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

Girls
Mos Def Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

La-da-da da-da da-da da-da da-da da
Blap!

We go through too much bullshit
Just to mess with these drunk and hot girls
She go through too much bullshit
Just to mess with these drunk and hot girls

Driving around town looking for the best spot
For the drunk and hot girls
Up in the club look at here what we got
Some drunk and hot girls
Stop dancing with your girlfriend and come dance with me
Stop talking 'bout your boyfriend since he is not me
Stop running up my tab cause these drinks is not free
You drunk and hot girl

We go through too much bullshit
Just to mess with these drunk and hot girls
She go through too much bullshit
Just to mess with these drunk and hot girls

I don't want to drop your friends off, I just want you
You drunk and hot girl
You want to sit down but we hit the drive-thru
You drunk and hot girl
Please don't fall asleep, baby, we almost back
Please don't throw up in the car, we almost crashed
Oh, now you sober, how'd I know you'd say that
You drunk and hot girl

We go through too much bullshit
Just to mess with these drunk and hot girls
She go through too much bullshit
Just to mess with these drunk and hot girls

Love the dangerous necessity that people seek
Without regard to where they are
The human heart is curious
Above all things, love, the lights are low, your eyes are bright
The music plays, it's sweet delight
It's out of sight, I'm feeling right
Your dress is tight
Oh how, I want you right now

Don't tell me, you sing, you about to get a deal
You drunk and hot girl
"Ah da da da da." That's how the fuck you sound
You drunk and hot girl, yeah
You only live once, do whatever you like
I thought I'd be with you for only one night
Now I'm with this girl for the rest of my life
That drunk and hot girl

We go through too much bullshit just to mess with these drunk and hot girls
(A little sippy sippy)
We gonna through too much bullshit just to mess with these drunk and hot girls
(Want a little whisky)

(We go through too much bullshit to mess mess with these drunk
All of these drunk and hot girls)

Overall Meaning

The song "Girls" by Mos Def is a satirical commentary on drunken nights out at the club and the lengths people go through just to hook up with "drunk and hot girls." Mos Def pokes fun at the behavior of both men and women in these situations, highlighting the ridiculousness of the scene. The lyrics touch on the shallow nature of these hookups, with lines like "Love the dangerous necessity that people seek without regard to where they are." Mos Def also questions the idea of living life without any rules or consequences, singing "You only live once, do whatever you like." The song has a catchy beat and playful tone, but ultimately serves as a critique of hookup culture.

Line by Line Meaning

We go through too much bullshit
We endure a lot of trouble and difficulties

Just to mess with these drunk and hot girls
Just for the sake of flirting with these intoxicated and attractive women

She go through too much bullshit
She also faces many challenges

Driving around town looking for the best spot
Cruising around the city searching for the ideal location

For the drunk and hot girls
To find some inebriated and desirable women

Up in the club look at here what we got
We discovered some drunk and attractive ladies at the nightclub

Stop dancing with your girlfriend and come dance with me
Quit dancing with your partner and join me on the dance floor

Stop talking 'bout your boyfriend since he is not me
Cease discussing your partner since I'm not him

Stop running up my tab cause these drinks is not free
Don't charge my account with your beverages since they're not complimentary

You drunk and hot girl
You tipsy and physically attractive woman

I don't want to drop your friends off, I just want you
I don't care about taking your buddies home, I only want you

You want to sit down but we hit the drive-thru
You want to relax but we stopped at the fast-food drive-thru

Please don't fall asleep, baby, we almost back
Please stay awake, dear, we're almost home

Please don't throw up in the car, we almost crashed
Please don't vomit in the vehicle, we almost had an accident

Oh, now you sober, how'd I know you'd say that
Oh, you're now sober, I expected you to say that

Love the dangerous necessity that people seek
People crave a hazardous need that may be harmful

Without regard to where they are
Regardless of the situation they're in

The human heart is curious
The human heart is inquisitive

Above all things, love, the lights are low, your eyes are bright
It's all about love, with dim lighting and your eyes shining

The music plays, it's sweet delight
The melody soothes, it's pleasant and gratifying

It's out of sight, I'm feeling right
It's excellent, I'm feeling great

Your dress is tight
Your outfit is form-fitting

Oh how, I want you right now
Oh, how I desire you at this moment

Don't tell me, you sing, you about to get a deal
Please don't inform me that you can sing and you might earn a contract

You drunk and hot girl
You're intoxicated and attractive, woman

"Ah da da da da." That's how the fuck you sound
"Ah da da da da." That's the sound you make, damn

You only live once, do whatever you like
You only have one life, so do as you please

I thought I'd be with you for only one night
I expected to be with you just for a single evening

Now I'm with this girl for the rest of my life
Now I'm with this lady for the rest of my existence

We go through too much bullshit just to mess with these drunk and hot girls
We experience many difficulties only to flirt with these inebriated and attractive women

(A little sippy sippy)
(Having a small sip of alcohol)

We gonna through too much bullshit just to mess with these drunk and hot girls
We'll always face many difficulties just to flirt with these inebriated and attractive women

(Want a little whisky)
(Wanting to have a bit of whiskey)

(We go through too much bullshit to mess mess with these drunk
(We experience many difficulties to flirt with these intoxicated

All of these drunk and hot girls)
All of these inebriated and desirable women)

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW DAWSON, MIKE DEAN, MICHAEL KAROLI, JAKI LIEBEZEIT, IRMIN SCHMIDT, HOLGAR SCHUERING, DANTE SMITH, KENJI SUKUZI, KANYE WEST

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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