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
S.O.S.
Mos Def Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
breaker breaker 1 9 maydey
surviving off of pennies until my next payday
all I ever wanted was a real nice lady
a clean pair of socks
and some fish for my gravy
but all I get is rice
which will have to suffice
so I never ever really tried to heed no advice
but in the end we all pay the price
so let's get to the point (point point)
of the whole situation
so many obstacles
so many confronations
but still I'm focused on reaching every station
coz destiny is my destination
I came to make it happen
instead of wasting time I don't got
the time is now
coz I only got one shot
navigating through the schemes
and the intricate plots
coz you and I is all we got
lets make it happen
S.O.S.
breaker breaker 1-9 maydey
surviving off of pennies until my next payday
all I ever wanted was a real nice lady
a clean pair of socks
and some fish for my gravy
(Lee Majors verse)
why
why is the world round
why do the suckas bite
why do the freaks come out at night
why they paint Jesus white
I sit and wonder why
we breakin hip hop laws
doing videos in houses that we know ain't yours
representing projects
man them shits ain't yours (check your lease)
what I release I'll make you shit in your draws
Well then
hear what I say (OK)
your begin for an easy way
well I don't know (well I don't know)
oh yes I don't know
Yo light
let me let these niggas know
its like all I ever wanted was a girl with
respect and a 3rd eye
DKNY ain't what makes you fly
lights in my face
government in my pocket
its hard to be a prophet and still make a profit
S.O.S.
breaker breaker 1-9 maydey
surviving off of pennies until my next payday
all I ever wanted was a real nice lady
a clean pair of socks
and some fish for my gravy
(Mos Def)
I swing with phat cats to smack tracks over phat raps
it's all of that we tread the BK back road (brooklyn)
'96 about to put it on
hey baby palm
put a quarter upon the needle head
to hold it still while I lace up the verbal threat
now watch me sew shit up
mos def in your spot about to blow shit up
see i've been rhyming since when I was growing up
that's why I say that shit that
make the party open up
like the sky
plus my voice is fly
I roll with dave mase
and wonder why
I rock it from Medina green on to the strong i-i
land on my feet coz I'm a cool cat
make the kids around my way say
how you do that
be careful what you say coz ain't no takebacks
and if you makin' moves
don't fake jacks
perhaps that's the sound when you smack the drum skin
whenever y'all want to jump in
man I don't want the landlord kicking my door in
you tired of getting high but you
never know when
and fuck around and get low again
but you can always be certain my friend
how your low tide is always gonna come in
it's like that
so check it on out y'all
S.O.S.
breaker breaker 1-9 maydey
surviving off of pennies until my next payday
all I ever wanted was a real nice lady
(Lee Majors)
(It's like right about now you're probably sitting on
your couch thinking, damn what is son doing.
I don't understand
you try to front but its like you can't son
its music
you gotta appreciate music
take a listen
yeah, y'all don't understand
before you a mc
you a artist
you make music
so make that music
listen to this, yeah, I feel it
I see your heads..)
In the song “S.O.S.” (Save Our Souls), Mos Def talks about surviving in his life with very few resources. He says he is surviving off of pennies until his next payday, and all he ever wanted was a lady, clean socks, and some fish for his gravy. He goes on to say how he never thought he needed advice, but he realizes now that everyone pays the price in the end. He is determined to make his destiny happen and reach every station.
In the second verse, Lee Majors talks about how he wonders why the world is round, why people bite each other, why freaks come out at night, and why they paint Jesus white. He asks why people break hip hop laws, do videos in houses they don’t own, and represent projects that don’t belong to them. In the third verse, Mos Def talks about rhyming since he was growing up and how he can make the party open up. He talks about making his moves and never faking jacks.
Overall, the song “S.O.S.” tells of the struggles and obstacles people face in life, yet they are determined to make their success and destiny happen. Mos Def’s message is that we should never give up when it comes to our goals, that we should keep trying despite the odds. The song displays the passion of artists and the need for appreciation of their music.
Line by Line Meaning
breaker breaker 1-9 maydey
Calling for attention or help
surviving off of pennies until my next payday
Living with little means until receiving the next paycheck
all I ever wanted was a real nice lady
Desiring a good, genuine woman in his life
a clean pair of socks and some fish for my gravy
Simple, basic needs
but all I get is rice which will have to suffice
Making do with what is available
coz I always used to think I didn't need no advice
Believing he could handle things on his own
so I never ever really tried to heed no advice
Never took advice seriously
but in the end we all pay the price
Consequences for our actions catch up to us eventually
so let's get to the point (point point) of the whole situation
Focusing on the objective, the main issue
so many obstacles, so many confronations
Facing numerous challenges and conflicts
but still I'm focused on reaching every station coz destiny is my destination
Determined to reach his destiny, despite obstacles
I came to make it happen instead of wasting time I don't got the time is now coz I only got one shot
Making the most of the time he has and seizing opportunities
navigating through the schemes and the intricate plots coz you and I is all we got
Moving through complexities together
lets make it happen
Taking action to achieve their goals
why why is the world round why do the suckas bite why do the freaks come out at night why they paint Jesus white I sit and wonder why we breakin hip hop laws doing videos in houses that we know ain't yours representing projects man them shits ain't yours (check your lease) what I release I'll make you shit in your draws
Questioning the world's inconsistencies and wrong doings
your begin for an easy way well I don't know (well I don't know) oh yes I don't know
Not having all the answers, but acknowledging it
all I ever wanted was a girl with respect and a 3rd eye DKNY ain't what makes you fly lights in my face government in my pocket its hard to be a prophet and still make a profit
Valuing a woman's character over materialistic things
I swing with phat cats to smack tracks over phat raps it's all of that we tread the BK back road (brooklyn) '96 about to put it on hey baby palm put a quarter upon the needle head to hold it still while I lace up the verbal threat now watch me sew shit up mos def in your spot about to blow shit up see i've been rhyming since when I was growing up that's why I say that shit that make the party open up like the sky plus my voice is fly I roll with dave mase and wonder why I rock it from Medina green on to the strong i-i land on my feet coz I'm a cool cat make the kids around my way say how you do that be careful what you say coz ain't no takebacks and if you makin' moves don't fake jacks perhaps that's the sound when you smack the drum skin whenever y'all want to jump in man I don't want the landlord kicking my door in you tired of getting high but you never know when and fuck around and get low again but you can always be certain my friend how your low tide is always gonna come in it's like that so check it on out y'all
Using his rhyming skills to make a statement and rise to the top
its music you gotta appreciate music take a listen yeah, y'all don't understand before you a mc you a artist you make music so make that music listen to this, yeah, I feel it I see your heads..
Encouraging listeners to appreciate the art and listen carefully
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ACKLINS KHALIYL DILLON, DANTE SMITH, HAROLD W LEE, JAMAHL KAHEEL HANNA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Goofy2242
Ok, who's here because of Da Bush Babees, and not some random skateboarder I've never even heard of?
If you are here because of this Yuri guy - check out their other stuff. Gravity has to be one of my all-time favourite albums. Also, if you do, make sure to light up a joint if you haven't already.
@randomass180
"its hard to be a prophet and still make a profit" that line will be timeless to me
@haroldlee9007
randomass180 thx for the compliment on that bar - Leemajors
@missayawk
2:01
@Goofy2242
Ok, who's here because of Da Bush Babees, and not some random skateboarder I've never even heard of?
If you are here because of this Yuri guy - check out their other stuff. Gravity has to be one of my all-time favourite albums. Also, if you do, make sure to light up a joint if you haven't already.
@willieyohanna6490
definitely here cuz of bushbabees
@vaniofilipe879
2020 we steel be here 4ever!
@chason2108
2021 💚👍
@DrB_84
NO dislikes-that is awesome I remember these guys back in 96
@sfearz
you a good man for posting this track.... i remember living in a group home as a kid listening to this song cleaning the house with my now best friend at 15 for the foster parents... homie this made me feel that age again thanks... hey post 3-2-1 its on this album...
@DIYD
a forgotten diamond in the ruff.. should have been members of native tounges..