Rap career:
Mos Def began his performing career on the television show The Cosby Mysteries in 1994. In 1994, Mos also began his music career, forming the short-lived group Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD) with his younger brother DCQ and his younger sister Ces. Despite being signed to Payday Records, the group only released two singles and the group's debut album, Manifest Destiny, did not see the light of day until 2004 when released through Illson Media. In 1996 he emerged as a solo artist, working with De La Soul and Da Bush Babees before releasing his own first single, "Universal Magnetic" which was a huge underground hit. After signing with Rawkus Records, he and Talib Kweli released a full length album under the band name Black Star, entitled Black Star. It was released in 1998, with Hi-Tek producing most of the tracks. Mos Def released his solo debut, Black on Both Sides, in 1999. Filled with tracks raving about his hometown, Brooklyn and his love for Hip-Hop, Black on Both Sides also deals with racial profiling of Black men in America, with the track Mr Nigga. Mos Def was also featured on Rawkus' influential The Lyricist Lounge and Soundbombing series compilations. After the collapse of Rawkus, Def along with Kweli signed on to Interscope/Geffen Records, who released his second album The New Danger in 2004. In early 2005 Mos Def was rumored to join Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella record label, but this was later denied by the artist himself claiming "Jay-Z and Roc-A-Fella would never allow me to release songs I plan on putting out there. I ain't down with that commercial non-sense. I'm about to deal with the fake with my next album, from George Bush to 50 Cent." But, after making that comment, Mos Def was featured rapping on a SUV commercial, endorsing the GMC Denali. Mos Def is projected to release his last solo album on Geffen Records, The Undeniable Free Flaco in early 2006. His 4th studio album The Ecstatic was released June 9, 2009 on Downtown Records. It serves as Mos Def's second highest charting album to date. Upon its release, The Ecstatic received general acclaim from most music critics, and it earned Mos Def a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album. Rolling Stone magazine named it the seventeenth best album of 2009.
Impact on hip-hop
The artistic boundaries of hip-hop and rap music had been redefined by artists such as Brand Nubian, De La Soul, and Public Enemy, whose music was more thematically sophisticated and socially conscious than that of their predecessors. By the early 1990s however, this brand of rap had been eclipsed in popularity by gangsta rap. Socially aware rap music (alternative hip hop) has experienced something of a renaissance in the late 1990s and now the 2000s, in part due to artists such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, The Roots and others. "Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are … Blackstar" Mos Def's collaboration with Talib Kweli was released during the aftermath of the deaths of 2pac and The Notorious B.I.G. sparking a rebirth of "aware" and "intelligent" hip-hop. Def's music often references his Islamic faith and his contention that black artists receive little credit for their role in the birth of rock and roll music.
On Mos Def's 2004 album The New Danger, the rapper took his penchant for experimentation to a new level. Most of the songs were more hip-hop flavored stylings of Blues and Rock, with few actual raps thrown in. This threw off fans who were expecting another full-blown rap album. The New Danger also featured the controversial song "The Rape Over", a parody of Jay-Z's The Blueprint hit "The Takeover":
old white men is runnin this rap shit
corporate forces runnin this rap shit
some tall israeli is runnin this rap shit
we poke out our asses for a chance to cash in
cocaine, is runnin this rap shit
'dro, 'yac and e-pills is runnin this rap shit...
mtv is runnin this rap shit
viacom is runnin this rap shit
aol and time warner runnin this rap shit...
quasi-homosexuals is runnin this rap shit
The lyrics would seem to have chafed with higher-placed executives, who made Mos take the song off of later releases of the album, supposedly for "sample clearance issues".
In September 2005, Mos Def released the single "Katrina Clap" (utilizing the instrumental for Juvenile's "Nolia Clap"), a critical reaction to the lack of response by the Bush administration to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. He probably chose the "Nolia Clap" instrumental because the rapper Juvenile hails from New Orleans, and the song was a hit in the New Orleans area before the hurricane.
Mos Def also collaborated with Kanye West on West's track named "two words" and appeared in the music video.
Acting career
The first years of the 2000s have established Mos Def as a notable actor. His performances in Brown Sugar, Monster's Ball, and the HBO made-for-TV film Something The Lord Made have been particularly acclaimed by critics. Having been nominated for several awards, Mos finally broke through, winning Best Actor, Independent Movie at the 2005 Black Reel Awards for his portrayal of Sgt. Lucas in The Woodsman. He also landed the role of Ford Prefect in the long-awaited 2005 movie adaption of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Notably, in 2002 he played the role of Booth in Suzan-Lori Parks' Topdog/Underdog, a Tony-nominated and Pulitzer-winning Broadway play. He has also been a musical guest and participated in many skits on Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show.
In 2004, he hosted the MOBO awards in London, after the original presenter, Pharrell Williams pulled out at the last minute.
He has been the host of the award-winning spoken word show Def Poetry Jam since its inception. The show's sixth season aired in February 2007.
Discography
* 1998 Black Star (released with Talib Kweli under the name Black Star) Priority Records
* 1999 Black on Both Sides Rawkus Records
* 2004 The New Danger Geffen
o nominated for Best Urban/Alternative
Performance, 47th Annual Grammy Awards
* 2006 True Magic
* 2009 THE Ecstatic Downtown Records
* 2010 Mos Dub
Selected Filmography
* Cadillac Records (2009)
* Be Kind Rewind (2008)
* Talladega Nights (2006) (a quick cameo)
* Dreamgirls (2006)
* Bobby (2006)
* The Brazilian Job (2006) (pre-production)
* 16 Blocks (2006)
* The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005).
* Lackawanna Blues (2005)
* Something the Lord Made (2004)
o nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie, 56th Annual Emmy Awards
o nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television, 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards
* Chapelle Show (? year) - Black Delegation Rep for Racial Draft
* The Woodsman (2004)
* The Italian Job (2003)
* Brown Sugar (2002)
* Civil Brand (2002)
* Showtime (2002)
* Monster's Ball (2001)
* Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001)
* Bamboozled (2000)
* Where's Marlowe? (1998)
In September 2011, Mos Def announced that he planned to use the name Yasiin Bey instead of Mos Def beginning in 2012.
http://www.myspace.com/mosdef
A Soldier
Mos Def Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I?m not gon sing a song or nothing.
Um, what that term they call it post traumatic stress syndrome? That thing that
Uh, soldiers will get. I think a lot of people get that. It?s like when you
Experience somethin and uh, it affects you for a long time afterwards. I guess
Everything works that way. Certain things have more impact than others.
Sometimes it visits you in your dreams or when you?re quiet or just at peace or
It. A lot of the time common people are soldiers, that?s just the way it works
Out.
This is a soldier?s dream
The other night I was tumbling towards an uneasy sleep
When I had discovered myself
Atop the sweet sticky firmament of my dreams.
Daybreak came and discovered me
With my fantasies pasted to my face.
I can't look at you right now.
"Show me your eyes," she says.
"Later," he says. "Now, now." "NO!"
Shame is a prison you know.
Yeah, well discretion is a fortress
You?re starin and lookin too closely.
There?s so much about me that I hide
That careful eyes will recognize.
If you look closely you?ll notice
That the pattern on this soft cloth shirt
Is made of workin men?s sweat
And prayin folk?s tears.
If you look closer you?ll notice
That this pattern resembles
Tenement row houses, project high rises,
Cell block tiers,
Discontinued stretches of elevated train tracks,
Slave ship gullies, acres of tombstones.
If you look closer, you?ll notice
That this fabric has been carefully blended
With an advanced new age polymer (oh man, that?s nice)
To make the fabric lightweight
Weatherproof, and durable.
All this to give some sort of posture and dignity
To a broken body that is a host for scars.
I am the new landmark. I am the museum of injury.
Soldiers visit me and admire me quietly,
Whispering amongst themselves. You're no soldier.
Your soft bright eyes never have to
Survey the battlefield,
Much less its collected relics of which, I am one.
So, my flesh bullet-ridden remains hidden
Underneath these soft fabrics
Which I carefully select
That stand in for how I used to feel,
For how I remember feeling,
For how I dream about feeling,
For how I feel about you.
And now your curious fingers want to search
Beyond this tender armor.
I can't look at you right now
(This is my rifle there are many like it but this one is mine) 2x
Your eyes are too careful,
Collecting it all arranging it all;
Surgically, robotically, exactly.
I can't look at you right now
But that doesn't matter because
You can look at me and the longer that
I don?t return your gaze,
The harder that your gaze
Starts to run across my back
Like a nervous policeman?s hands:
Brisk, intent, anxious for discovery.
If discretion is a fortress
Then you're threatening to destroy it
By simply standing at the gates
And refusing to leave.
I can't look at you right now,
But you can look at me. Do you see me?
In the beginning of the song "A Soldier's Dream," Mos Def talks about the concept of post-traumatic stress disorder and how events can impact someone for a long time, particularly soldiers. The song then delves into a soldier's dream and the aftermath of war. Mos Def talks about a nightmare he had where he found himself in his own dreams, and when he woke up, he was ashamed to look at someone. He also mentions the metaphorical armor he wears that represents the physical and emotional scars of war, and how people often look closely to try to understand them but are unable to feel the true depth of his experiences.
The song's lyrics conveys themes of trauma, shame, and identity. The soldier in the song is grappling with the aftermath of war, and the emotional and physical ramifications it has left on his body. The armor he wears is not only to conceal his scars from the world, but also to give him a sense of purpose and dignity. The soldier suffers from survivor's guilt, and he feels as though he is a "museum of injury" and not a soldier worthy of admiration.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not gon sing a song or nothing.
Mos Def introduces the concept of post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) and how it affects people differently
This is a soldier's dream
The song is about a soldier's PTSD and the way it manifests in their dreams
The other night I was tumbling towards an uneasy sleep, When I had discovered myself Atop the sweet sticky firmament of my dreams.
The singer falls asleep and enters a vivid dream world
Daybreak came and discovered me With my fantasies pasted to my face.
The artist wakes up with the remnants of their dream still affecting them
I can't look at you right now. "Show me your eyes," she says. "Later," he says. "Now, now." "NO!"
The PTSD makes it difficult for the artist to connect with others and they lash out when pressured
Shame is a prison you know. Yeah, well discretion is a fortress You're starin and lookin too closely.
The singer feels shame about their PTSD and is defensive when others try to understand or help them
There's so much about me that I hide. That careful eyes will recognize.
The singer tries to hide their pain, but others can see it in their eyes
If you look closely you'll notice That the pattern on this soft cloth shirt Is made of workin men's sweat And prayin folk's tears.
The artist's clothes represent the struggle and pain of working-class people, including soldiers
If you look closer you'll notice That this pattern resembles Tenement row houses, project high rises, Cell block tiers, Discontinued stretches of elevated train tracks, Slave ship gullies, acres of tombstones.
The pattern on the artist's clothes is meant to evoke difficult environments that people have had to endure
If you look closer, you'll notice That this fabric has been carefully blended With an advanced new age polymer (oh man, that's nice) To make the fabric lightweight Weatherproof, and durable.
Despite the heavy themes of the clothing design, the fabric is modern and high-tech
All this to give some sort of posture and dignity To a broken body that is a host for scars. I am the new landmark. I am the museum of injury.
The singer's clothing is a way for them to maintain their dignity despite their physical and emotional scars
Soldiers visit me and admire me quietly, Whispering amongst themselves. You're no soldier. Your soft bright eyes never have to Survey the battlefield, Much less its collected relics of which, I am one.
Other soldiers admire the artist but also recognize that they have not experienced the same things
So, my flesh bullet-ridden remains hidden Underneath these soft fabrics Which I carefully select That stand in for how I used to feel, For how I remember feeling, For how I dream about feeling, For how I feel about you.
The singer's clothing is a way for them to hide their physical scars, but also to remember what it was like to be young and feel love
And now your curious fingers want to search Beyond this tender armor. I can't look at you right now
Someone (presumably a romantic partner) wants to understand the singer's pain, but the singer feels exposed and vulnerable
"This is my rifle there are many like it but this one is mine"
A classic soldier's mantra about the closeness they feel to their weapon
Your eyes are too careful, Collecting it all arranging it all; Surgically, robotically, exactly. I can't look at you right now
The artist feels like others are too clinical in their interest in their pain, and again feels exposed and vulnerable
But that doesn't matter because You can look at me and the longer that I don't return your gaze, The harder that your gaze Starts to run across my back Like a nervous policeman's hands: Brisk, intent, anxious for discovery.
The artist can't connect with others, but their unreturned gaze just makes people more curious about them
If discretion is a fortress Then you're threatening to destroy it By simply standing at the gates And refusing to leave.
Others who try to understand the singer's pain are seen as trying to break into the fortress of the singer's shame and privacy
But you can look at me. Do you see me?
The singer wants others to really see them, but is afraid of the vulnerability that comes with that
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANTE SMITH, R STEVENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gali
Smoooth 💫✨
Anyone know sample