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
Roses
Mos Def Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a pretty piece of paper
With my recipe open
So halfway through, I feel so much better
I imagine happiness, and it runs right to me, such amazing beauty
You don't have to, cut up no roses
Please just leave them living
Got my pencil, got pretty paper
"I have found, just the perfect feelin'
Finally 'cause I'm grateful
I can feel your spirit, comin' closer on me
It is grand, just to be reminded
Reminded of the good things
Living in a new day, that no one can tear down
You don't have to, cut up no roses
Please just leave them living
Got my pencil, got pretty paper
Please don't worry we're forgiven"
Yellow for friendship, red for love
Black for the universal stars above
Pink buds that I bought her on Valentine
She said it was forever then she changed her mind
I said a little prayer then I cleared my eyes
'Cause the jaw and my heart string join a line
Started off with a orchid, natural portrait
I ain't Picasso but that ain't important
Faith, smart dude never graduated high school
Stay tuned I'm a show you how my art move
Shape and dimension flow and extension
Symmetry shade, blowin' out the frame
Sign off my name Dante when I'm finished
Put it to your memory for permanent exhibit
Love, hard work and it's worth every minute
Abstract is still life real life kinetic
"Got my pencil, got pretty paper
Please don't worry we're forgiven
You don't have to, cut up no roses
Please just leave them living"
"When I'm down, I just draw some roses
On a pretty piece of paper
With my recipe open
So almost through, I feel so much better
I imagine happiness, and it ran right to me, such amazing beauty
Got my pencil, got pretty paper
Please don't worry we're forgiven
You don't have to, cut up no roses
Please just leave them living"
Mos Def's song "Roses" is about the healing power of creativity, in particular, drawing. When the musician is feeling down, he takes a piece of paper and draws roses on it. The act of drawing helps him to feel better and to imagine happiness. The roses represent beauty and hope, and their liveliness is a reminder that even when times are tough, life goes on.
The second verse takes on a slightly different tone, with Mos Def reflecting on the good things in his life. His creativity is a reminder of the positive things around him, including the spirit of the people he loves. The line "Living in a new day, that no one can tear down" suggests that despite the challenges he faces, he is optimistic about the future and hopeful that things will get better.
The third verse brings color into the picture with the symbolism of roses. Yellow roses signify friendship, red for love, and black for the universal stars above. Pink buds, probably a floral gift from a girlfriend at some point in the past, take on an ironic twist when Mos Def notes that "she said it was forever then she changed her mind." Amidst the pain of that memory, Mos Def tells us how he used his skill as an artist to help sap his sorrows away, grounding himself in the present moment creating a natural portrait.
In conclusion, the song's overarching theme is the power of creativity to help people overcome adversity. Drawing roses might seem like a small thing, but for Mos Def, it's a way to connect with beauty, hope, and resilience. The song's closing lines -"Got my pencil, got pretty paper, Please don't worry we're forgiven, You don't have to, cut up no roses, Please just leave them living"- are a reassurance that life goes on and that there is beauty in the world, even when things feel tough.
Line by Line Meaning
When I'm down, I just draw some roses
During moments of sadness, I find comfort in drawing roses
On a pretty piece of paper
I use visually appealing paper to enhance the rose drawing experience
With my recipe open
I keep my rose drawing instructions nearby for guidance
So halfway through, I feel so much better
The act of drawing roses brings me a sense of relief and upliftment
I imagine happiness, and it runs right to me, such amazing beauty
Visualizing positive experiences helps me to attract positive energy
You don't have to, cut up no roses
One doesn't need to destroy actual roses for artistic expression
Please just leave them living
It's important to preserve nature and all its beauty
Got my pencil, got pretty paper
I have the necessary tools for my artistic expression
Please don't worry we're forgiven
We are all capable of redemption and forgiveness
I have found, just the perfect feelin'
I have discovered a state of emotional wellbeing
Finally 'cause I'm grateful
Gratitude has helped me achieve this state of emotional wellbeing
I can feel your spirit, comin' closer on me
I sense the presence and support of those who care for me
It is grand, just to be reminded
Being reminded of positive things in life is refreshing and uplifting
Reminded of the good things
Remembering positive aspects of life can improve one's overall outlook
Living in a new day, that no one can tear down
Choosing to focus on the present and the good things in life can bring resilience
Yellow for friendship, red for love
Different colored roses are often associated with various emotions
Black for the universal stars above
Black roses symbolize mystery and the unknown
Pink buds that I bought her on Valentine
I purchased pink rosebuds for my significant other on Valentine's Day
She said it was forever then she changed her mind
My significant other had initially promised a long-term commitment but had a change of heart
I said a little prayer then I cleared my eyes
I often seek guidance and comfort through prayer during difficult times
'Cause the jaw and my heart string join a line
Drawing roses using my creativity connects my emotional and artistic sensibilities
Started off with a orchid, natural portrait
My artistic ability extends beyond drawing roses to other flowers and natural landscapes
I ain't Picasso but that ain't important
While I may not be a master artist, the process of artistic expression is fulfilling in itself
Faith, smart dude never graduated high school
Despite not having traditional academic credentials, I am confident in my abilities and talents
Stay tuned I'm a show you how my art move
I am excited to showcase my artistic abilities and creative expression
Shape and dimension flow and extension
Drawing involves creating a sense of depth and movement through various lines and shapes
Symmetry shade, blowin' out the frame
Creating balance and harmony through shading and coloring enhances the overall artistic expression
Sign off my name Dante when I'm finished
Signing my name on my artwork is a way of taking ownership and pride in my creations
Put it to your memory for permanent exhibit
My artwork may be remembered and cherished by others in the future
Love, hard work and it's worth every minute
The effort and dedication put into artistic expression is fulfilling and rewarding
Abstract is still life real life kinetic
Artistic expression takes many forms and can capture the beauty of life in unique ways
So almost through, I feel so much better
Continuing to draw roses brings continued comfort and relief
Lyrics © DistroKid, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Dante Smith, Georgia Ann Muldrow
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ajesam George
on Ms. Fat Booty
https://soundcloud.com/.../sudenly-by-da-george-prod-by...