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

Dollar Day )
Mos Def Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So there's a story about the lady in Louisiana
She's a flood survivor and the rescue teams
They come through, and they, I guess trying to recover people
And they see this women she's wading through the streets
I guess it had been some time after the storm
And I guess they were shocked that you know she was alive
And rescue worker said, "So, oh my God how did you survive
How did you do it? Where've you been?"

And she said, "Where I been? Where you been?"
Where you been? You understand?
That's about the size of it

This for the streets, the streets everywhere
The streets affected by the storm called, America
I'm doing this for y'all, and for me, for the Creator

God save, these streets
One dollar per every human being
Feel that Katrina clap
See that Katrina clap

Listen, homie, it's Dollar Day in New Orleans
It's water water everywhere and people dead in the streets
And Mr. President he bout that cash
He got a policy for handling the niggas and trash
And if you poor you black
I laugh a laugh they won't give when you ask
You better off on crack
Dead or in jail, or with a gun in Iraq
And it's as simple as that
No opinion my man it's mathematical fact
Listen, a million poor since 2004
And they got illions and killions to waste on the war
And make you question what the taxes is for
Or the cost to reinforce, the broke levee wall
Tell the boss, he shouldn't be the boss anymore
Y'all pray amin

God save, these streets
One dollar per every human being
Feel that Katrina clap
See that Katrina clap
God save, these streets
Quit bein' cheap nigga freedom ain't free
Feel that Katrina clap
See that Katrina clap

Lord have mercy
Lord God God save our soul
A God save our soul, a God
A God save our souls
Lord God God save our soul
A God save our soul soul soul
Soul survivor

It's Dollar Day in New Orleans
It's water water everywhere and babies dead in the streets
It's enough to make you holler out
Like where the fuck is Sir Bono and his famous friends now
Don't get it twisted man I dig U2
But if you ain't about the ghetto then fuck you too
Who care bout rock 'n roll when babies can't eat food
Listen homie man that shit ain't cool

It's like Dollar Day for New Orleans
It's water water everywhere and homies dead in the streets
And Mr. President's a natural ass
He out treating niggas worse than they treat the trash

God save, these streets
One dollar per every human being
Feel that Katrina clap
See that Katrina clap
God save, these streets
Quit being cheap nigga freedom ain't free!
Feel that Katrina clap
See that Katrina clap
Soul survivor

God God God save our soul
A God save our soul
A God, a God save our soul
Lord God God save our soul
A God save our soul a God a God save

Lord did not intend for the wicked to rule the world
Say God did not intend for the wicked to rule the world
God did not intend for the wicked to rule the world
And even when they knew it's a matter of truth
Before they wick-ed ruling is through

God save, these streets
A Dollar Day for New Orleans
God save, these streets
Quit bein cheap homie freedom ain't free

God save these streets
One dollar per every human being
Feel that Katrina clap
See that Katrina clap
God save these streets
Quit being cheap nigga freedom ain't free!
Feel that Katrina clap! Ha
Ghetto Katrina clap! Ha

Soul survivor
Lord God God save our soul
A God save God save our soul

Feel that Katrina clap
Let's make them dollars stack
And rebuild these streets
God save these streets
God save these streets
God save the soul!
Feel that Katrina clap
See that Katrina clap
Soul survivor

Don't talk about it, be about it
Peace

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Mos Def's song "Dollar Day" address the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and criticize the government's response to the disaster. Mos Def paints a picture of the streets of New Orleans, referring to the "water water everywhere and people dead in the streets." He highlights the issues of poverty and racism, commenting on President Bush's policies towards marginalized communities. Mos Def's lyrics also touch on issues of global inequality, calling out the inaction of celebrities and the music industry towards the plight of the poor. Against this backdrop of neglect, Mos Def calls for action, imploring everyone to contribute "one dollar per every human being" to help rebuild the city.

The lady that Mos Def references at the beginning of the lyrics is symbolic of the resilience of the people of New Orleans, who have endured not only the hurricane but also years of systemic neglect. The lyrics also touch on the theme of God saving the soul, emphasizing the need for collective action and the role of spirituality in the face of disaster.

Line by Line Meaning

So there's a story about the lady in Louisiana
Talking about a story of a lady in Louisiana.

She's a flood survivor and the rescue teams
She survived the flood and the rescue team found her.

They come through, and they, I guess trying to recover people
The rescue team was there to recover people.

And they see this women she's wading through the streets
They saw a woman wading through the streets.

I guess it had been some time after the storm
It was a while since the storm happened.

And I guess they were shocked that you know she was alive
They were surprised she was still alive.

And rescue worker said, "So, oh my God how did you survive
A rescue worker asked her how she survived.

How did you do it? Where've you been?"
The same worker asked her where she had been.

And she said, "Where I been? Where you been?"
She replied by saying "Where I've been? Where you've been?".

Where you been? You understand?
She asked the rescue worker if he understood.

That's about the size of it
That's the general idea or the summary of the story.

This for the streets, the streets everywhere
The song is for the streets everywhere.

The streets affected by the storm called, America
The storm of racism affecting the whole country.

I'm doing this for y'all, and for me, for the Creator
The artist is doing this for himself, the audience, and for God.

God save, these streets
Asking God for help in saving the streets.

One dollar per every human being
Asking for one dollar donation for every human being to help rebuild the streets.

Feel that Katrina clap
Feeling the impact of Hurricane Katrina.

See that Katrina clap
Seeing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Listen, homie, it's Dollar Day in New Orleans
Saying that it is a day where every dollar counts in New Orleans.

It's water water everywhere and people dead in the streets
Referring to the flood and the people who died because of it.

And Mr. President he bout that cash
The President cares more about money than people's lives.

He got a policy for handling the niggas and trash
The government has a policy in handling the poor people and the garbage.

And if you poor you black
Implying that being poor is being equivalent to being black.

I laugh a laugh they won't give when you ask
Laughing at the cold response one gets when asking for help.

You better off on crack
Saying that one is better off taking drugs than being poor and asking for help.

Dead or in jail, or with a gun in Iraq
Saying being dead, in jail, or fighting in Iraq is better than being poor.

And it's as simple as that
Saying it really is that simple.

No opinion my man it's mathematical fact
Saying it's a mathematical fact, not an opinion.

Listen, a million poor since 2004
Talking about the number of poor people since 2004.

And they got illions and killions to waste on the war
Saying that they have millions and billions to spend on war while the poor suffer.

And make you question what the taxes is for
Saying that we should question where our taxes are going.

Or the cost to reinforce, the broke levee wall
Referring to the cost to repair the broken levee wall.

Tell the boss, he shouldn't be the boss anymore
Saying that the leader should be replaced.

Y'all pray amin
Asking people to pray.

It's like Dollar Day for New Orleans
Saying that it's a day where every dollar counts in New Orleans.

And Mr. President's a natural ass
Saying that the President is a natural ass or a bad leader.

He out treating niggas worse than they treat the trash
Saying that they are being treated worse than trash.

Quit bein' cheap nigga freedom ain't free
Saying that one shouldn't be cheap when it comes to freedom.

It's enough to make you holler out
The situation is bad enough to make someone holler out.

Like where the fuck is Sir Bono and his famous friends now
Asking where are the famous people when people need help.

Don't get it twisted man I dig U2
Saying that he likes U2.

But if you ain't about the ghetto then fuck you too
Saying that if they don't care about the poor, then he doesn't care about them either.

Who care bout rock 'n roll when babies can't eat food
Saying that rock 'n roll doesn't matter when the babies can't even eat.

Let's make them dollars stack
Saying that we should make the dollars count and be used effectively.

And rebuild these streets
Saying that we should focus on rebuilding the streets.

Lord did not intend for the wicked to rule the world
Referring to the idea that God did not intend for the bad or wicked people to control the world.

And even when they knew it's a matter of truth
Saying that even though they know the truth, they still choose not to do anything about it.

Before they wick-ed ruling is through
Before their bad or wicked way of ruling is over.

God save the soul!
Asking God to save the soul.

Don't talk about it, be about it
Saying that they should take action instead of just talking about it.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Damon Grimson, Dante Smith, Don Robertson, Shaldon Arrington, Teruis Gray

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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