Mos Def
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Mos Def (born December 11, 1973) is a critically acclaimed American Muslim convert rapper and actor.
He was born Dante Terrell Smith in Brooklyn, New York. He also goes by the stage names Mighty Mos Def, The Freaky Night Watchman, Boogie Man, Black Dante, Dante Beze, Pretty Flaco, and Flaco Bey.
Rap career
Mos Def began his music career with the short-lived group Urban Thermo Dynamics with his younger brother DCQ, and his younger sister Ces. Despite being signed to Payday Records, the group only released two singles and the group's debut album, Manifest Destiny, did not see the light of day until 2004 (see 2004 in music) when it was released through Illson Media. In 1996, he emerged as a solo artist working with De La Soul and da Bush Babees, before releasing his own first single, Universal Magnetic, which was a huge underground hit.
After signing with Rawkus Records, Mos Def and Talib Kweli formed the group Black Star, and released a full length album under the name, Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star, the album was released in 1998, and featured Hi-Tek producing most of the tracks.
Mos Def released his solo debut, Black on Both Sides, in 1999 (see 1999 in music). Def was also featured on Rawkus influential The Lyricist Lounge and Soundbombing series compilations. After the collapse of Rawkus, he and Kweli signed on to Interscope/Geffen Records, which released his second solo album, The New Danger, in 2004. In early 2005, Mos Def was rumored to be joining Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella record label, but this was later denied by Mos Def himself, claiming, "Jay-Z and Roc-A-Fella would never allow me to release songs I plan on putting out there. I ain't down with that commercial nonsense. I'm about to deal with the fake with my next album, from George Bush to 50 Cent." Mos Def has drawn some criticism from his fan base about "keeping it real" since he appeared in a commercial that endorsed the GMC Denali sport utility vehicle. [Your Thoughts on the Mos Def Denali Commercial?] Magnetic: Mos Def News. October 10, 2005. Retrieved March 27, 2006 Mos Def is projected to release his last solo album on Geffen Records, The Undeniable Free Flaco, in early 2006.
Impact on Hip-Hop
The artistic boundaries of hip-hop and rap music had been redefined by artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, Brand Nubian, De La Soul, Gang Starr, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, and Public Enemy, whose music was more thematically sophisticated and socially conscious than that of their predecessors. By the early 1990s however, this brand of rap had been eclipsed in popularity by gangsta rap. Socially aware rap music (alternative hip hop) has experienced something of a renaissance in the very late 1990s, and now the 2000s, in part due to artists such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Little Brother, Murs, The Roots, Afu-Ra, and others. Mos Def's collaboration with Talib Kweli, Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star, was released during the aftermath of the deaths of 2pac and The Notorious B.I.G., sparking a rebirth of "aware" and "intelligent" hip-hop. Def's music has references to his Islamic faith, and his contention that black artists receive little credit for their role in the birth of rock and roll music.On Mos Def's 2004 album The New Danger, the rapper took his penchant for experimentation to a new level. Most of the songs were more hip-hop flavored stylings of blues and rock, with fewer raps thrown in. This threw off fans who were expecting another full-blown rap album. The New Danger also featured the controversial song, "The Rape Over", a parody of Jay-Z's The Blueprint hit "The Takeover":
- Old white men is runnin' this rap shit,
- Corporate forces runnin' this rap shit,
- Some tall Israeli is runnin' this rap shit,
- We poke out our asses for a chance to cash in.
- Cocaine, is runnin' this rap shit,
- 'Dro, 'yac and e-pills is runnin this rap shit,
- MTV is runnin' this rap shit,
- Viacom is runnin' this rap shit,
- AOL and Time Warner runnin' this rap shit,
- Quasi - homosexuals is runnin' this rap shit.
In September 2005, Mos Def released the single "Katrina Clap" (utilizing the instrumental for Juvenile's "Nolia Clap"), a critical reaction to the lack of response by the Bush administration to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
Acting career
Mos began his professional acting career at the age of 14, appearing in the TV movie God Bless the Child, starring Mare Winningham. He then played the oldest child in the short-lived family sitcom, You Take the Kids, starring Nell Carter and Roger E. Mosley. His most notable acting role before his music career was that of Bill Cosby's sidekick on the short-lived detective show, The Cosby Mysteries.
After brief appearances in Bamboozled and Monster's Ball, Mos re-invigorated his acting career with his performance as a talented, but shy rapper, in Brown Sugar. He was nominated for an Image Award and a Teen Choice Award. He also received positive notices as the quirky Left Ear in the blockbuster hit, The Italian Job.
Mos won Best Actor, Independent Movie at the 2005 Black Reel Awards for his portrayal of the skeptical Detective Sgt. Lucas in The Woodsman. For his portrayal of Vivien Thomas in HBO's film, Something the Lord Made, he was nominated for an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe, and won the Image Award. He then landed the role of Ford Prefect in the 2005 movie adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Notably in 2002, he played the role of Booth in Suzan-Lori Parks' Topdog/Underdog, a Tony-nominated and Pulitzer-winning Broadway play.
He has also appeared on Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show.
In 2004, he hosted the MOBO awards in London.
He has hosted the award-winning HBO spoken word show, Def Poetry since its inception. The show's fifth season aired in 2005.
In 2006, Mos Def appeared in Dave Chappelle's Block Party alongside fellow Black Star companion, Talib Kweli, while also contributing to the film's soundtrack. Additionally, Mos Def is in the motion picture, 16 Blocks, along with co-stars, Bruce Willis and David Morse. He is also set to be in Toussaint, a film about Haitian revolutionary Toussaint L'Ouverture, opposite Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes. [link]
Samples
- [Download sample] of "Mathematics" from Black on Both Sides (ogg format)
Discography
- 1998 Black Star (released with Talib Kweli under the name Black Star) (Priority Records)
- 1999 Black on Both Sides (Rawkus Records)
- 2004 The New Danger (Geffen)
- *nominated for Best Urban/Alternative Performance, 47th Annual Grammy Awards
Selected filmography
- Dreamgirls (2006) (post production)
- Journey To The End of the Night (2006)
- Bobby (2006) (Post Production)
- The Brazilian Job (2006) (In production)
- 16 Blocks (2006)
- Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2006)
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
- Lackawanna Blues (2005)
- Something the Lord Made (2004)
- *nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie, 56th Annual Emmy Awards
- *nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television, 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards
- The Woodsman (2004)
- The Italian Job (2003)
- Brown Sugar (2002)
- Civil Brand (2002)
- Showtime (2002)
- Monster's Ball (2001)
- [[Carmen: A Hip Hopera]] (2001)
- Bamboozled (2000)
- Where's Marlowe? (1998)
- Ghosts (1997)
References
External links
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