Dante Terrell Smith (born December 11, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, United S… Read Full Bio ↴Dante Terrell Smith (born December 11, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, United States), now known by the stage name Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def), is a Grammy Award-nominated rapper and actor. He now works under the nom de plum Yasiin Bey, and has performed under the aliases Mighty Mos Def, The Freaky Night Watchman, Boogie Man, Black Dante and Pretty Flaco. He began rapping in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics in 1994, and then formed the duo Black Star with Talib Kweli in 1998. 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. Initially recognized for his musical output, Mos Def's screen work since the early 2000s has established him as one of only a handful of rappers who have garnered critical approval for their acting work.

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

Black jack
Mos Def Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Black Jack
Was a fighting man
Black Jack
Was a mighty man

You stand them up
He knock them out
Yeah yeah

That's for real
You stand them up
He knock them down
Yeah yeah
That's the deal

Now sign them high
Hey hey hey hey
Up in the sky
Whoa oh woo

Break it down low
Whoa whoa
Break it off slow
Whoa whoa

Then shout it out
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Black Jack
Was a fighting man
Black Jack
Was a mighty man

You stand them up
He knock them out
Yeah yeah
That's for real
You stand them up
He knock them down
Yeah yeah
That's the deal

Now sign them high
Hey hey hey hey
Up in the sky
Whoa oh woo

Break it down low
Whoa whoa
Break it off slow
Whoa whoa

Then shout it out
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Who that boogie man
There that boogie man
Tackidy Tackidy Tap Tap Tap
Holdin' bread in hand

Go head work that band
Go head work it say
Talkin' the talk and walkin' the walk
Is what daddy do they say

Wear those pretty clothes
Drive them pretty cars
You a super hero
You a super star

You a super man
Go head fly yo cape
Blowin' in the wind
Let it touch the hand

Stand and fight and win
Snatch the crown again
Wit' yo mighty swing
And yo flashy smile

Let them see the light
You so black and bright
You so bright you black
Shinin' you cryin' to fight them back

Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Overall Meaning

The song "Blue Black Jack" by Mos Def is a tribute to Jack Johnson, the boxer who famously defeated James J. Jeffries in the "Fight of the Century" in 1910. The song is a celebration of Johnson's life and his fighting spirit, and features lyrics that highlight his skill and power in the ring.

The first verse describes Johnson as a "fighting man" and a "mighty man," while the chorus emphasizes his ability to "knock them out" and "knock them down." The song also references Johnson's fame and success, with lines like "You a super hero, You a super star," and "Wit' yo mighty swing, And yo flashy smile."

The second verse includes a spoken-word interlude that references Johnson's status as a black man in a predominantly white society. The lyrics mention "Holdin' bread in hand," which could be interpreted as a reference to Johnson's wealth and success, or as a nod to the racial tensions of the time. The verse also includes references to Johnson's personal style, with lyrics about wearing "pretty clothes" and driving "pretty cars."

Overall, "Blue Black Jack" is a powerful tribute to Jack Johnson and his legacy as a champion boxer and cultural icon.

Line by Line Meaning

Black Jack
This line serves as the opening of the song, introducing the fighter who is being sung about, named Black Jack.

Was a fighting man
This line explains that Black Jack was a skilled fighter and he was known for his fighting abilities.

Black Jack
This line repeats the opening line introducing Black Jack again.

Was a mighty man
This line indicates that Black Jack was not only a skilled fighter, but he was also strong and powerful.

You stand them up
This line suggests that Black Jack would face opponents in a fight and they would be standing up at the beginning.

He knock them out
This line implies that Black Jack would always emerge victorious from the fight by defeating their opponents.

Yeah yeah That's for real
These lines reiterate Black Jack’s skill as a fighter, emphasizing the genuineness of his accomplishments.

You stand them up
This line repeats a previous line in the song to emphasize how these fights usually started.

He knock them down
This line continues the previous idea suggesting that Black Jack knocked his opponents down during the fight.

Yeah yeah That's the deal
These lines reinforce the idea that winning and knocking people down was always the expected outcome of the fights that Black Jack participated in.

Now sign them high
This line could refer to the moment when Black Jack won the fight and lifted his hands victoriously high in the air.

Hey hey hey hey Up in the sky Whoa oh woo
These lines express the exultation of the winner possibly indicating that they have beaten a formidable opponent or accomplished something great through their skills.

Break it down low Whoa whoa
This line refers to slowing down the celebration to a mellow kind. The 'whoa whoa' serves as an indication to calm down.

Break it off slow Whoa whoa
This line essentially repeats the last line, which still refers to bringing the celebration down.

Then shout it out Yeah yeah yeah yeah
These lines could refer to calling out to the crowd to join in the celebration by shouting, 'Yeah yeah yeah yeah'.

Who that boogie man There that boogie man Tackidy Tackidy Tap Tap Tap Holdin' bread in hand
These lines could be an analogy for Black Jack making his 'bread' or money from fighting. The boogie man could represent Black Jack's fighting prowess-undefeatable.

Go head work that band Go head work it say Talkin' the talk and walkin' the walk Is what daddy do they say
These lines could suggest that Black Jack is a dominant individual not only in fights but also in other aspects of their life. They're a walking embodiment of the saying 'Talk is cheap, action speaks louder.'

Wear those pretty clothes Drive them pretty cars You a super hero You a super star
These lines celebrate Black Jack's success in a sporting-style. They suggest that Black Jack has achieved great things and lives like a superstar with the things that come with it.

You a super man Go head fly yo cape Blowin' in the wind Let it touch the hand
These lines build on the previous analogy, likening Black Jack to a superhero with a cape blowing in the wind. This suggests that Black Jack is the ultimate victor in their profession and is a symbol of hope.

Stand and fight and win Snatch the crown again Wit' yo mighty swing And yo flashy smile
These lines serve as another way of describing Black Jack's fighting style, indicating that it involves an aura of confidence and possibly showmanship.

Let them see the light You so black and bright You so bright you black Shinin' you cryin' to fight them back
These lines could refer to a belief in the power of Black Jack's image to inspire and uplift, that makes people want to be like him. It suggests that Black Jack is a proud symbol of hope for a community that has been downtrodden.

Yeah yeah yeah yeah Yeah yeah yeah yeah Yeah yeah yeah yeah Yeah yeah yeah yeah Yeah yeah yeah yeah Yeah yeah yeah yeah Yeah yeah yeah yeah
These lines are a repetition of the celebratory phrase, 'Yeah yeah yeah yeah' heard throughout the song driving home the festive mood of the song.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: Dante Smith, Mark Richardson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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