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
No Particular Place To Go
Mos Def Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In my automobile
My baby
Beside me
At the wheel
I stole a kiss
At the turn
Of a mile
Running wild
Crusin' and playin'
The radio
With no particular
Place to go
Riding along
In my automobile
I's anxious
Tto tell her
The way I feel
So I told her
Softly and sincere
And she leaned
And whispered
In my ear
Cuddlin' more
And drivin' slow
With no particular
Place to go
No particular
Place to go
So we parked way
Out on ko-ko-mo
The night was young
And the moon
Was gold
So we both decided
To take a stroll
Can you image
The way I felt
I couldn't
Unfasten her
Safety belt
Riding along
In my calaboose
Still trying
To get her
Belt a-loose
All the way home
I held a grudge
For the safety belt
That wouldn't budge
Crusin' and playin'
The radio
With no particular
Place to go
The song "No Particular Place to Go" by Mos Def is a remake of Chuck Berry's hit song from 1964. The lyrics describe a young couple out for a ride in a car with "no particular place to go." As they drive, the singer steals a kiss, and later tells his girlfriend how he feels about her. The night is young and the moon is gold, so the couple decides to take a stroll. However, when they try to unfasten her safety belt, it won't come off, leading to a frustrating drive home.
The song is a lighthearted and fun celebration of teenage romance and the freedom of the open road. The car is a symbol of youth and independence, and the lyrics capture the excitement and restlessness that can come with being young and in love. The frustration with the safety belt is a humorous touch that adds to the playful nature of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Riding along
Driving on a journey
In my automobile
Using my car for transportation
My baby
My romantic partner
Beside me
Sitting next to me
At the wheel
Driving the car
I stole a kiss
I leaned in and kissed my partner
At the turn
When the car turned
Of a mile
On a stretch of road
My curiosity
My sense of desire and questioning
Running wild
Strong and unrestrained
Crusin' and playin'
Driving casually while listening to music
The radio
The audio device playing music
With no particular
Without any specific
Place to go
Destination in mind
I's anxious
I was eager and nervous
Tto tell her
To express my feelings to her
The way I feel
How much I care and love her
So I told her
I confided in her
Softly and sincere
Gently and honestly
And she leaned
She moved closer to me
And whispered
She spoke softly
In my ear
Directly to me
Cuddlin' more
Hugging and snuggling closer
And drivin' slow
Driving at a leisurely pace
No particular
Without any specific
Place to go
Destination in mind
So we parked way
We stopped the car far away
Out on ko-ko-mo
In a secluded area
The night was young
The evening was still early
And the moon
The natural satellite was
Was gold
Shining brightly
So we both decided
We agreed together
To take a stroll
To walk leisurely
Can you image
Can you picture or envision
The way I felt
My intense emotions and sensations
I couldn't
I was unable to
Unfasten her
Loosen her
Safety belt
Restraint device for protection
In my calaboose
In my (metaphorical) cell
Still trying
Persistently attempting
To get her
To free her
Belt a-loose
Buckle released
All the way home
On the entire journey back
I held a grudge
I was resentful
For the safety belt
Toward the restraint device for interfering with intimacy
That wouldn't budge
That wouldn't release
Crusin' and playin'
Driving casually while listening to music
The radio
The audio device playing music
With no particular
Without any specific
Place to go
Destination in mind
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CHUCK BERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ajesam George
on Ms. Fat Booty
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