Yasiin Bey (/jæˈsiːn ˈbeɪ/; born Dante Terrell Smith Bey; December 11, 1973), better known by his former stage name Mos Def (/ˈmoʊs ˈdɛf/), is an American hip hop recording artist, actor, comedian, and activist from Brooklyn, New York City, New York. Best known for his music, Bey embarked on his hip hop career in 1994, alongside his siblings in the short-lived rap group Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD), after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. He subsequently formed the trio Black Star, alongside fellow Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli, and Cincinnati producer Hi-Tek and released their eponymous debut album in 1998. He was a major force in late-1990s underground hip hop while under Rawkus Records. In 1999, Bey released his solo debut, Black on Both Sides, under Rawkus and Priority Records. His debut was followed by The New Danger (2004), True Magic (2006) and The Ecstatic (2009).
Prior to his career in music, Bey first entered public life as a child actor, having played roles in television movies, sitcoms, and theater, some of which were under the name Dante Beze. At the age of 14, he appeared in the TV movie God Bless the Child, which aired on ABC in 1988. He played the oldest child in the 1990 family sitcom You Take the Kids, shortly before it was cancelled. In 1995, he played the character "Dante" in The Cosby Mysteries. Since the early 2000s, Bey has been well known for his roles in films such as Something the Lord Made, Next Day Air, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 16 Blocks, Be Kind Rewind, The Italian Job, Bamboozled and Brown Sugar, as well as for his portrayal of Brother Sam in the Showtime drama series Dexter. He is also known as the host of Def Poetry Jam, which aired on HBO between 2002 and 2007.
Podcasts:
Mos Def
ALBUMS
- The REcstatic released: 2013
- The Ecstatic released: 2009
- We Are Hip Hop • Me • You • Everybody, Part 2 released: 2008
- Universal B-Boy, Part 3 released: 2008
- Universal B-Boy, Part 2 released: 2006
- Universal B-Boy released: 2006
- True Magic released: 2006
- The Mos Def Collection released: 2006
- The Mos Realest released: 2005
- The New Danger released: 2004
- The Dangerous Mix released: 2004
- Mos Definite released: 2004
- We Are Hip Hop. Me. You. Everybody released: 2003
- Black on Both Sides released: 2002
The Mos Def Collection
Released 2006- Mos Def Opening Words
- Freestyle 99
- Universal Magnetic
- Brown Sugar Extra Sweet (remix)
- Another World
- I've Committed Murder (remix)
- Ms. Fat Booty
- Ms. Fat Booty 2
- Respiration (remix)
- Breakdown
- Shinjiro
- Traveling Man (remix)
- Next Universe
- Body Rock
- If You Can Huh You Can Hear
- B-Boy Document
- Seven Days (remix)
- Work It Out
- Brown Sugar (Raw)
- Definition
- Brooklyn (Freestyle)
- The Questions
- All Praises Due
- Tinsletown to Boggie Down
- Stakes Is High (remix)
- The Panther (remix)
- Beef
The New Danger
Released 2004- The Boogie Man Song
- Freaky Black Greetings
- Ghetto Rock
- Zimzallabim
- The Rape Over
- Blue Black Jack
- Bedstuy Parade & Funeral March
- Sex, Love & Money
- Sunshine
- Close Edge
- The Panties
- War
- Grown Man Business (Fresh Vintage Bottles)
- Modern Marvel
- Life is Real
- The Easy Spell
- The Beggar
- Champion Requiem
- The Jump Off
The Dangerous Mix
Released 2004- Beef
- Jump Off
- I Against I
- Make It All Better
- Magnificent
- Jam on It
- Saturday Night (Jay Dee remix)
- High Drama
- Wylin Out (RJD2 remix)
- Tinseltown to the Boogiedown (Beatnuts remix)
- Travelin' Man (remix)
- Love Song (remix)
- Work It Out
- Beautiful
- Ms. Fat Booty (DJ Spinna remix)
- Most Def
- Ghetto
- Freestyle
- Six Days (remix)
- Foundation
- Shinjiro
- Umi Says (Zero 7 remix)
- Kalifornia
- Can U See the Pride in the Panther (Jay Dee remix)
We Are Hip Hop. Me. You. Everybody
Released 2003- Freestyle
- Beautiful (Black Star remix)
- Light (Can You See It)
- Little Brother
- B-Boy Document
- Tinseltown to the Boogiedown
- B.M.T.
- Saturday Night
- I've Committed Murder (Gang Starr remix)
- Manifest Destiny
- Tinseltown to the Boogiedown (Pete Rock remix)
- Bullshittin'
- Another World (Ambivalence mix)
- The Love Song (remix)
- All My People (The Body Rock Party Break remixed by Dr. Luke)
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Historym
by: Mos DefKweli say, Everybody act according to the season that they born in
Some in the night some in the morning
Some at noon
Some in winter some in June
Its all cool,its a natural
The science is a jewel
For me and mines yours and you, let's move
tell ya little brother I'm out
Yo, I was born in a season where the world was quite and cold.
Celebrations were going on.
Some were happy, some were sad, some felt bad from being good, some felt good from being bad.
The feelings past and changed but they never leave, they here to stay.
Holiday holiday happy birthday teenage love the first cut run deep.
So long flesh this is the brooklyn streeets.
Year of the ox, 7 and 3 MD,the history.
Every soul's got one of these.
It's where you been and where you be.
And without understanding you cannot proceed complete
It start then it end
Then it just go 'round again, again.
Again and again brand new.
Again and again so fresh.
Again and again newness.
[Kweli]
I was born in the decade of decadence where they worshiped what they have.
Ford was president do the math.
The war was ended when the North Vietnamese
Stormed the city of Saigon.
We was like bye we was gone.
Let bygons be bygons.
I'm gone spread love it's the brooklyn way.
Where they hug you with the firearms sidearm.
Like new school clothes, Black Star official.
Smash when we do the shows.
Facts no mystery.
I'm down with the crew like Mussolini in Italy.
I rock with the Roots like the giving tree.
Powerful bigotry at work.
Me and my people got history rappers dumb it down considerably.
We get it poppin' like a hit chorus.
The flow is historic.
They can't get rid of us,
Ubiquitous.
And we lay the law like Leviticus.
Ten years ago we made history so they missin' us.
[Mos]
And don't call it a comback in particular
Even if it blend into ephemera
Or fade into peripheral
Transition of the minister's original
We're broadcast clear without diminishing
Black Star, stove top burners
Soul temperatures, administers, alkalines, aminos and minerals essentials
Served over Dilla time signatures
It's miracle material
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