Black on Both Sides is the debut solo album of American rapper Mos Def, released October 12, 1999 on Rawkus Records. Black on Both Sides features an emphasis on live instrumentation and socially-conscious lyrics. On February 2, 2000, the album was certified Gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), following sales in excess of 500,000 copies.
Talib Kweli (one-half of Black Star with Mos Def) and Busta Rhymes are the only main rappers to be featured on the album. Read Full BioBlack on Both Sides is the debut solo album of American rapper Mos Def, released October 12, 1999 on Rawkus Records. Black on Both Sides features an emphasis on live instrumentation and socially-conscious lyrics. On February 2, 2000, the album was certified Gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), following sales in excess of 500,000 copies.
Talib Kweli (one-half of Black Star with Mos Def) and Busta Rhymes are the only main rappers to be featured on the album. Kweli raps the second and final verse of "Know That", while Busta goes back and forth with Mos on "Do It Now". Q-Tip helps sing the chorus on "Mr. Nigga" but doesn't deliver a verse. The lyrics Q-Tip recites are similar to his previously stated lyrics on A Tribe Called Quest's "Sucka Nigga". Vinia Mojica (who is known for singing on Native Tongues songs) also sings a duet with Mos Def on the song "Climb".
The album features a mix between established and rising producers. DJ Premier, considered by some the greatest hip hop producer ever [14], provides the "Mathematics" instrumental. Diamond D also is credited for one beat, which is "Hip Hop". Ali Shaheed Muhammad, known mostly as a member of A Tribe Called Quest, produced the seventh song "Got". Psycho Les of The Beatnuts did a little more than the aforementioned producers by supplying two beats (The ninth and tenth tracks "New World Water" and "Rock N Roll", respectively.) Jazz legend Weldon Irvine provided additional production to "Climb".
Ayatollah, who went on to receive moderate success, produced "Ms. Fat Booty" (the most famous song from the album) and "Know That". The same followed for 88-Keys after he made "Love", "Speed Law" and co-produced the instrumental outro "May-December" with Mos Def, himself. David Kennedy (The first swing of "Brooklyn" and "Umi Says" produced with Mos Def), Mr. Khaliyl ("Do It Now"), DJ Etch-A-Sketch ("Climb" and "Habitat"), Ge-ology (The second swing of "Brooklyn") and D. Prosper ("Mr. Nigga") round out the other contributors. The late Jay Dee also contributed, but his work was not included on the album's final draft.
Mos received production assistance on most of the album's tracks. His only sole production credit comes at "Fear Not of Man", but he provided additional production to four tracks (Hip Hop", "Rock N Roll", "Climb" and "Mr. Nigga") and co-produced three ("Umi Says", "Brooklyn" and "May-December").
Talib Kweli (one-half of Black Star with Mos Def) and Busta Rhymes are the only main rappers to be featured on the album. Read Full BioBlack on Both Sides is the debut solo album of American rapper Mos Def, released October 12, 1999 on Rawkus Records. Black on Both Sides features an emphasis on live instrumentation and socially-conscious lyrics. On February 2, 2000, the album was certified Gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), following sales in excess of 500,000 copies.
Talib Kweli (one-half of Black Star with Mos Def) and Busta Rhymes are the only main rappers to be featured on the album. Kweli raps the second and final verse of "Know That", while Busta goes back and forth with Mos on "Do It Now". Q-Tip helps sing the chorus on "Mr. Nigga" but doesn't deliver a verse. The lyrics Q-Tip recites are similar to his previously stated lyrics on A Tribe Called Quest's "Sucka Nigga". Vinia Mojica (who is known for singing on Native Tongues songs) also sings a duet with Mos Def on the song "Climb".
The album features a mix between established and rising producers. DJ Premier, considered by some the greatest hip hop producer ever [14], provides the "Mathematics" instrumental. Diamond D also is credited for one beat, which is "Hip Hop". Ali Shaheed Muhammad, known mostly as a member of A Tribe Called Quest, produced the seventh song "Got". Psycho Les of The Beatnuts did a little more than the aforementioned producers by supplying two beats (The ninth and tenth tracks "New World Water" and "Rock N Roll", respectively.) Jazz legend Weldon Irvine provided additional production to "Climb".
Ayatollah, who went on to receive moderate success, produced "Ms. Fat Booty" (the most famous song from the album) and "Know That". The same followed for 88-Keys after he made "Love", "Speed Law" and co-produced the instrumental outro "May-December" with Mos Def, himself. David Kennedy (The first swing of "Brooklyn" and "Umi Says" produced with Mos Def), Mr. Khaliyl ("Do It Now"), DJ Etch-A-Sketch ("Climb" and "Habitat"), Ge-ology (The second swing of "Brooklyn") and D. Prosper ("Mr. Nigga") round out the other contributors. The late Jay Dee also contributed, but his work was not included on the album's final draft.
Mos received production assistance on most of the album's tracks. His only sole production credit comes at "Fear Not of Man", but he provided additional production to four tracks (Hip Hop", "Rock N Roll", "Climb" and "Mr. Nigga") and co-produced three ("Umi Says", "Brooklyn" and "May-December").
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Fear Not of Man
by Mos Def
Bismillah ir Rahman ir Raheem
If you can hear me ladies and gentlemen
Then I'm very happy that you came here
That was for Brooklyn
Ha ha, we get it everytime
You got me on? Ohh
Shout out to all of my crew, East-West, North-South
All the continent, Europe, all abroad international
Bring it in, bring it in, bring it in, bring it in
It's a lot of things goin on y'all
21st century is comin
20th century almost done
A lot of things have changed
A lot of things have not, mainly us
We gon' get it together right? I believe that
Listen, people be askin me all the time
"Yo Mos, what's gettin ready to happen with Hip-Hop?"
(Where do you think Hip-Hop is goin?)
I tell em, "You know what's gonna happen with Hip-Hop?
Whatever's happening with us"
If we smoked out, Hip-Hop is gonna be smoked out
If we doin alright, Hip-Hop is gonna be doin alright
People talk about Hip-Hop like it's some giant livin in the hillside
Comin down to visit the townspeople
We are Hip-Hop
Me, you, everybody, we are Hip-Hop
So Hip-Hop is going where we going
So the next time you ask yourself where Hip-Hop is going
Ask yourself: where am I going? How am I doing?
'til you get a clear idea
So if Hip-Hop is about the people
And the Hip-Hop won't get better until the people get better
Then how do people get better? (Hmmmm)
Well, from my understanding people get better
When they start to understand that, they are valuable
And they not valuable because they got a whole lot of money
Or cause somebody, think they sexy
But they valuable cause they been created by God
And God, makes you valuable
And whether or not you, recognize that value is one thing
You got a lot of societies and governments
Tryin to be God, wishing that they were God
They wanna create satellites and cameras everywhere
And make you think they got the all-seeing eye
Eh I guess The Last Poets wasn't, too far off
When they said that certain people got a God Complex
I believe it's true
I don't get phased out by none of that, none of that
Helicopters, the TV screens, the newscasters, the
Satellite dishes they just, wishing
They can't really never do that
When they tell me to fear they law
When they tell me to try to
Have some fret in my heart behind the things that they do
This is what I think in my mind
And this is what I say to them
And this is what I'm saying to you check it
All over the world hearts pound with the rhythm
Fear not of men because men must die
Mind over matter and soul before flesh
Angels hold a pen keep a record in time
Which is passing and running like a caravan trader
The world is overrun with the wealthy and the wicked
But God is sufficient in disposing of affairs
Gunmen and stockholders try to merit my fear
But God is sufficient over plans they prepared
Mos Def in the flesh, where you at, right here
On this place called Earth, holding down my square
'Bout to do it for y'all, and y'all at the fair
So just bounce, come on bounce
B-b-bounce b-bounce b-bounce-bounce
And just
Just step two three
Just step two three and
Step two
Two three and
One two three and four
One two three and four
Once again
All over the world hearts pound with the rhythm
Fear not of men because men must die
Mind over matter and soul before flesh
Angels hold a pen keep a record in time
Which is passing and running like a caravan trader
The world is overrun with the wealthy and the wicked
But God is sufficient in disposing of affairs
Gunmen and stockholders try to merit my fear
But God is sufficient over plans they prepared
Mos Def in the flesh, where you at, right here
On this place called Earth, holding down my square
Bout to represent in your whole atmosphere
To your atmosphere, to your atmosphere
That was for you, and Brooklyn too!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANTE SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
by Mos Def
Bismillah ir Rahman ir Raheem
If you can hear me ladies and gentlemen
Then I'm very happy that you came here
That was for Brooklyn
Ha ha, we get it everytime
You got me on? Ohh
Shout out to all of my crew, East-West, North-South
All the continent, Europe, all abroad international
Bring it in, bring it in, bring it in, bring it in
It's a lot of things goin on y'all
21st century is comin
20th century almost done
A lot of things have changed
A lot of things have not, mainly us
We gon' get it together right? I believe that
Listen, people be askin me all the time
"Yo Mos, what's gettin ready to happen with Hip-Hop?"
(Where do you think Hip-Hop is goin?)
I tell em, "You know what's gonna happen with Hip-Hop?
Whatever's happening with us"
If we smoked out, Hip-Hop is gonna be smoked out
If we doin alright, Hip-Hop is gonna be doin alright
People talk about Hip-Hop like it's some giant livin in the hillside
Comin down to visit the townspeople
We are Hip-Hop
Me, you, everybody, we are Hip-Hop
So Hip-Hop is going where we going
So the next time you ask yourself where Hip-Hop is going
Ask yourself: where am I going? How am I doing?
'til you get a clear idea
So if Hip-Hop is about the people
And the Hip-Hop won't get better until the people get better
Then how do people get better? (Hmmmm)
Well, from my understanding people get better
When they start to understand that, they are valuable
And they not valuable because they got a whole lot of money
Or cause somebody, think they sexy
But they valuable cause they been created by God
And God, makes you valuable
And whether or not you, recognize that value is one thing
You got a lot of societies and governments
Tryin to be God, wishing that they were God
They wanna create satellites and cameras everywhere
And make you think they got the all-seeing eye
Eh I guess The Last Poets wasn't, too far off
When they said that certain people got a God Complex
I believe it's true
I don't get phased out by none of that, none of that
Helicopters, the TV screens, the newscasters, the
Satellite dishes they just, wishing
They can't really never do that
When they tell me to fear they law
When they tell me to try to
Have some fret in my heart behind the things that they do
This is what I think in my mind
And this is what I say to them
And this is what I'm saying to you check it
All over the world hearts pound with the rhythm
Fear not of men because men must die
Mind over matter and soul before flesh
Angels hold a pen keep a record in time
Which is passing and running like a caravan trader
The world is overrun with the wealthy and the wicked
But God is sufficient in disposing of affairs
Gunmen and stockholders try to merit my fear
But God is sufficient over plans they prepared
Mos Def in the flesh, where you at, right here
On this place called Earth, holding down my square
'Bout to do it for y'all, and y'all at the fair
So just bounce, come on bounce
B-b-bounce b-bounce b-bounce-bounce
And just
Just step two three
Just step two three and
Step two
Two three and
One two three and four
One two three and four
Once again
All over the world hearts pound with the rhythm
Fear not of men because men must die
Mind over matter and soul before flesh
Angels hold a pen keep a record in time
Which is passing and running like a caravan trader
The world is overrun with the wealthy and the wicked
But God is sufficient in disposing of affairs
Gunmen and stockholders try to merit my fear
But God is sufficient over plans they prepared
Mos Def in the flesh, where you at, right here
On this place called Earth, holding down my square
Bout to represent in your whole atmosphere
To your atmosphere, to your atmosphere
That was for you, and Brooklyn too!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANTE SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
saganpetrsmith
One of the greatest albums ever made.
Jonathan Holleb
Truth!
Nick Billups
I agree
Mwanzie Saffa
Mos is the BEST, HE'S the TRUE GOAT! Nobody better. Some with more money, some sold more albums, but NOBODY is a BETTER EMCEE that's TRUER to ISLAMIC BELIEF than the Mighty Mos Def. Not even his boy Talib Kweli! Talib never started ANY album giving props to Allah, no WONDER he went thru stress with Res.
Anthony
yes it is a phenomenal album
Robert Leslie
How does Mos Def not get more love. This is a genius album.
Garfield Harrison
This don't get more props because we are distracted by the noise. We always been distracted by the commercial entity of where they tried to push hip hop. But, as Yasiin Bey,ask yourself where Hip Hop is going. Ask yourself the question. This is a masterpiece. It's there and one day they will know. Most people are exploring it more now. It's great I always knew. All over the world hearts pound with the rhythm, Fear not of man because man must die. The album has a spiritual vibe all over it, Like Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and Let's Get It On combined.
Ruth Farquhar
Utterly agree. P.S. are you Robert Leslie of Vaujany times?
Owethu
"All over the world hearts pound with the rhythm; fear not of man 'cause man must die"
That hit hard
Joyzee X
This guy is Muslim and proud of it. Mashallah. 💜💜