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

Respiration
Mos Def Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Escúchala, la ciudad respirando

The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis
Shining, like who on top of this?
People was tussling, arguing and bustling
Gangstas of Gotham hardcore hustling
I'm wrestling with words and ideas
My ears is pricked, seeking what will transmit

The scribes can apply to transcript, yo
This ain't no time where the usual is suitable
Tonight alive, let's describe the inscrutable
The indisputable, we New York the narcotic
Draped in metal and fiber optics
Where mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips
For profits, thirsty criminals take pockets
Hard knuckles on the second hands of working class watches
Skyscrapers is colossus, the cost of living is preposterous
Stay alive, you play or die, no options, no Batman and Robin
Can't tell between the cops and the robbers, they both partners, they all heartless
With no conscience, back streets stay darkened
Where unbeliever hearts stay hardened
My eagle talons stay sharpened, like city lights stay throbbing
You either make a way or stay sobbing
The shiny Apple is bruised but sweet and if you choose to eat
You could lose your teeth, many crews retreat
Nightly news repeat, who got shot down and locked down
Spotlight to savages, NASDAQ averages
My narrative rose to explain this existence
Amidst the harbor lights which remain in the distance

So much on my mind that I can't recline
Blastin' holes in the night 'til she bled sunshine
Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline
Heard the bass ride out like an ancient mating call
I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathing
Chest heaving, against the flesh of the evening
Sigh before we die like the last train leaving

Breathin' in deep city breaths, sittin' on shitty steps
We stoop to new lows, hell froze the night the city slept
The beast crept through concrete jungles
Communicatin' with one another
And ghetto birds where waters fall
From the hydrants to the gutters
The beast walk the beats, but the beats we be makin
You on the wrong side of the track, lookin visibly shaken
Taken them plungers, plungin' to death that's painted by the numbers
With Krylon applied pressure, cats is playin God
By havin' children by a lesser baby mother but fuck it
We played against each other like puppets, swearin' you got pull
When the only pull you got is the wool over your eyes
Gettin' knowledge in jail like a blessing in disguise
Look in the skies for God, what you see besides the smog
Is broken dreams flying away on the wings of the obscene
Thoughts that people put in the air
Places where you could get murdered over a glare
But everything is fair
It's a paradox we call reality
So keepin' it real will make you casualty of abnormal normality
Killers Born Naturally like, Mickey and Mallory
Not knowing the ways'll get you capped like an NBA salary
Some cats be emceeing to illustrate what we be seeing
Hard to be a spiritual being when shit is shakin' what you believe in
For trees to grow in Brooklyn, seeds need to be planted
I'm asking if y'all feel me and the crowd left me stranded
My blood pressure boiled and rose, cause New York niggas
Actin spoiled at shows, to the winners the spoils go
I take the L, transfer to the 2, head to the gates
New York life type trife the Roman Empire state

So much on my mind that I can't recline
Blastin' holes in the night 'til she bled sunshine
Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline
Heard the bass ride out like an ancient mating call
I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathing
Chest heaving, against the flesh of the evening
Sigh before we die like the last train leaving

Yo, on The Amen, Corner I stood lookin at my former hood
Felt the spirit in the wind, knew my friend was gone for good
Threw dirt on the casket, the hurt, I couldn't mask it
Mixin' down emotions, struggle I hadn't mastered
I choreograph seven steps to heaven
In hell, waiting to exhale and make the bread leaven
Veteran of a cold war It's Chica-I-go for
What I know or, what's known
So some days I take the bus home, just to touch home
From the crib I spend months gone
Sat by the window with a clutched dome listenin' to shorties cuss long
Young girls with weak minds, but they bust strong
Tried to call, or at least beep the Lord, but didn't have a touch-tone
It's a dog-eat-dog world, you gotta mush on
Some of this land I must own
Outta the city, they want us gone
Tearin' down the 'jects creatin' plush homes
My circumstance is between Cabrini and Love Jones
Surrounded by hate, yet I love home
Ask my guy how he thought travellin' the world sound
Found it hard to imagine he hadn't been past downtown
It's deep, I heard the city breathe in its sleep
A reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep
Deep, I heard my man breathe in his sleep
A reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep

So much on my mind that I can't recline
Blastin' holes in the night 'til she bled sunshine
Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline
How the bass ride out like an ancient mating call
I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathing

Chest heaving, against the flesh of the evening
Kiss the eyes goodbye I'm on the last train leaving

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mos Def's song Respiration evoke a vivid image of the bustling city of New York. The new moon shining high above represents how the city never seems to sleep. The artist describes the city as full of people arguing and hustling, referencing the hardcore gangs of Gotham. He explains how he is wrestling with words and ideas, trying to make sense of the chaos. The scribes can apply to transcript, and it's not a time where the usual is suitable. The city is alive, and Mos Def wants to describe the "inscrutable" and "indisputable."

The beat of the music is like a bass riding out like an ancient mating call, and Mos Def talks about the city breathing. He imagines it as a person, with a chest heaving against the flesh of the evening. He breathes in the vapors of bright stars that shine and exhales weed smoke, which retraces the skyline.

The song also touches on the struggle and sadness in the city. Mos Def describes how the "beast" creeps through the concrete jungles, communicating with one another. He talks about how it's hard to be a spiritual being when things are always shaking what you believe in. To survive in the city, you either make a way or stay sobbing. The lyrics also describe the harsh reality of life in the city, where people get murdered over a glance, and killers are born naturally. Despite the pain, Mos Def loves New York and wants to keep it real.

Line by Line Meaning

Escúchela la ciudad respirando
Listen to the city breathing

The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis
The moon shone brightly over the city

Shining, like who on top of this?
Radiating a brilliance that is unmatched

People was tussling, arguing and bustling
People were engaged in conflicts and busy activities

Gangstas of Gotham hardcore hustling
Criminals in New York City were engaging in ruthless and relentless illegal activities

I'm wrestling with words and ideas
I am struggling to express my thoughts and concepts

My ears is pricked, seeking what will transmit
I am attentively listening, searching for something meaningful

The scribes can apply to transcript, yo
The skilled writers can document and capture this essence, you know

This ain't no time where the usual is suitable
This is not a time for ordinary things to be accepted

Tonight alive, let's describe the inscrutable
Tonight, when everything is vibrant, let's try to understand the mysteries

The indisputable, we New York the narcotic
The undeniable fact is that New York is addictive

Draped in metal and fiber optics
Covered in technology and modern innovations

Where mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips
Where mercenaries are paid to share insider trading information

For profits, thirsty criminals take pockets
Criminals greedily steal money for their own gain

Hard knuckles on the second hands of working class watches
The working class bears the scars of their labor on their worn-out hands

Skyscrapers is colossus, the cost of living is preposterous
The tall buildings are enormous, and the expenses of living are unbelievably high

Stay alive, you play or die, no options, no Batman and Robin
To survive, you have to participate or face the consequences, without any superheroes to save you

Can't tell between the cops and the robbers, they both partners, they all heartless
It's difficult to differentiate between law enforcement and criminals, as they often collaborate and lack compassion

With no conscience, back streets stay darkened
Without any moral compass, the alleyways remain sinister

Where unbeliever hearts stay hardened
Where those who lack faith have hardened hearts

My eagle talons stay sharpened, like city lights stay throbbing
I remain sharp and alert, just like the pulsating city lights

You either make a way or stay sobbing
You must find a path for yourself or remain in sorrow

The shiny Apple is bruised but sweet and if you choose to eat
New York, symbolized by the Big Apple, may have its flaws but is still alluring

You could lose your teeth, many crews retreat
Engaging in this lifestyle could lead to harm and cause many groups to withdraw

Nightly news repeat, who got shot down and locked down
The media continually reports on those who are victims of violence and those who are imprisoned

Spotlight to savages, NASDAQ averages
The attention is given to those who exhibit savage behavior, while financial markets are monitored

My narrative rose to explain this existence
My story emerged to describe this way of life

Amidst the harbor lights which remain in the distance
Amidst the glowing lights of the harbor, which remain far away

So much on my mind that I can't recline
I have so many thoughts that I cannot relax

Blastin holes in the night til she bled sunshine
Creating disruptions in the darkness until the morning sun emerges

Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
Inhaling the essence of the radiant stars

Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline
Exhaling a cloud of marijuana smoke that follows the shape of the city skyline

Heard the bass ride out like an ancient mating call
The deep bass resonated like an instinctual signal for connection and unity

I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathing
I feel overwhelmed, sensing the city's vitality and energy

Chest heaving, against the flesh of the evening
My chest rises and falls, echoing the pulsation of the night

Sigh before we die like the last train leaving
Taking a moment of exhaustion before departing like the final train

Breathin in deep city breaths, sittin on shitty steps
Inhaling the essence of the city deeply while sitting on uncomfortable steps

We stoop to new lows, hell froze the night the city slept
We deteriorate to new levels of depravity, experiencing a shocking night when the city was dormant

The beast crept through concrete jungles
The darkness and danger infiltrated the urban environment

Communicatin with one another
Connecting and collaborating with each other

And ghetto birds where waters fall
And helicopters patrol the neighborhoods where despair lingers

From the hydrants to the gutters
From the open fire hydrants to the dirty streets

The beast walk the beats, but the beats we be makin
The darkness controls the streets, but we create the music

You on the wrong side of the track, lookin visibly shaken
You are in the wrong place, appearing visibly frightened

Taken them plungers, plungin to death that's painted by the numbers
Engaging in risky circumstances that lead to a predetermined outcome of demise

With Krylon applied pressure, cats is playin God
Using spray paint to leave their mark, individuals are acting as if they are all-powerful

By havin children by a lesser baby mother but fuck it
Having children with a less desirable partner, but disregarding the consequences

We played against each other like puppets, swearin you got pull
We turned against each other, manipulated like puppets, convinced of having influence

When the only pull you got is the wool over your eyes
When the only power you possess is the ability to deceive yourself

Gettin knowledge in jail like a blessing in disguise
Gaining wisdom while incarcerated, which can be seen as a surprising benefit

Look in the skies for God, what you see besides the smog
Searching the heavens for a divine presence, but only finding pollution

Is broken dreams flying away on the wings of the obscene
Only witnessing shattered aspirations being carried away by the vulgar and indecent

Thoughts that people put in the air
Ideas and beliefs being expressed

Places where you could get murdered over a glare
Locations where a murderous act can be provoked by a mere glare

But everything is fair
But everything exists within the realm of fairness

It's a paradox we call reality
It's a contradiction that we label as reality

So keepin it real will make you casualty of abnormal normality
Being true to yourself will make you a victim of this distorted notion of normalcy

Killers Born Naturally like, Mickey and Mallory
Killers who are naturally inclined to violence, like the characters Mickey and Mallory from the movie 'Natural Born Killers'

Not knowing the ways'll get you capped like an NBA salary
Being ignorant of the rules can lead to your demise, just like a high NBA salary can attract violence

Some cats be emceeing to illustrate what we be seeing
Some artists use their music to depict the realities we observe

Hard to be a spiritual being when shit is shakin what you believe in
It's challenging to maintain a spiritual mindset when the world is chaotic and challenges your beliefs

For trees to grow in Brooklyn, seeds need to be planted
In order for progress and positive change to occur, we must first lay the groundwork

I'm asking if y'all feel me and the crowd left me stranded
I wonder if you all understand and empathize with me, feeling disconnected from the audience

My blood pressure boiled and rose, cause New York niggas
My anger and frustration intensified, as New York individuals

Actin spoiled at shows, to the winners the spoils go
Behaving arrogantly at events, the victorious individuals enjoy the rewards

I take the L, transfer to the 2, head to the gates
I accept the loss, switch trains, and head towards the exit

New York life type trife the Roman Empire state
Life in New York is full of difficulties, resembling the turmoil of the Roman Empire

Yo, on The Amen, Corner I stood lookin at my former hood
Yo, standing on the corner of The Amen, I gazed at the neighborhood I once called home

Felt the spirit in the wind, knew my friend was gone for good
Sensing a spiritual presence in the air, I realized that my friend had passed away permanently

Threw dirt on the casket, the hurt, I couldn't mask it
As I covered the casket with soil during the burial, I couldn't hide my pain

Mixin down emotions, struggle I hadn't mastered
Suppressing my emotions, I struggled to cope with the hardship

I choreograph seven steps to heaven
I plan and arrange the necessary actions to reach a better place

In hell, waiting to exhale and make the bread leaven
In a difficult situation, eagerly waiting for relief and improvement

Veteran of a cold war It's Chica-I-go for
Having experience in a long-standing conflict, I represent Chicago

What I know or, what's known
What I have learned or what is commonly understood

So some days I take the bus home, just to touch home
Sometimes, I take the bus route that leads me to my hometown, just to feel connected

From the crib I spend months gone
I am often away from my home for months

Sat by the window with a clutched dome listenin to shorties cuss long
I would sit by the window, lost in my thoughts, while listening to young individuals engage in vulgar conversations

Young girls with weak minds, but they bust strong
Young girls with vulnerable mentalities, but with great determination

Tried to call, or at least beep the Lord, but didn't have a touch-tone
I attempted to reach out to God, even just through a beep on a phone, but couldn't because I lacked the necessary technology

It's a dog-eat-dog world, you gotta mush on
It's a cutthroat world, and you have to persevere

Some of this land I must own
I must claim some of this territory for myself

Outta the city, they want us gone
People outside of the city want us to leave

Tearin down the 'jects creatin plush homes
Demolishing the housing projects to create luxurious residences

My circumstance is between Cabrini and Love Jones
My situation is situated between the Cabrini neighborhood and the concept of love from the movie 'Love Jones'

Surrounded by hate, yet I love home
Despite the prevailing hatred, I still hold love for my hometown

Ask my guy how he thought travellin the world sound
I asked my friend how he perceived the experience of traveling the world

Found it hard to imagine he hadn't been past downtown
I found it difficult to believe that he had never been beyond the downtown area

It's deep, I heard the city breathe in its sleep
It's profound, I heard the city exhale while it slept

A reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep
A tangible reality that I can experience, but struggle to hold onto