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 β¦ 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
Miss Fat Booty
Mos Def Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know I can't afford to stop
for a moment.. that it's too soon.. to forget
I know I can't afford to stop
for a moment.. that it's too soon.. to forget
[Mos Def] speaking over sung vocals
Man.. for real
I was.. to' up dog! I'm tellin you man
She was wild man.. f'real
It's just too.. let me tell you about her
[Mos Def]
Yo in she came with the same type game
The type of girl givin out the fake cell phone and name
Big fame, she like cats with big thangs
Jewels chip, money clip, phone flip, the six range
I seen her on the ave, spotted her more than once
Ass so fat that you could see it from the front
She spot me like paparazzi
Shot me a glance in that catwoman stance with the fat booty pants
Hot damn!
What your name love, where you came from?
Neck and wrist laced up, very little make-up
The slims at the Rebok gym tone your frame up
Is sugar and spice the only thing that you made of?
I tried to play it low key but couldn't keep it down
Asked her to dance she was like ?yo, I'm leaving now'
An hour later, sounds from Jamaica
She sippin Crys straight up, shaking, winding her waist up
Scene two: my fam throwin the jam
For Reed is on the stand big things is in the plan
The brother Big Moon make space for me to move in
Hey, this my man Mos, baby let me introduce
I turn around
Say, you is the same pretty girl that I had priorly observed
Trying to play me for the herb (yeah, that's her)
Shocked as hell she couldn't get it together
I just played it low and pretended I never met her
?How you feelin', ?oh I'm fine', ?my name is Mos', ?I'm Sharice'
I heard so much good about you its nice to finally meet
We moved to the booth reserved crew especially
And honey love ended up sittin directly next to me
I'm type polite but now I'm lookin at her skeptically
Cause baby girl got all the right weaponry
Designer fabric, shoes, and accessories
Chinky eyes, sweet voice is *fucking* on me mentally
We conversated, made a laugh, yeah you know me bro
Even though I know the steelo, she wild sweet yo
I'm about to merc, I say peace to the family
She hop up like ?how you gonna leave before you dance with me?'
[hook]
(sung)
I know I can't afford this life
For a moment
That its too soon
To forget
x2
(spoken by Mos Def)
She blew my whole habit, that girl
I was like ?what'
I played it low though, I was like ?yeah, aiight, see'mon then, let's go'
Its mad, it was so sick, I tell ya
Yo, honey was so blazin, she was just
Yo, she was like J. Kennedy
Word bond, to my mother man
She was that ill man, she take me to the dance floor
And she start whispering to me
[Mos Def]
Yo, let me apologize for the other night
I know it wasn't right
But baby you know what its like
Some brothers don't be coming right
I understand, I'm feeling you
Beside, ?can I have a dance?' ain't really that original
We laughed about it, traced her arms across my shoulder blades
They playing lovers' rock, I got the folded fingers on her waist
He end my butt up like the Arizona summer song
Finished then she whisper ?honey, let's exchange numbers'
Scene three: weeks of datin late night conversation
In the crib heart racin, tryin to be cool and patient
She touched on my eyelids, the room fell silent
She walked away smilin singing Gregory Issac
Like ?if I don't, if I don't, if I don't'
Showin me that tan line and that tatoo
Playin Sade, "Sweetest Taboo"
Burnin candles, all my other plans got canceled
Man I smashed it like an Idaho potato
She call my at my J.O., ?come now', I can't say no
Ginseng tree trunks, rockin the p-funk
Cocking her knees up, champion lover not ease up
Three months, she call ?I feel I'm runnin a fever'
Six months, I'm tellin her I desperately need her
Nine months, flu-like symptoms when shorty not around
I need more than to knock it down I'm really tryin to lock it down
Midnight we hook up and go at it
Burn is over, let her know, sweetheart I got to have it
She tellin me commitment is somethin she can't manage
Wake up the next morning, she gone like it was magic
Ahh damnit! This all Harrison Ford frantic
My 911 wasn't answered by my fly Taurus enchantress
Next week, who hit me up, I saw Sharice at the kiddie club
With some banging ass Asian playin lay it down and lick me up
What
The song Miss Fat Booty by Mos Def is essentially a story about a man who falls for a woman with a big booty that he meets on the street. The woman is very attractive and has all the right assets, including nice clothes, jewelry, and a stunning appearance, which Mos Def finds difficult to resist. However, as their relationship develops, he realizes that she is not what he thought she was, and the relationship comes to a tragic end.
The first verse of the song talks about how Mos Def cannot afford to stop thinking about the woman because it's too soon to forget about her. The second verse tells the story of their initial encounter on the street, where Mos Def's attraction to her gets the better of him. The third verse takes us forward three months, six months, and nine months into the future, where the couple's relationship has progressed, and Mos Def is desperately trying to lock the relationship down. However, Sharice, the woman he meets, does not want to commit.
The final lines of the song reveal the sad ending to their relationship, when Mos Def wakes up to find that Sharice has vanished into thin air. He is left feeling Harrison Ford frantic, and he can't understand why she left him. However, he quickly discovers that Sharice has moved on and is hanging out with some other guy in a kiddie club.
Line by Line Meaning
I know I can't afford to stop for a moment.. that it's too soon.. to forget
The singer understands the importance of not dwelling in the past and moving forward with life without forgetting the lessons learned.
Yo in she came with the same type game
The singer encounters a woman who uses the same tricks and tactics as other women to deceive men.
The type of girl givin out the fake cell phone and name
The woman gives out a fake phone number and name to avoid having a genuine connection with the singer.
Is sugar and spice the only thing that you made of?
The artist questions whether the woman is genuine or simply putting up a facade to impress others.
She sippin Crys straight up, shaking, winding her waist up
The woman is drinking champagne and dancing seductively, trying to impress the artist.
Trying to play me for the herb (yeah, that's her)
The singer recognizes that the woman is trying to take advantage of him by playing him for a fool.
Chinky eyes, sweet voice is *fucking* on me mentally
The singer is drawn to the woman's physical and vocal attractiveness, but is suspicious of her true motives.
I say peace to the family
The artist says goodbye to his friends and family at the party.
I know I can't afford this life
The artist realizes that continuing a relationship with the woman would be detrimental to his well-being.
She blew my whole habit, that girl
The woman disrupts the artist's normal behavior and way of thinking.
I played it low though, I was like ?yeah, aiight, see'mon then, let's go'
The singer tries to play it cool and act as if the woman doesn't have an impact on him.
Burnin candles, all my other plans got canceled
The artist becomes so consumed by his physical relationship with the woman that he neglects other aspects of his life.
She tellin me commitment is somethin she can't manage
The woman is not interested in a committed relationship with the singer.
Wake up the next morning, she gone like it was magic
The woman disappears without a trace, leaving the singer feeling confused and hurt.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, NETTWERK ONE MUSIC (CANADA)LTD
Written by: CHARLES SINGLETON, DANTE SMITH, EDDIE SNYDER, LAMONT DORRELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ceo_felcone
Whoβs watching / listening to this in 2024? βπ½
@badbatch78
Timeless classic! Shame he switched to dance music.
@Fadwd_Trickster
Meee
@christophermontague8326
me
@ceo_felcone
@@christophermontague8326 ππ½
@ceo_felcone
@@Fadwd_Trickster ππ½
@justsaying5311
This is rap. This is a lyricist. One of the best songs ever made.
@GQwalker1
Check out my remix I did to this track
https://youtu.be/KX1S3KRYwCE
@keyboardgangsta6890
Mos def was underated
@keepingitreal.544
β@@keyboardgangsta6890 definitely...class artist