever – with 3 of the best emcees ever to pick up a mic. I remember playing this album over and over for months – and rewinding this track two or three times on each listen. I can’t take it y’all, I can feel the city breathing!
Fatboss was a dope magazine written by true heads. If you don’t know now ya know!