Casual fans of hip-hop may not have recognized Mos Def when UCSD announced that he would be a co-headliner for the Sun God concert along with Bad Religion. However, Mos Def will be sure to not have any in attendance forget who he is after he performs at RIMAC field this Friday. While you may not have heard his music before, the actor/producer/rapper has been active throughout numerous forms of entertainment, most notably films and music. The 29-year-old rapper, born in Brooklyn, NY, brings his high level of knowledge of self to his lyrics and avoids the common rapper approach of glorifying their lifestyle of women, drugs and violence.
By growing up in New York in the 1970s and 1980s, Mos Def actually experienced the birth of the hip-hop culture, seeing it evolve over time through the legendary lyrics of Rakim and Big Daddy Kane and then becoming a voice in the new school MCs, along with groups like De La Soul. The public got their first opportunity to hear Mos Def rap on 1994’s “”My Kung Fu”” by Urban ThermoDynamics. From there, he continued to push forward with his conscious lyrics about everyday life, preaching about the positives of hip-hop instead of glorifying the “”gangsta”” image. Mos Def summed up his style best by saying “”I’m just inspired not just by black art, but good art, representations of art that are sincere and genuine.””
Throughout the 1990s and now in the 21st century, Mos Def has been seen in numerous roles on stage, along with small and big screen productions outside of the music world. He first appeared on TV in CBS’s “”You Take the Kids”” in 1990, and has gone on to appear in “”The Cosby Mysteries,”” “”Oz,”” “”NYPD Blue,”” “”Reverb”” and “”The Lyricist Lounge Show.”” He also hosts HBO’s “”Def Poetry”” that showcases the talents of numerous poets. Mos Def had a starring role as the antagonist in MTV’s “”Carmen: A Hip Hopera,”” also starring Beyonce Knowles of Destiny’s Child and actor Mekhi Phifer.
Since Mos Def was a teenager, he strived to be in a Spike Lee film. Their New York connection, along with Mos Def’s acting ability made the dream possible when he was cast in the critically acclaimed “”Bamboozled,”” in which he portrays a radical activist/rapper. He also appeared in “”Monster’s Ball,”” alongside Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry, as a neighbor of Thornton’s character. Later this month, he will star in “”The Italian Job,”” with Mark Wahlberg and Ed Norton.
“”The Lyricist Lounge Show”” gave Mos Def most of his mainstream attention through its compilation CD. The song “”Oh No,”” which featured Pharoahe Monch and Nate Dogg, went into heavy rotation on many radio stations when it was released. Its accompanying video also got mass airtime from MTV. Nike used a song of his, “”Umi Says,”” extensively in a television commercial promoting their Team Jordan brand of clothing.
Mos Def combined with Talib Kweli to form Black Star a few years back. The two, individually, are some of the most respected rappers in the hip-hop community for their talent and message. Their work is not as commercially successful as other artists’, but is intended for those who are willing to listen to a different side of hip-hop that is available. The two go against the blueprint for hip-hop artists, and find success by word of mouth.
Mos Def has appeared with many artists as a guest on their album, on soundtracks or on singles.
The artists include: Common, The Roots, Macy Gray, Massive Attack, Faith Evans, Hi-Tek, A Tribe Called Quest, Craig David and Busta Rhymes. His style allows for him to contribute to wide arrays of the music genre, as it is a fresh perspective on hip-hop for listeners of other genres. Growing up, along with the hip-hop evolution, Mos Def followed jazz, pop and cross-cultural humor to mold his thoughts into what they are today.
While he may not sell as many albums as Eminem, Jay-Z or Nas, Mos Def continues to stay true to his own style of “”conscious rap.”” Mos Def has had plenty of opportunities to change who he is as a performer, to sell more records, but he has successfully avoided the stereotypes of how a rapper should be, and has found a strong fan base.
