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
Beautiful
Mos Def Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(yes you areee, you're so beautiful)
Fantastic
(on your knees)
Absolutely fantastic
(in my life)
Absolutely fantastic
(on my feet)
(beautiful)
Absolutely fantastic
(come to meee)
*quietly*(scientifically, scientifically)**
Fantastic
(down again, so we'll wash it over me)
Fantastic
Fantastic
Fantastic
[Kweli]
Tell the world
[Mos Def]
I dreamt that I could paint you in words
But there were no colors, bright enough
Black or white enough
Blue or green enough
It didnt mean enough
You are the star to touch the earth
Shine bright for all eyes to see,
Radiate and touch me
Now im shining like you do
It was dim before I knew you
Bright light for weeping eyes to get used to
Trust who? thats some shit I had to adjust to
Soon as you relax they ease back and cold bust you
Love murdered in brooklyn, sound the alarm
But you still remain calm
My passion is unarmed
I try to practice my warlike tactics
But in your clutch, in your touch
My armor, just collapses
Such bliss breeds obliviousness
I recollect sweet breath still wet on my lips
My prayers this:
God protect my beloved
And keep her covered
From the valley to the summit
Like the land undiscovered
Like the stars outnumbered, you are so beautiful.
Background singers [Kweli & Mos Def]
Beautiful
[im doing my best so I can be true to you]
On your knees
[aint nothin in this world I wouldnt do for you]
In my life
[you're my everything more than ever and usual]
On my feet
[like the stars outnumbered you are so beautiful]
Beautiful
[you shine so very far from where I stand]
Come to me
[from a distant land understand who I am]
Down again, we can wash it over me.]
(Talib Kweli)
You know what!
They say that beauty's in the eye of the beholder
So I use my third, and now our love is solid like a boulder
Wanna build with you as I get older, and thats my word
Sure as I stand on my ancestor's shoulders
You see through my drama and my world like a stage
Not the same years but livin in the same age
Its the Kwelity not the quantity
Follow me
Def-in-ate-ly,
Far from probably.
The song "Beautiful" by Mos Def is a heartfelt tribute to love and admiration for someone special. The lyrics express an overwhelming awe and reverence for someone whose beauty is beyond words. Mos Def and Talib Kweli trade verses, each describing their deep appreciation for this special person. The background singers chime in with harmonies and repetitions of the title, adding to the ethereal quality of the song. Mos Def's verse describes his desire to express this person's beauty through painting, but finding no suitable colors that could do justice to their radiance. He compares them to a star and acknowledges how their brightness has affected his life, making it brighter than before. Talib Kweli describes how his love for this person has solidified like a boulder, and how he wants to build a lasting relationship with them. Together they sing about the depth and intensity of their feelings, and how being close to this person is an experience of sheer beauty.
The song "Beautiful" is a celebration of love, but it's also a showcase of the talents of Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Both artists are known for their distinct styles of rap, and they bring their A-game to this track. Mos Def's verses are filled with poetic imagery and metaphors, while Talib Kweli's rhymes are smooth and introspective. The background singers provide a lush contrast to the sharpness of the raps, adding to the emotional intensity of the song. "Beautiful" is a standout track from Mos Def and Talib Kweli's collaborative album, "Black Star," which was released in 1998.
Line by Line Meaning
Fantastic
Expressing extreme admiration or approval
Absolutely fantastic
Expressing complete admiration or approval
All the world fantastic
The world is filled with extreme admiration and wonder
Beautiful
Exquisitely beautiful and aesthetically pleasing
Quietly (scientifically, scientifically)
Examining carefully and methodically, in a hushed tone
Tell the world
Announcing to the world
I dreamt that I could paint you in words
I imagined that I could describe you in detail using language
But there were no colors, bright enough / Black or white enough / Blue or green enough / It didnt mean enough
None of the vibrant colors I envisioned could do justice to how amazing you are
You are the star to touch the earth
You are a heavenly being brought down to earth
Shine bright for all eyes to see, / Radiate and touch me / Now im shining like you do
You radiate such beauty that it has an effect on me and everyone around you
It was dim before I knew you / Bright light for weeping eyes to get used to
My life was dull before you, your beauty was hard to adjust to
Trust who? thats some shit I had to adjust to / Soon as you relax they ease back and cold bust you
It's difficult to trust anyone these days, as they can turn on you when you least expect it
Love murdered in brooklyn, sound the alarm / But you still remain calm / My passion is unarmed
Despite the dangers of love and life, you remain calm and my love for you is without any weapons or aggression
I try to practice my warlike tactics / But in your clutch, in your touch / My armor, just collapses
I try to be strong and tough but your embrace makes me weak and vulnerable
Such bliss breeds obliviousness / I recollect sweet breath still wet on my lips
Happiness can sometimes blind us to the details and memories of special moments
My prayers this: / God protect my beloved / And keep her covered / From the valley to the summit / Like the land undiscovered / Like the stars outnumbered, you are so beautiful.
I pray for your safety and protectiveness from every aspect of life, as vast and unexplored as the undiscovered land and infinitely beautiful like the stars
You shine so very far from where I stand / From a distant land understand who I am
You are shining brightly, but I am far away and hope that you can understand who I am from a distance
Down again, we can wash it over me.
Even when we face trials and tribulations, we can overcome them together and rinse them away with love and compassion
They say that beauty's in the eye of the beholder / So I use my third, and now our love is solid like a boulder
The beauty of love is subjective, but I have used my intuition to make our love strong and solid
Wanna build with you as I get older, and thats my word / Sure as I stand on my ancestor's shoulders
I want to continue building a life with you as I grow old, and I am confident and grounded in my ancestry and heritage
You see through my drama and my world like a stage / Not the same years but livin in the same age / Its the Kwelity not the quantity / Follow me / Def-in-ate-ly, / Far from probably.
You understand and support me through all the ups and downs in life, as we are in the same time period and living with quality and purpose, so follow me confidently and without hesitation
Contributed by Lillian E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ebonycole6883
I can't ignore your aura cuz it grabbed me by the hand like the moon pull the tide and the tide pull the sand! Genius.
@humanitreehouse
I know right sis?!?! So dope!
@mpumelelosithole6678
One of dopest lines ever,the whole album take me on a journey,South Africa,signing out
@TheJesseK57
Seriously any mc rapping about auras is top notch
@Alyssaj1236
I love that ❤❤
@thomaslewis8017
You are so sexy
@RChanelleDavis
"I try to practice
my war-like tactic
but in the clutch of your touch
my armor...
just collapses."
Word to Mos Def. This has to be one of the lyrically best love songs from a rapper.
@acoats410
Chanelle Davis my fav part
@jaharikavi6115
My favorite line also
@josephthomas2196
Chanelle Davis Real shit👍🏿