Mos Def
Encyclopedia
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee
known by the stage names Mos Def (icon) and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop
career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees
and De La Soul
. With Talib Kweli
, he formed the duo Black Star, which released the album Black Star in 1998. He was a major force in late 1990s underground hip hop
while with Rawkus Records
. As a solo artist he has released the albums Black on Both Sides
in 1999, The New Danger
in 2004, True Magic
in 2006, and The Ecstatic
in 2009.
Although he was initially recognized for his musical output, since the early 2000s, Mos Def's screen work has established him as one of only a handful of rappers who have garnered critical approval for their acting work. Mos Def has also been active in several social and political causes.
and has rapped and acted since he was six. He attended Philippa Schuyler Middle School
in Bushwick, Brooklyn. He majored in Musical Theater at Talent Unlimited High School
of the Performing Arts in
Manhattan. He studied at New York University
in the Gallatin School of Individualized Study
.
He has two younger brothers, Abdul Rahman (a.k.a. "Gold Medal Man"), who is Mos Def's full-time DJ
, and Anwar Superstar
. He also has a younger sister, Ces "Casey" Smith, and a younger half-brother, Jermone Victor Moulton, who resides in Brooklyn and shares the same mother, Sheron.
Mos Def converted to Islam. While his father was initially a member of the Nation of Islam
and later an active member in the community of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, who merged into mainstream Islam from the Nation, Mos Def was not exposed to Islam until the age of 13. At 19, he took his shahada
, the Muslim declaration of faith. He is friends with fellow Muslim rappers Ali Shaheed Muhammad
and Q-Tip
.
, and their debut album Manifest Destiny was not released until 2004, when it was distributed by Illson Media. In 1996, he emerged as a solo artist and worked with De La Soul
and Da Bush Babees
, before he released his own first single, "Universal Magnetic", which was a huge underground hit.
Mos Def signed with Rawkus Records
and formed the group Black Star with Talib Kweli
. They released an album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star, in 1998. Mostly produced by Hi-Tek
, the album featured the hit singles, "Respiration
" and "Definition
", which would go on to be featured in VH1
's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip-Hop. Mos Def released his solo debut album Black on Both Sides
in 1999, also through Rawkus. Around this time he also contributed to the Scritti Politti
album Anomie & Bonhomie and Rawkus compilations Lyricist Lounge
and Soundbombing
.
After the collapse of Rawkus, he signed to Interscope
/Geffen Records
, which released his second solo album The New Danger
in 2004. The New Danger contained a mix of several musical genres, including soul
, blues
, and rock and roll
, performed with his rock band Black Jack Johnson, which contained members of the bands Bad Brains
and Living Colour
. The singles included "Sex, Love & Money
" and the B-side "Ghetto Rock"; the latter went on to receive several Grammy Award
nominations in 2004.
Mos Def's final solo album for Geffen Records
, True Magic
, was quietly released on December 29, 2006. True Magic features production from The Neptunes
, Rich Harrison
and Minnesota, among others. The album was released in a clear-case with no cover art. Neither Geffen nor Mos Def himself promoted the album at all, which is the main reason the album was received under the radar.
The song "Crime & Medicine" is essentially a cover of GZA
's 1995 single "Liquid Swords
", though it contains different verses. Also, the track "Undeniable" samples a version of the Barrett Strong
/Norman Whitfield
composition "Message from a Black Man". The song "Dollar Day" uses the same beat as Juvenile
's "Nolia Clap
".
MTV
reported that this album isn't a full version, but a teaser/promotional debut. A new version of the album would be released spring 2007, with updated songs and cover art. However, on October 17, 2007, Okayplayer reported, through discussions with Mos Def's management, that these rumors were unsubstantiated. The CD was intended to be released without promotion or cover art, as per Mos Def's request. There would be no future re-release.
On November 7, 2007, Mos Def performed live in San Francisco at a venue called The Mezzanine. This performance was recorded for an upcoming "Live in Concert" DVD. During this performance Mos Def announced that he would be releasing a new album to be called The Ecstatic
. He sang a number of new tracks; in later shows, Def previewed tracks produced by Madlib
and was rumored to be going to Kanye West
for new material. Producer and fellow Def Poet Al Be Back
stated that he would be producing as well. The album was released on June 9, 2009; upon its release, only Madlib's production had made the cut, along with tracks by Preservation, The Neptunes
, Mr. Flash
, Madlib's brother Oh No, a song by J. Dilla, and Georgia Anne Muldrow
.
Mos Def appears alongside Kanye West
on the track "Two Words" from The College Dropout
album, the track "Drunk And Hot Girls" and the bonus track "Good Night" off West's third major album, Graduation
. In 2002, he released the 12" single Fine, which was featured in the Brown Sugar Motion Picture Soundtrack.
Mos Def also appears on the debut album from fellow New Yorkers Apollo Heights on a track titled, "Concern." In October, he signed a deal with Downtown Records
and appeared on a remix to the song "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice. Mos Def appeared on Stephen Marley
's album Mind Control
on the song "Hey Baby." In 2009, Mos Def worked together with Somali rapper K'naan
to produce the track "America" for K'naan's album Troubadour
.
In April 2008 he appeared on the title track for a new album by The Roots
entitled Rising Down
. The new single, Life In Marvelous Times, was made officially available through iTunes
on November 4, 2008, and is available for stream on the Roots' website Okayplayer.
April 2009 saw him traveling to South Africa for the first time where he performed accompanied by The Robert Glasper Experiment at the renowned Cape Town International Jazz Festival. He enticed his bemused African following with an encore introduced by his own rendition of John Coltrane
's "Love Supreme" followed by a sneak preview of the track "M.D. (Doctor)", much to the delight of the fans.
Mos Def also designed two pairs of limited edition Converse shoes. The shoes were released to Foot Locker
stores on August 1, 2009 in very limited amounts.
In late 2009, Mos Def created a brand of clothing line with UNDRCRWN called the "Mos Def Cut & Sew Collection." All clothing items will be sold in select stores located around the U.S. and almost exclusively on the UNDRCRWN website. 2009 also found Mos Def among the MCs collaborating with the Black Keys
on the first Blakroc album, a project headed by the Black Keys and Damon Dash
. Mos Def appeared with Jim Jones
and the Black Keys on the Late Show with David Letterman
to perform the Blakroc track "Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)".
In March 2010, Mos Def's song Quiet Dog Bite Hard was featured in Palm's "Life moves fast. Don't miss a thing." campaign.
Mos Def features on the first single, "Stylo
", from the third Gorillaz
album, Plastic Beach
, alongside soul legend Bobby Womack
. He also appears on the track titled "Sweepstakes".
In September 2010, after appearing on Kanye West
's G.O.O.D. Friday
track "Lord Lord Lord", Mos Def confirmed his signing with GOOD Music
.
Mos Def has been an active contributor to the recovery of the oil spill in the Gulf, performing concerts and raising money towards the repair of the damages. In June 2010, he recorded a cover of the classic New Orleans song originally by Smokey Johnson
, "It Ain't My Fault" with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
, Lenny Kravitz
and Trombone Shorty.
In September 2011, Mos Def announced that he planned to use the name Yasiin instead of Mos Def beginning in 2012.
. 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
. He also starred in a 1996 Visa check card commercial featuring Deion Sanders
. In 1997 he had a small role alongside Michael Jackson
in his short film and music video "Ghosts".
After brief appearances in Bamboozled
and Monster's Ball
, Mos re-invigorated his acting career with his performance as a talented rapper who is reluctant to sign to a major label in Brown Sugar. He was nominated for an Image Award and a Teen Choice Award.
In 2001, he took a supporting role to Beyoncé Knowles
and Mehki Phifer in the MTV
movie Carmen: A Hip Hopera
as Lt. Miller, a crooked cop.
In 2002, he played the role of Booth in Suzan-Lori Parks
' Topdog/Underdog
, a Tony
-nominated and Pulitzer
-winning Broadway
play. He and co-star Jeffrey Wright won a Special Award from the Outer Critics Circle Award for their joint performance. He also received positive notices as the quirky Left Ear in the blockbuster hit, The Italian Job
in 2003. He also appeared in 2003 in the music video You Don't Know My Name of the song by Alicia Keys
.
In television, Mos Def has appeared on Comedy Central
's Chappelle's Show
, and has hosted the award-winning HBO spoken word
show, Def Poetry
since its inception. The show's sixth season aired in 2007. He also appeared on the sitcom My Wife And Kids
as the disabled friend of Michael Kyle (Damon Wayans
).
Mos Def won Best Actor, Independent Movie at the 2005 Black Reel Awards
for his portrayal of 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
and a Golden Globe, and won the Image Award. He also played a bandleader in HBO's Lackawanna Blues. He then landed the role of Ford Prefect
in the 2005 movie adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
.
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. Also, Mos Def was featured as the black banjo
player in the infamous "Pixie Sketch" from Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes. He was later edited out of it on the DVD. Additionally, Mos Def starred in the action film 16 Blocks
alongside Bruce Willis
and David Morse
. He has a recurring guest role on Boondocks
, starring as "Gangstalicious". He is also set to be in Toussaint, a film about Haiti
an revolutionary Toussaint Louverture, opposite Don Cheadle
and Wesley Snipes
. He made a cameo appearance — playing himself — in the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
.
In 2007, Mos Def narrated the PBS-broadcast documentary Prince Among Slaves
.
In 2008, Mos Def starred in the Michel Gondry
movie Be Kind Rewind
, playing a video rental store employee whose best friend is played by co-star Jack Black
. He also portrayed Chuck Berry
in the film Cadillac Records
, for which he was nominated for a Black Reel Award
and an Image Award.
In 2009, he appeared in the House
episode entitled "Locked In" as a patient suffering from locked-in syndrome
. His performance was well-received, with E!
saying that Mos Def "delivers an Emmy
-worthy performance." He was also in the 2009 film Next Day Air
.
In 2010, he appeared on the children's show Yo Gabba Gabba!
as Super Mr. Superhero. He also appeared in A Free Man of Color
, John Guare
's play at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre
.
In 2011, be began a multi-episode appearance on the Showtime television series Dexter
. He played Brother Sam, an ex-con who has supposedly found religion despite finding himself in violent situations.
, and De La Soul
, among others, had been eclipsed in popularity by gangsta rap
. Mos Def, as well as Talib Kweli
, The Roots
, Common
, and others, helped socially aware rap music experience something of a comeback in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Mos Def's collaboration with Talib Kweli, Black Star, was released during the aftermath of the deaths of 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G.
and focused on violence and negativity in hip-hop, in collaboration with other acts that did the same. His music has also made reference to his Islam
ic faith, and his contention that black artists receive little credit for their role in the birth of rock and roll
.
On Mos Def's 2004 album The New Danger
, he 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 "Takeover
". His label made him take the song off releases of the album, citing clearance issues with Jay-Z and The Doors
, a band which the song samples
. The song has garnered controversy over its veiled reference to Israeli-American record executive Lyor Cohen
(the "tall Israeli" who then was head of The Island Def Jam Music Group
).
Mos Def and Immortal Technique
released a similarly controversial song, "Bin Laden" in 2004, which blamed the Reagan Doctrine
and President George W. Bush
for the September 11, 2001 attacks
. A club remix
song, featuring Eminem
, was released the following year, in 2005.
In September 2005, Mos Def released the single "Katrina Clap," renamed "Dollar Day" for True Magic, (utilizing the instrumental for New Orleans rappers UTP's "Nolia Clap
"). The song is a criticism
of the Bush administration's response to Hurricane Katrina
. On the night of the MTV Video Music Awards
, Mos Def pulled up in front of Radio City Music Hall
on a flatbed truck and began performing the "Katrina Clap" single in front of a crowd that quickly gathered around him. He was subsequently arrested despite having a public performance permit in his possession.
On September 7, 2007, Mos Def appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher
where he spoke about racism
against African Americans, citing the government response to Hurricane Katrina, the Jena Six
and the murder conviction of Mumia Abu-Jamal
. He appeared on Real Time again on March 27, 2009, and spoke about the risk of nuclear weapon
s. Mos Def said that he did not listen to any of Osama Bin Laden
's messages because he did not trust the translations.
In 2000, Mos Def performed a benefit concert for death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal
.
sued Def for more than $60,000 in unpaid legal bills.
In October, 2006 Mos Def appeared on 4Real, a documentary television series. Appearing in the episode "City of God," he and the 4Real crew traveled to City of God
, a slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to meet Brazilian MC MV Bill
and discover the crime and social problems of the community.
He has recently taken up skateboarding and said he's looking to host a skateboarding event in the United Arab Emirates
.
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
known by the stage names Mos Def (icon) and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees
Da Bush Babees
Da Bush Babees is a group of underground hip-hop artists loosely affiliated with the Native Tongues. The members of the group are Babe-B-Face Kaos , Mister Man Da Bush Babees is a group of underground hip-hop artists loosely affiliated with the Native Tongues. The members of the group are...
and De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
. With Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
, he formed the duo Black Star, which released the album Black Star in 1998. He was a major force in late 1990s underground hip hop
Underground hip hop
Underground hip hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed toindependent labels or no label at all....
while with Rawkus Records
Rawkus Records
Rawkus Records is an American hip-hop record label known for jump-starting the careers of both Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Rawkus started in 1996 with initial releases ranging from hip-hop to drum and bass...
. As a solo artist he has released the albums Black on Both Sides
Black on Both Sides
Black on Both Sides is the debut solo album of American rapper Mos Def, released October 12, 1999 on Rawkus Records. Prior to the album's recording, Mos Def had collaborated with rapper Talib Kweli for the duo's studio album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star , which raised high expectations for...
in 1999, The New Danger
The New Danger
The New Danger is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Mos Def, released October 19, 2004 on Rawkus and Geffen Records in the United States. The album was also released in Canada and continental Europe through Geffen, and it featured distribution in the United Kingdom on Island Records...
in 2004, True Magic
True Magic
True Magic, initially set to be titled as Tru3 Magic, is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Mos Def, released December 29, 2006 on Geffen Records in the United States. Following an online leak of the album, it featured limited release, with distribution in only the United States and...
in 2006, and The Ecstatic
The Ecstatic
The Ecstatic is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Mos Def, released June 9, 2009 on Downtown Records. The album was recorded during 2007 to 2009, and production was handled by J Dilla, Mr. Flash, Madlib, Mos Def, Oh No, Preservation, and The Neptunes...
in 2009.
Although he was initially recognized for his musical output, since the early 2000s, Mos Def's screen work has established him as one of only a handful of rappers who have garnered critical approval for their acting work. Mos Def has also been active in several social and political causes.
Early life
Mos Def grew up during the golden age of hip-hopGolden age hip hop
Hip hop's "golden age" is a name given to a period in mainstream hip hop—usually cited as being a period varying in time frames during the 1980s and 1990s said to be characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence. There were strong themes of Afrocentricity and political...
and has rapped and acted since he was six. He attended Philippa Schuyler Middle School
Philippa Schuyler Middle School
IS #383 Philippa Schuyler Middle School for the Gifted and Talented is a New York City Department of Education Public Middle School. The school is located in the Bushwick part of Brooklyn. Admission to this school is by competitive examination, unlike many public Middle Schools in New York City....
in Bushwick, Brooklyn. He majored in Musical Theater at Talent Unlimited High School
Talent Unlimited High School
Talent Unlimited High School is a public high school of the performing arts located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. It is the smallest performing arts high school in New York City and has a family-like environment.-History:...
of the Performing Arts in
Manhattan. He studied at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
in the Gallatin School of Individualized Study
Gallatin School of Individualized Study
The Gallatin School of Individualized Study is a small interdisciplinary college within New York University. Gallatin aims to provide a "small college" feel, while being located within one of the largest private universities in the United States. Students design their own interdisciplinary program...
.
He has two younger brothers, Abdul Rahman (a.k.a. "Gold Medal Man"), who is Mos Def's full-time DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, and Anwar Superstar
Anwar Superstar
Anwar Superstar, born Anwar Khalil Prescott, is an American hip hop artist. He began rapping at the age of 14 on the streets of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Anwar has battled MCs from across the US and abroad....
. He also has a younger sister, Ces "Casey" Smith, and a younger half-brother, Jermone Victor Moulton, who resides in Brooklyn and shares the same mother, Sheron.
Mos Def converted to Islam. While his father was initially a member of the Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
and later an active member in the community of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, who merged into mainstream Islam from the Nation, Mos Def was not exposed to Islam until the age of 13. At 19, he took his shahada
Shahada
The Shahada , means "to know and believe without suspicion, as if witnessed"/testification; it is the name of the Islamic creed. The shahada is the Muslim declaration of belief in the oneness of God and acceptance of Muhammad as God's prophet...
, the Muslim declaration of faith. He is friends with fellow Muslim rappers Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali Shaheed Muhammad is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, producer who enjoyed a great deal of fame as a member of A Tribe Called Quest. With Q-Tip and Phife Dawg, the group released five studio albums from 1990 to 1998....
and Q-Tip
Q-Tip (rapper)
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
.
Music
Mos Def began his music career in 1994 in the short-lived group Urban Thermo Dynamics with his younger brother D.c.Q and younger sister Ces. Despite their contract with Payday Records, the group only had two singlesSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, and their debut album Manifest Destiny was not released until 2004, when it was distributed by Illson Media. In 1996, he emerged as a solo artist and worked with De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
and Da Bush Babees
Da Bush Babees
Da Bush Babees is a group of underground hip-hop artists loosely affiliated with the Native Tongues. The members of the group are Babe-B-Face Kaos , Mister Man Da Bush Babees is a group of underground hip-hop artists loosely affiliated with the Native Tongues. The members of the group are...
, before he released his own first single, "Universal Magnetic", which was a huge underground hit.
Mos Def signed with Rawkus Records
Rawkus Records
Rawkus Records is an American hip-hop record label known for jump-starting the careers of both Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Rawkus started in 1996 with initial releases ranging from hip-hop to drum and bass...
and formed the group Black Star with Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
. They released an album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star, in 1998. Mostly produced by Hi-Tek
Hi-Tek
Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American record producer and rapper from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on his Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star...
, the album featured the hit singles, "Respiration
Respiration (song)
"Respiration" is the second single from Black Star's eponymously titled 1998 album . It features guest rapping from Common and guitar playing by DeChown Jenkins. It also features a Hi-Tek produced beat that samples "The Fox" by Don Randi. In addition, the song's introduction samples a monologue...
" and "Definition
Definition (song)
"Definition" is the first single from Black Star's eponymously titled 1998 album . It is produced by Hi-Tek, who samples "The P Is Free" by Boogie Down Productions for the track's beat. In addition, the song's chorus interpolates "Stop the Violence" by Boogie Down Productions...
", which would go on to be featured in VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip-Hop. Mos Def released his solo debut album Black on Both Sides
Black on Both Sides
Black on Both Sides is the debut solo album of American rapper Mos Def, released October 12, 1999 on Rawkus Records. Prior to the album's recording, Mos Def had collaborated with rapper Talib Kweli for the duo's studio album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star , which raised high expectations for...
in 1999, also through Rawkus. Around this time he also contributed to the Scritti Politti
Scritti Politti
Scritti Politti are a British band, originally formed in 1977 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Although there have been various changes to the line-up, Cardiff-born singer-songwriter Green Gartside was the founding member of the band and the only member to have remained throughout the group's...
album Anomie & Bonhomie and Rawkus compilations Lyricist Lounge
Lyricist Lounge
The Lyricist Lounge is a hip hop showcase of rappers, emcees, DJ's, and Graffiti artists.It has spawned the album Lyricist Lounge, Volume One, Lyricist Lounge 2 and Lyricist Lounge: West Coast, as well as a television show, The Lyricist Lounge Show.The Lyricist Lounge was founded in 1991 by hip hop...
and Soundbombing
Soundbombing
Soundbombing is a 1997 compilation album from independent Hip Hop label Rawkus Records. This was the first in a long line of acclaimed compilations from Rawkus, followed by two installments of the Lyricist Lounge series and two more Soundbombing albums...
.
After the collapse of Rawkus, he signed to Interscope
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
/Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, which released his second solo album The New Danger
The New Danger
The New Danger is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Mos Def, released October 19, 2004 on Rawkus and Geffen Records in the United States. The album was also released in Canada and continental Europe through Geffen, and it featured distribution in the United Kingdom on Island Records...
in 2004. The New Danger contained a mix of several musical genres, including soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, and rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, performed with his rock band Black Jack Johnson, which contained members of the bands Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
and Living Colour
Living Colour
Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, neo-psychedelia, hard rock, and heavy metal...
. The singles included "Sex, Love & Money
Sex, Love & Money
"Sex, Love & Money" is a single by rapper Mos Def. It was the lead off single from his long-awaited second album, The New Danger . In comparison to his earlier works, the song has a more abstract structure, much like most of The New Danger....
" and the B-side "Ghetto Rock"; the latter went on to receive several Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations in 2004.
Mos Def's final solo album for Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, True Magic
True Magic
True Magic, initially set to be titled as Tru3 Magic, is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Mos Def, released December 29, 2006 on Geffen Records in the United States. Following an online leak of the album, it featured limited release, with distribution in only the United States and...
, was quietly released on December 29, 2006. True Magic features production from The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
, Rich Harrison
Rich Harrison
Rich Harrison is a Grammy Award-winning record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C.. He is primarily an R&B/Hip-Hop producer...
and Minnesota, among others. The album was released in a clear-case with no cover art. Neither Geffen nor Mos Def himself promoted the album at all, which is the main reason the album was received under the radar.
The song "Crime & Medicine" is essentially a cover of GZA
GZA
Gary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career...
's 1995 single "Liquid Swords
Liquid Swords
Liquid Swords is the second solo studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member GZA, released November 7, 1995, on Geffen Records. Recording sessions for the album began mid-way through 1995 at producer RZA's basement studio in Staten Island New York...
", though it contains different verses. Also, the track "Undeniable" samples a version of the Barrett Strong
Barrett Strong
Barrett Strong is an American singer and songwriter. Strong was the first artist to record a hit for Motown, although he is best remembered for his work as a songwriter, particularly in association with producer Norman Whitfield.-His career:Strong was among the first artists signed to Berry...
/Norman Whitfield
Norman Whitfield
Norman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer, best known for his work with Berry Gordy's Motown label during the 1960s...
composition "Message from a Black Man". The song "Dollar Day" uses the same beat as Juvenile
Juvenile (rapper)
Terius Gray, better known by his stage name Juvenile, is an American rapper, He is also a former member of hip-hop group the Hot Boys . At the age of 19, he began recording raps, releasing his debut album Being Myself in 1995...
's "Nolia Clap
Nolia Clap
"Nolia Clap" is a single by UTP , produced by Donald XL Robertson and recorded in Los Angeles, California, from the album The Beginning of the End....
".
MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
reported that this album isn't a full version, but a teaser/promotional debut. A new version of the album would be released spring 2007, with updated songs and cover art. However, on October 17, 2007, Okayplayer reported, through discussions with Mos Def's management, that these rumors were unsubstantiated. The CD was intended to be released without promotion or cover art, as per Mos Def's request. There would be no future re-release.
On November 7, 2007, Mos Def performed live in San Francisco at a venue called The Mezzanine. This performance was recorded for an upcoming "Live in Concert" DVD. During this performance Mos Def announced that he would be releasing a new album to be called The Ecstatic
The Ecstatic
The Ecstatic is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Mos Def, released June 9, 2009 on Downtown Records. The album was recorded during 2007 to 2009, and production was handled by J Dilla, Mr. Flash, Madlib, Mos Def, Oh No, Preservation, and The Neptunes...
. He sang a number of new tracks; in later shows, Def previewed tracks produced by Madlib
Madlib
Otis Jackson Jr. in Oxnard, California, known professionally as Madlib, is a Los Angeles-based DJ, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, and music producer...
and was rumored to be going to Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
for new material. Producer and fellow Def Poet Al Be Back
Albert Daniels
Albert Daniels , also known as Albe Back, often stylized ALBe. Back, is an actor, artist, producer, poet, and rapper.- Early life :...
stated that he would be producing as well. The album was released on June 9, 2009; upon its release, only Madlib's production had made the cut, along with tracks by Preservation, The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
, Mr. Flash
Mr. Flash
Gilles Bousquet, better known by the stage name Mr. Flash is a French DJ and musician signed to Ed Banger Records.Bousquet started producing tracks since 1999 under the name Flash Gordon. His first release, 'Le Voyage Fantastique' was released on his own label, Lust Island in 2001...
, Madlib's brother Oh No, a song by J. Dilla, and Georgia Anne Muldrow
Georgia Anne Muldrow
Georgia Anne Muldrow is an American singer and musician signed to Stones Throw Records. She is the first female artist signed to the label and seems to be a close friend of fellow label artist Dudley Perkins...
.
Mos Def appears alongside Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
on the track "Two Words" from The College Dropout
The College Dropout
The College Dropout is the debut album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released February 10, 2004, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was recorded over a period of four years, beginning in 1999. Prior to the album's release, West had worked on rapper Jay-Z's The Blueprint , which showcased his...
album, the track "Drunk And Hot Girls" and the bonus track "Good Night" off West's third major album, Graduation
Graduation (album)
Graduation is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released September 11, 2007 on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2005 to 2007 at Chung King Studios and Sony Music Studios in New York City and at Chalice Studios and The Record Plant...
. In 2002, he released the 12" single Fine, which was featured in the Brown Sugar Motion Picture Soundtrack.
Mos Def also appears on the debut album from fellow New Yorkers Apollo Heights on a track titled, "Concern." In October, he signed a deal with Downtown Records
Downtown Records
Downtown Records is a record label owned and operated by Downtown Music LLC. Music on the Downtown label is distributed by Universal Music's Fontana Distribution and, for certain releases, as a joint venture with Atlantic Records and also for select releases, by Alternative Distribution Alliance...
and appeared on a remix to the song "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice. Mos Def appeared on Stephen Marley
Stephen Marley (musician)
Stephen Robert Nesta "Raggamuffin" Marley is a Jamaican American musician and the son of reggae legend Bob Marley and his wife Rita Marley. He is a five-time Grammy award winner as an artist, producer, and member of Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers.-Life and career:Marley was born in Wilmington,...
's album Mind Control
Mind Control (Stephen Marley album)
Mind Control is the debut album of Stephen Marley, released on 20 March, 2007. The album won a Grammy in 2008 for Best Reggae Album.- Track listing :# "Mind Control"# "Hey Baby" # "Officer Jimmy"...
on the song "Hey Baby." In 2009, Mos Def worked together with Somali rapper K'naan
K'naan
K'naan , born Keinan Abdi Warsame in 1978, is a Somali Canadian poet, rapper, singer, songwriter and instrumentalist.-Biography:Born in Somalia, K'naan spent his childhood in Mogadishu and lived there during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia's most...
to produce the track "America" for K'naan's album Troubadour
Troubadour (K'naan album)
-Bonus tracks:-Chart positions:In the U.S., the album sold over 15,000 copies in its first week of release and debuted at #32 on the Billboard 200. The album has sold approximately 44,000 copies in the US as of July 2009...
.
In April 2008 he appeared on the title track for a new album by The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
entitled Rising Down
Rising Down
Rising Down is the eighth studio album by American hip hop band The Roots, released April 28, 2008 on Def Jam Recordings. The album's title is adapted from William T. Vollmann's book Rising Up and Rising Down: Some Thoughts on Violence, Freedom and Urgent Means...
. The new single, Life In Marvelous Times, was made officially available through iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on November 4, 2008, and is available for stream on the Roots' website Okayplayer.
April 2009 saw him traveling to South Africa for the first time where he performed accompanied by The Robert Glasper Experiment at the renowned Cape Town International Jazz Festival. He enticed his bemused African following with an encore introduced by his own rendition of John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
's "Love Supreme" followed by a sneak preview of the track "M.D. (Doctor)", much to the delight of the fans.
Mos Def also designed two pairs of limited edition Converse shoes. The shoes were released to Foot Locker
Foot Locker
Foot Locker, Inc. is an American sportswear and footwear retailer, with its headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and operating in approximately 20 countries worldwide. Formerly known as Venator Group, Inc., it is the successor corporation to the F.W. Woolworth Company , and many of...
stores on August 1, 2009 in very limited amounts.
In late 2009, Mos Def created a brand of clothing line with UNDRCRWN called the "Mos Def Cut & Sew Collection." All clothing items will be sold in select stores located around the U.S. and almost exclusively on the UNDRCRWN website. 2009 also found Mos Def among the MCs collaborating with the Black Keys
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
on the first Blakroc album, a project headed by the Black Keys and Damon Dash
Damon Dash
__NOINDEX__...
. Mos Def appeared with Jim Jones
Jim Jones (rapper)
Joseph Guillermo Jones II , better known by his stage name Jim Jones, is an American rapper and original member of The Diplomats, also known as Dipset. He is Co-CEO of Diplomat Records...
and the Black Keys on the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
to perform the Blakroc track "Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)".
In March 2010, Mos Def's song Quiet Dog Bite Hard was featured in Palm's "Life moves fast. Don't miss a thing." campaign.
Mos Def features on the first single, "Stylo
Stylo (song)
"Stylo" is the first single from British alternative group Gorillaz's third studio album Plastic Beach. The song features guest vocals from Bobby Womack and Mos Def. The single was released on 26 January 2010.-Production:...
", from the third Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
album, Plastic Beach
Plastic Beach
Plastic Beach is the third studio album by British virtual band and alternative hip hop supergroup Gorillaz, released 3 March 2010 on Parlophone and Virgin Records. Conceived from an unfinished Gorillaz project called Carousel, the album was recorded during June 2008 to November 2009 and produced...
, alongside soul legend Bobby Womack
Bobby Womack
Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40...
. He also appears on the track titled "Sweepstakes".
In September 2010, after appearing on Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
's G.O.O.D. Friday
G.O.O.D. Fridays
G.O.O.D. Fridays was a weekly free music giveaway started by rapper Kanye West. The name originates from the name of his label, G.O.O.D. Music, and is also a reference to the Friday before Easter, which is known as Good Friday. Every Friday, beginning on August 20, 2010, Kanye planned on releasing...
track "Lord Lord Lord", Mos Def confirmed his signing with GOOD Music
GOOD Music
GOOD Music is a record label and management firm founded by music producer and artist Kanye West. "GOOD" is an acronym for "Getting Out Our Dreams".-History:...
.
Mos Def has been an active contributor to the recovery of the oil spill in the Gulf, performing concerts and raising money towards the repair of the damages. In June 2010, he recorded a cover of the classic New Orleans song originally by Smokey Johnson
Smokey Johnson
Joseph "Smokey" Johnson is one of the musicians, session players, and songwriters who have served as the backbone for New Orleans' output of jazz, funk, blues, soul, and R&B music.Johnson served as the drummer for Fats Domino in the 1950s and 1960's...
, "It Ain't My Fault" with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Preservation Hall Jazz Band is the name for numerous groups of Dixieland Jazz and traditional jazz bands at Preservation Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana, and on tours as organized by the Preservation Hall...
, Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
and Trombone Shorty.
In September 2011, Mos Def announced that he planned to use the name Yasiin instead of Mos Def beginning in 2012.
Acting
He began his professional acting career at the age of fourteen, appearing in the TV movie God Bless the Child, starring Mare WinninghamMare Winningham
Mare Winningham , born Mary Megan Winningham, is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award, Golden Globe and Drama Desk, 7 times for Emmy Awards , and has also won an Independent Spirit Award and two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.She is...
. He then played the oldest child in the short-lived family sitcom, You Take the Kids, starring Nell Carter
Nell Carter
Nell Carter was an American singer, and film, stage, and television actress. She won a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway musical Ain't Misbehavin, as well as an Emmy Award for her reprisal of the role on television...
and Roger E. Mosley
Roger E. Mosley
Roger Earl Mosley is an American actor best known for his role as the helicopter pilot Theodore "T.C." Calvin on the long running television series, Magnum, P.I., which starred Tom Selleck as the title character.-Early life:...
. His most notable acting role before his music career was that of Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
's sidekick on the short-lived detective show, The Cosby Mysteries
The Cosby Mysteries
The Cosby Mysteries is a American television mystery series that starred Bill Cosby. It was the first television series to star Cosby since The Cosby Show and lasted only one season...
. He also starred in a 1996 Visa check card commercial featuring Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
. In 1997 he had a small role alongside Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
in his short film and music video "Ghosts".
After brief appearances in Bamboozled
Bamboozled
Bamboozled is a 2000 satirical film written and directed by Spike Lee about a modern televised minstrel show featuring black actors donning blackface makeup and the violent fall-out from the show's success...
and Monster's Ball
Monster's Ball
Monster's Ball is a 2001 romantic drama film directed by Marc Forster, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, and Heath Ledger, and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos. It was produced by Lionsgate and Lee Daniels Entertainment....
, Mos re-invigorated his acting career with his performance as a talented rapper who is reluctant to sign to a major label in Brown Sugar. He was nominated for an Image Award and a Teen Choice Award.
In 2001, he took a supporting role to Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
and Mehki Phifer in the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
movie Carmen: A Hip Hopera
Carmen: A Hip Hopera
Carmen: A Hip Hopera is a 2001 musical film produced for television by MTV and directed by Robert Townsend. The film stars Beyoncé Knowles in her debut acting role, Mos Def, Rah Digga, Wyclef Jean, Mekhi Phifer, Da Brat, Joy Bryant, Jermaine Dupri and Lil' Bow Wow...
as Lt. Miller, a crooked cop.
In 2002, he played the role of Booth in Suzan-Lori Parks
Suzan-Lori Parks
Suzan-Lori Parks is an African American playwright and screenwriter. She received the MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Grant in 2001, and the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, Topdog/Underdog.-Early years:...
' Topdog/Underdog
Topdog/Underdog
Topdog/Underdog is a play by Suzan-Lori Parks. Parks received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2002 for the work.The play chronicles the adult lives of two African American brothers, Lincoln and Booth, as they cope with women, work, poverty, gambling, racism, and their troubled upbringings...
, a Tony
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-nominated and Pulitzer
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
play. He and co-star Jeffrey Wright won a Special Award from the Outer Critics Circle Award for their joint performance. He also received positive notices as the quirky Left Ear in the blockbuster hit, The Italian Job
The Italian Job (2003 film)
The Italian Job is a 2003 heist film directed by F. Gary Gray. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Seth Green, Jason Statham, Mos Def, and Donald Sutherland. It is an American remake of a 1969 British film of the same name, and is about a team of thieves who plan to steal...
in 2003. He also appeared in 2003 in the music video You Don't Know My Name of the song by Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
.
In television, Mos Def has appeared on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
's Chappelle's Show
Chappelle's Show
Chappelle's Show is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedian Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show as well as starring in various skits. Chappelle, Brennan and Michele Armour were the show's executive producers. The series premiered on January 22,...
, and has hosted the award-winning HBO spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
show, Def Poetry
Def Poetry
Def Poetry, also known as Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry or Def Poetry Jam, which was co-founded by Bruce George, Danny Simmons and Deborah Pointer, is an HBO television series produced by hip-hop music entrepreneur Russell Simmons. The series presents performances by established spoken word...
since its inception. The show's sixth season aired in 2007. He also appeared on the sitcom My Wife And Kids
My Wife and Kids
My Wife and Kids is an American television family sitcom that ran on ABC from March 28, 2001 until May 17, 2005. Produced by Touchstone Television , it starred Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin, and centers on the character of Michael Kyle, a loving husband and modern-day patriarch who rules...
as the disabled friend of Michael Kyle (Damon Wayans
Damon Wayans
Damon Kyle Wayans is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor, one of the Wayans brothers.-Early life:Wayans was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elvira, a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Wayans, a supermarket manager...
).
Mos Def won Best Actor, Independent Movie at the 2005 Black Reel Awards
Black Reel Awards
The Black Reel Awards began in 2000 and were designed to annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films...
for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Lucas in The Woodsman
The Woodsman
The Woodsman is a 2004 drama film directed and co-written by Nicole Kassell, based on Fechter's play of the same name. The movie stars Kevin Bacon as a convicted child molester who must adjust to life after prison.-Plot:...
. For his portrayal of Vivien Thomas
Vivien Thomas
Vivien Theodore Thomas was an African-American surgical technician who developed the procedures used to treat blue baby syndrome in the 1940s...
in HBO's film Something the Lord Made
Something the Lord Made
Something The Lord Made is a film about the black cardiac pioneer Vivien Thomas and his complex and volatile partnership with white surgeon Alfred Blalock, the world famous "Blue Baby doctor" who pioneered modern heart surgery...
, he was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
and a Golden Globe, and won the Image Award. He also played a bandleader in HBO's Lackawanna Blues. He then landed the role of Ford Prefect
Ford Prefect (character)
Ford Prefect is a fictional character in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by the British author Douglas Adams. He is the only character other than the protagonist, Arthur Dent, to appear throughout the entire Hitchhiker's saga.-Name:Although Ford had taken great care to blend into Earth...
in the 2005 movie adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (film)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a 2005 comic science fiction film based on the book of the same name by Douglas Adams. Shooting was completed in August 2004 and the movie was released on April 28, 2005 in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and on the following day in Canada and the United...
.
In 2006, Mos Def appeared in Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Dave Chappelle's Block Party
A compilation of "music from and inspired by" the film was released on March 14, 2006.The album was released by Geffen Records, and produced by Corey Smyth for Blacksmith Music Corp and Questlove.#Dead Prez - "Hip Hop"#Black Star - "Definition"...
alongside fellow Black Star companion Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
, while also contributing to the film's soundtrack. Also, Mos Def was featured as the black banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
player in the infamous "Pixie Sketch" from Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes. He was later edited out of it on the DVD. Additionally, Mos Def starred in the action film 16 Blocks
16 Blocks
16 Blocks is a 2006 crime thriller film directed by Richard Donner. It stars Bruce Willis, Mos Def, and David Morse. The movie unfolds in the real time narration method.- Plot :...
alongside Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
and David Morse
David Morse (actor)
David Bowditch Morse is an American stage, television, and film actor. He first came to national attention as Dr. Jack Morrison in the medical drama St. Elsewhere from 1982 to 1988...
. He has a recurring guest role on Boondocks
The Boondocks (TV series)
The Boondocks is an American animated series created by Aaron McGruder on Cartoon Network's late night programing block, Adult Swim, based on McGruder's comic strip of the same name...
, starring as "Gangstalicious". He is also set to be in Toussaint, a film about Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
an revolutionary Toussaint Louverture, opposite Don Cheadle
Don Cheadle
Donald Frank "Don" Cheadle, Jr. is an American film actor and producer. Cheadle rose to prominence in the late 1990s and the early 2000s for his supporting roles in the Steven Soderbergh-directed films Out of Sight, Traffic, and Ocean's Eleven...
and Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
. He made a cameo appearance — playing himself — in the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film also features John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Amy Adams, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Various Saturday Night Live alumni also...
.
In 2007, Mos Def narrated the PBS-broadcast documentary Prince Among Slaves
Prince Among Slaves (film)
Prince Among Slaves is a historical documentary directed, written and produced by Andrea Kalin and narrated by Mos Def made for PBS by Unity Productions Foundation...
.
In 2008, Mos Def starred in the Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry is an Academy Award winning filmmaker, whose works include being a commercial director, music video director, and a screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène. - Life and career :...
movie Be Kind Rewind
Be Kind Rewind
Be Kind Rewind is a 2008 American comedy film with dramatic elements from New Line Cinema, written and directed by Michel Gondry and starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Melonie Diaz, Danny Glover and Mia Farrow. The film first appeared on January 20, 2008 at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. It was later...
, playing a video rental store employee whose best friend is played by co-star Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
. He also portrayed Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
in the film Cadillac Records
Cadillac Records
Cadillac Records is a 2008 musical biopic written and directed by Darnell Martin. The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential Chicago-based record-company executive Leonard Chess, and the musicians who recorded for Chess...
, for which he was nominated for a Black Reel Award
Black Reel Awards
The Black Reel Awards began in 2000 and were designed to annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films...
and an Image Award.
In 2009, he appeared in the House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
episode entitled "Locked In" as a patient suffering from locked-in syndrome
Locked-In syndrome
Locked-in syndrome is a condition in which a patient is aware and awake but cannot move or communicate verbally due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body except for the eyes. Total locked-in syndrome is a version of locked-in syndrome where the eyes are paralyzed as...
. His performance was well-received, with E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
saying that Mos Def "delivers an Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-worthy performance." He was also in the 2009 film Next Day Air
Next Day Air
Next Day Air is a 2009 action comedy film that was released by Summit Entertainment on May 8, 2009. The film starring Mike Epps and Donald Faison was produced on an estimated budget of $3 million...
.
In 2010, he appeared on the children's show Yo Gabba Gabba!
Yo Gabba Gabba!
Yo Gabba Gabba! is an American children's television show currently airing on the Nick Jr. cable network in the United States and the Nick Jr. networks in the United Kingdom & Ireland, Italy, France and Australia as well as Treehouse TV network in Canada and RTE2 on RTEjr see Raidió Teilifís...
as Super Mr. Superhero. He also appeared in A Free Man of Color
A Free Man of Color
A Free Man of Color is a play by John Guare. It is set in New Orleans in 1801 before the Louisiana Purchase , and follows the story of Jacques Cornet, a "a new world Don Juan" and the wealthiest colored man in New Orleans...
, John Guare
John Guare
John Guare is an American playwright. He is best known as the author of The House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation, and Landscape of the Body...
's play at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre
Vivian Beaumont Theatre
The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a theatre located in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The structure was designed by Finnish American architect Eero Saarinen, and Jo Mielziner was responsible for the design of the stage and interior.The Vivian...
.
In 2011, be began a multi-episode appearance on the Showtime television series Dexter
Dexter (TV series)
Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
. He played Brother Sam, an ex-con who has supposedly found religion despite finding himself in violent situations.
Social and political views
By the early 1990s, a brand of socially conscious hip hop that had been pioneered and popularized by Public Enemy, KRS-OneKRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
, and De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
, among others, had been eclipsed in popularity by gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
. Mos Def, as well as Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
, The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
, Common
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
, and others, helped socially aware rap music experience something of a comeback in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Mos Def's collaboration with Talib Kweli, Black Star, was released during the aftermath of the deaths of 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
and focused on violence and negativity in hip-hop, in collaboration with other acts that did the same. His music has also made reference to his Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic faith, and his contention that black artists receive little credit for their role in the birth of rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
.
On Mos Def's 2004 album The New Danger
The New Danger
The New Danger is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Mos Def, released October 19, 2004 on Rawkus and Geffen Records in the United States. The album was also released in Canada and continental Europe through Geffen, and it featured distribution in the United Kingdom on Island Records...
, he took his penchant for experimentation to a new level. Most of the songs were more hip-hop flavored stylings of blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, 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
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's The Blueprint
The Blueprint
The Blueprint is the sixth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released September 11, 2001 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States. Its release was set a week earlier than initially planned in order to combat bootlegging. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2001 at Manhattan...
hit "Takeover
Takeover (song)
"Takeover" is a track recorded by Jay-Z for his 2001 album The Blueprint. The song is a diss track aimed at rappers Nas and Prodigy of Mobb Deep.-Background:...
". His label made him take the song off releases of the album, citing clearance issues with Jay-Z and The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
, a band which the song samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
. The song has garnered controversy over its veiled reference to Israeli-American record executive Lyor Cohen
Lyor Cohen
Lyor Cohen is the North American Chairman and CEO of Recorded Music for Warner Music Group . He has been a pioneer in the development of hip hop music and influential in the development of hip hop music acts, including Beastie Boys, Foxy Brown, LL Cool J, Jam Master Jay, Nas, Run-D.M.C...
(the "tall Israeli" who then was head of The Island Def Jam Music Group
The Island Def Jam Music Group
The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group, formerly The Island Def Jam Music Group, is an umbrella label formed in 1999 when Universal Music Group merged two of its daughter companies, Island Records and Def Jam Recordings, to create a label group. In 2011, Motown Records was split from the Universal...
).
Mos Def and Immortal Technique
Immortal Technique
Felipe Andres Coronel , better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper of Afro-Peruvian descent as well as an urban activist. He was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics...
released a similarly controversial song, "Bin Laden" in 2004, which blamed the Reagan Doctrine
Reagan Doctrine
The Reagan Doctrine was a strategy orchestrated and implemented by the United States under the Reagan Administration to oppose the global influence of the Soviet Union during the final years of the Cold War...
and President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
for the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. A club remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
song, featuring Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, was released the following year, in 2005.
In September 2005, Mos Def released the single "Katrina Clap," renamed "Dollar Day" for True Magic, (utilizing the instrumental for New Orleans rappers UTP's "Nolia Clap
Nolia Clap
"Nolia Clap" is a single by UTP , produced by Donald XL Robertson and recorded in Los Angeles, California, from the album The Beginning of the End....
"). The song is a criticism
Criticism of government response to Hurricane Katrina
The criticism of the government response to Hurricane Katrina consisted primarily of condemnations of mismanagement and lack of preparation in the relief effort in response to Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Specifically, there was a delayed response to the flooding of New Orleans, Louisiana...
of the Bush administration's response to Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. On the night of the MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
, Mos Def pulled up in front of Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
on a flatbed truck and began performing the "Katrina Clap" single in front of a crowd that quickly gathered around him. He was subsequently arrested despite having a public performance permit in his possession.
On September 7, 2007, Mos Def appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher
Real Time with Bill Maher
Real Time with Bill Maher is a talk show that airs weekly on HBO, hosted by comedian and political satirist Bill Maher. Much like his previous show, Politically Incorrect on ABC , Real Time features a panel of guests that discuss current events in politics and the media...
where he spoke about racism
Racism in the United States
Racism in the United States has been a major issue since the colonial era and the slave era. Legally sanctioned racism imposed a heavy burden on Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latin Americans...
against African Americans, citing the government response to Hurricane Katrina, the Jena Six
Jena Six
The Jena Six were six black teenagers convicted in the beating of Justin Barker, a white student at Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana, on December 4, 2006. Barker was injured in the assault by the members of the Jena Six, and received treatment for his injuries at an emergency room...
and the murder conviction of Mumia Abu-Jamal
Mumia Abu-Jamal
Mumia Abu-Jamal was convicted of the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner and sentenced to death. He has been described as "perhaps the world's best known death-row inmate", and his sentence is one of the most debated today...
. He appeared on Real Time again on March 27, 2009, and spoke about the risk of nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s. Mos Def said that he did not listen to any of Osama Bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
's messages because he did not trust the translations.
In 2000, Mos Def performed a benefit concert for death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal
Mumia Abu-Jamal
Mumia Abu-Jamal was convicted of the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner and sentenced to death. He has been described as "perhaps the world's best known death-row inmate", and his sentence is one of the most debated today...
.
Personal life
In 1996, Def married Maria Yepes. After having two daughters, Chandani and Jauhara Smith, he filed for divorce in 2005. The divorce became final in 2006. Two years later, Def's divorce lawyers Blank RomeBlank Rome
Blank Rome LLP, formerly known as Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley, is a full-service international law and government affairs firm. It is ranked as the 84th largest law firm in the United States in terms of revenue, according to the AmLaw 100 Survey...
sued Def for more than $60,000 in unpaid legal bills.
In October, 2006 Mos Def appeared on 4Real, a documentary television series. Appearing in the episode "City of God," he and the 4Real crew traveled to City of God
Cidade de Deus (Rio de Janeiro)
The neighbourhood of Cidade de Deus is part of the borough of Jacarepaguá, in the Western Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is also known as CDD among their inhabitants....
, a slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to meet Brazilian MC MV Bill
MV Bill
MV Bill, real name Alex Pereira Barbosa, is a Brazilian rap singer and co-author of the best-selling book Falcão - Meninos do Tráfico. The initials "MV" stand for "Mensageiro da Verdade", Portuguese for "Messenger of Truth"....
and discover the crime and social problems of the community.
He has recently taken up skateboarding and said he's looking to host a skateboarding event in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
.
Nominations
- Black Movie Awards
- 2006 Source Awards
- Black Reel AwardsBlack Reel AwardsThe Black Reel Awards began in 2000 and were designed to annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films...
- 2008, Best Supporting Actor: Cadillac RecordsCadillac RecordsCadillac Records is a 2008 musical biopic written and directed by Darnell Martin. The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential Chicago-based record-company executive Leonard Chess, and the musicians who recorded for Chess...
- 2003, Best Actor- Independent: Civil BrandCivil BrandCivil Brand is a 2002 film written by Joyce Lewis and Preston A. Whitmore II and directed by Neema Barnette. It features N'Bushe Wright, Da Brat, Mos Def, LisaRaye McCoy, and Monica Calhoun. The film is about a group of female inmates fighting back against their abusers and taking over Whitehead...
- 2004, Best Supporting Actor: The Italian JobThe Italian Job (2003 film)The Italian Job is a 2003 heist film directed by F. Gary Gray. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Seth Green, Jason Statham, Mos Def, and Donald Sutherland. It is an American remake of a 1969 British film of the same name, and is about a team of thieves who plan to steal...
- 2005, Best Actor TV Movie/Mini-Series: Something the Lord MadeSomething the Lord MadeSomething The Lord Made is a film about the black cardiac pioneer Vivien Thomas and his complex and volatile partnership with white surgeon Alfred Blalock, the world famous "Blue Baby doctor" who pioneered modern heart surgery...
- 2005, Best Indie Actor: The WoodsmanThe WoodsmanThe Woodsman is a 2004 drama film directed and co-written by Nicole Kassell, based on Fechter's play of the same name. The movie stars Kevin Bacon as a convicted child molester who must adjust to life after prison.-Plot:...
(won)
- 2008, Best Supporting Actor: Cadillac Records
- Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
- 2004, Best Actor in a Television Movie or Mini-Series: Something the Lord Made
- Golden Globes
- 2005, Best Actor in a Television Movie or Mini-Series: Something the Lord Made
- Grammy Awards
- 2005, Best Urban/Alternative Performance: "Sex, Love & Money"
- 2006, Best Urban/Alternative Performance: "Ghetto Rock"
- 2007, Best Rap Solo Performance: "Undeniable"
- 2010, Best Rap Solo Performance: "Casa Bey"
- 2010, Best Rap Album: "The Ecstatic"
- 2011, Best Short Form Music Video: "Stylo" (with Bobby WomackBobby WomackRobert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40...
and GorillazGorillazGorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
)
- Image Awards
- 2009, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Cadillac Records
- 2003, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Brown Sugar
- 2005, Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie or Mini-Series: Something the Lord Made
Discography
- Black on Both SidesBlack on Both SidesBlack on Both Sides is the debut solo album of American rapper Mos Def, released October 12, 1999 on Rawkus Records. Prior to the album's recording, Mos Def had collaborated with rapper Talib Kweli for the duo's studio album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star , which raised high expectations for...
(1999) - The New DangerThe New DangerThe New Danger is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Mos Def, released October 19, 2004 on Rawkus and Geffen Records in the United States. The album was also released in Canada and continental Europe through Geffen, and it featured distribution in the United Kingdom on Island Records...
(2004) - True MagicTrue MagicTrue Magic, initially set to be titled as Tru3 Magic, is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Mos Def, released December 29, 2006 on Geffen Records in the United States. Following an online leak of the album, it featured limited release, with distribution in only the United States and...
(2006) - The EcstaticThe EcstaticThe Ecstatic is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Mos Def, released June 9, 2009 on Downtown Records. The album was recorded during 2007 to 2009, and production was handled by J Dilla, Mr. Flash, Madlib, Mos Def, Oh No, Preservation, and The Neptunes...
(2009)
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | The Hard Way The Hard Way (1991 film) The Hard Way is a 1991 action-comedy film starring Michael J. Fox and James Woods. It is directed by John Badham. The film also had notable performances by Stephen Lang, Annabella Sciorra, Luis Guzmán, LL Cool J, Delroy Lindo, Penny Marshall, and Bryant Gumbel, as himself... |
Dead Romeos Gang Member | |
| 1997 | Ghosts Ghosts (Michael Jackson film) Michael Jackson's Ghosts is a short film starring Michael Jackson, co-written by horror novelist Stephen King and directed by film director and special effects guru Stan Winston which could also be classified as a long-form music video. It was filmed and first screened in 1996 and released along... |
Townsperson | |
| 1998 | Where's Marlowe? Where's Marlowe? Where's Marlowe? is a 1998 indie comedy/mystery written by Daniel Pyne and John Mankiewicz. Daniel Pyne also directed the film.-Plot summary:... |
Wilt Crawley | |
| 2000 | Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme is a 2000 documentary film directed by Kevin Fitzgerald. The film follows the art of freestyle, improvisational hip-hop. This independent release includes extemporaneous performances by artists such as Supernatural, Mos Def, The Roots, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur,... |
Himself | |
| Bamboozled Bamboozled Bamboozled is a 2000 satirical film written and directed by Spike Lee about a modern televised minstrel show featuring black actors donning blackface makeup and the violent fall-out from the show's success... |
Big Blak Afrika | Also recorded a song for the movie's soundtrack with other members of the Mau Maus Mau Maus Mau Maus was the name of a 1950s street gang in New York. The book and the adapted film The Cross and the Switchblade and biography Run Baby Run document the life of its most famous leader, Nicky Cruz. Their name was derived from the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya.-History:The Mau Maus were a Brooklyn... |
|
| Island of the Dead Island of the Dead (2000 film) Island of the Dead is a 2000 horror film directed by Tim Southam and stars Malcolm McDowell.-Plot:The story centers around a group of people that arrive at "Hart Island", which has recently been purchased by real estate tycoon "Rupert King" to build what he calls "Hope City", supposedly to help the... |
Robbie J | ||
| 2001 | Carmen: A Hip Hopera Carmen: A Hip Hopera Carmen: A Hip Hopera is a 2001 musical film produced for television by MTV and directed by Robert Townsend. The film stars Beyoncé Knowles in her debut acting role, Mos Def, Rah Digga, Wyclef Jean, Mekhi Phifer, Da Brat, Joy Bryant, Jermaine Dupri and Lil' Bow Wow... |
Lieutenant Miller | |
| Monster's Ball Monster's Ball Monster's Ball is a 2001 romantic drama film directed by Marc Forster, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, and Heath Ledger, and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos. It was produced by Lionsgate and Lee Daniels Entertainment.... |
Ryrus Cooper | ||
| 2002 | Showtime Showtime (film) Showtime is a 2002 action-comedy film directed by Tom Dey and starring Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy.-Plot:The film centers on two cops, Mitch Preston and Trey Sellars , who are paired together for a reality police show and run into real trouble with a crime lord... |
Lazy Boy | |
| Civil Brand Civil Brand Civil Brand is a 2002 film written by Joyce Lewis and Preston A. Whitmore II and directed by Neema Barnette. It features N'Bushe Wright, Da Brat, Mos Def, LisaRaye McCoy, and Monica Calhoun. The film is about a group of female inmates fighting back against their abusers and taking over Whitehead... |
Michael Meadows | ||
| Brown Sugar | Chris 'Cav' Anton Vichon | ||
| My Wife and Kids My Wife and Kids My Wife and Kids is an American television family sitcom that ran on ABC from March 28, 2001 until May 17, 2005. Produced by Touchstone Television , it starred Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin, and centers on the character of Michael Kyle, a loving husband and modern-day patriarch who rules... |
Tommy | 1 episode: Chair Man of the Board | |
| 2003 | The Italian Job The Italian Job (2003 film) The Italian Job is a 2003 heist film directed by F. Gary Gray. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Seth Green, Jason Statham, Mos Def, and Donald Sutherland. It is an American remake of a 1969 British film of the same name, and is about a team of thieves who plan to steal... |
Left Ear | |
| 2004 | The Woodsman The Woodsman The Woodsman is a 2004 drama film directed and co-written by Nicole Kassell, based on Fechter's play of the same name. The movie stars Kevin Bacon as a convicted child molester who must adjust to life after prison.-Plot:... |
Detective Lucas | |
| Something the Lord Made Something the Lord Made Something The Lord Made is a film about the black cardiac pioneer Vivien Thomas and his complex and volatile partnership with white surgeon Alfred Blalock, the world famous "Blue Baby doctor" who pioneered modern heart surgery... |
Vivien Thomas Vivien Thomas Vivien Theodore Thomas was an African-American surgical technician who developed the procedures used to treat blue baby syndrome in the 1940s... |
Nominated - Emmy Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated - Golden Globe Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign... for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television Nominated - Image Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Mini-Series or Television Movie |
|
| 2005 | Lackawanna Blues Lackawanna Blues Lackawanna Blues is an American play written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson in 2001. It was later adapted as a television movie that aired in 2005. The play dramatizes the character of the author's primary caregiver when he was growing up in Lackawanna, New York, during the 1950s and 1960s.-Play:The... |
The Bandleader | |
| The Boondocks (2005-2008) The Boondocks (TV series) The Boondocks is an American animated series created by Aaron McGruder on Cartoon Network's late night programing block, Adult Swim, based on McGruder's comic strip of the same name... |
Voice Of Gangstalicious | ||
| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (film) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a 2005 comic science fiction film based on the book of the same name by Douglas Adams. Shooting was completed in August 2004 and the movie was released on April 28, 2005 in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and on the following day in Canada and the United... |
Ford Prefect Ford Prefect (character) Ford Prefect is a fictional character in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by the British author Douglas Adams. He is the only character other than the protagonist, Arthur Dent, to appear throughout the entire Hitchhiker's saga.-Name:Although Ford had taken great care to blend into Earth... |
||
| 2006 | Dave Chappelle's Block Party Dave Chappelle's Block Party A compilation of "music from and inspired by" the film was released on March 14, 2006.The album was released by Geffen Records, and produced by Corey Smyth for Blacksmith Music Corp and Questlove.#Dead Prez - "Hip Hop"#Black Star - "Definition"... |
Himself | |
| 16 Blocks 16 Blocks 16 Blocks is a 2006 crime thriller film directed by Richard Donner. It stars Bruce Willis, Mos Def, and David Morse. The movie unfolds in the real time narration method.- Plot :... |
Eddie Bunker | ||
| Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film also features John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Amy Adams, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Various Saturday Night Live alumni also... |
Himself | Cameo | |
| Journey to the End of the Night Journey to the End of the Night (2006 film) Journey to the End of the Night is a 2006 film directed by Eric Eason starring Brendan Fraser, Mos Def, Scott Glenn, Alice Braga and Catalina Sandino Moreno.- Synopsis :... |
Wemba | ||
| 2007 | Prince Among Slaves Prince Among Slaves (film) Prince Among Slaves is a historical documentary directed, written and produced by Andrea Kalin and narrated by Mos Def made for PBS by Unity Productions Foundation... |
Narrator | |
| 2008 | Be Kind Rewind Be Kind Rewind Be Kind Rewind is a 2008 American comedy film with dramatic elements from New Line Cinema, written and directed by Michel Gondry and starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Melonie Diaz, Danny Glover and Mia Farrow. The film first appeared on January 20, 2008 at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. It was later... |
Mike | |
| Cadillac Records Cadillac Records Cadillac Records is a 2008 musical biopic written and directed by Darnell Martin. The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential Chicago-based record-company executive Leonard Chess, and the musicians who recorded for Chess... |
Chuck Berry Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B... |
||
| 2009 | Next Day Air Next Day Air Next Day Air is a 2009 action comedy film that was released by Summit Entertainment on May 8, 2009. The film starring Mike Epps and Donald Faison was produced on an estimated budget of $3 million... |
Eric | |
| House House (TV series) House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in... |
Lee | Season 5, Episode 19 | |
| 2010 | I'm Still Here I'm Still Here (film) I'm Still Here is a 2010 mockumentary film directed by Casey Affleck, and written by Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix. The film purports to follow the life of Phoenix, from the announcement of his retirement from acting, through his transition into a career as a hip hop artist. Filming officially began... |
Himself | |
| Bouncing Cats Bouncing Cats Bouncing Cats is a 2010 documentary film written and directed by Australian director and photographer Nabil Elderkin. The film follows the efforts of Abraham "Abramz" Tekya and Breakdance Project Uganda to use dance to empower youth in war-torn Uganda. The film is a testimony of Crazy Legs of Rock... |
Himself | ||
| 2010 | Yo Gabba Gabba! Yo Gabba Gabba! Yo Gabba Gabba! is an American children's television show currently airing on the Nick Jr. cable network in the United States and the Nick Jr. networks in the United Kingdom & Ireland, Italy, France and Australia as well as Treehouse TV network in Canada and RTE2 on RTEjr see Raidió Teilifís... |
Super Mr. Superhero | Season 3, Episode 44, Superhero |
| 2011 | Dexter Dexter (TV series) Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer... |
Brother Sam | Season 6, recurring, (credited as "Mos" in 2 episodes, "yasiin bey" in 3 episodes) |
External links
- Mos Def / Dante Smith discographies at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
. - Mos Def at Geffen RecordsGeffen RecordsGeffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
.