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
She Wants To Move
Mos Def Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shake it up...bass
Hey! Shake it up...shake it up
She makes me think of lightning in skies
(Her name) She's sexy!!
How else is God supposed to write
(Her name) She's sexy!!
But you're hogging her, you're guarding her
She wants to move (she wants to move)
She wants to move (she wants to move)
But you're hogging her, you're guarding her (damn!)
Mister! Look at your girl, she loves it!
(Look at her) I can see it in her eyes
She (come here babe) hopes this lasts forever, Hey!!
Her off beat dance makes me fantasize
(Her curves) She's sexy!!
Her ass is a spaceship I want to ride
(Her ass) She's sexy!!
Move, she wants to move
But you're hogging her, and guarding her
She wants to move (she wants to move)
She wants to move (she wants to move)
But you're hogging her, you're guarding her (beat it!!)
Mister! Look at your girl, she loves it!
(I know you love it girl) I can see it in her eyes
She - hopes this lasts forever (hey) Hey!!
Ehh, this is your part girl
Uh, this is your part girl!!
(Move, she wants to move) c'mon!
Oww! (Move, she wants to move) ehh
Man (and move, she wants to move)
(Move, she wants to move)
But you're hogging her, you're guarding her
Beat it!!
Mister! Look at your girl (damn) she loves it!
(She loves) I can see it in her eyes
She - hopes this lasts forever, Hey!! c'mon
Mister! Look at your girl (look at your girl) she loves it!
(She wants it) I can see it in her eyes
She - hopes this lasts forever, Hey!!
Somebody get us some water in here!
'Cause it's hot!
(Yo why you, why you, why you wit that fool?)
Hot y'all! Hey! Huuuhh!
(I like it when you're wet baby) Ehh
The lyrics to Mos Def's "She Wants to Move" speak of a woman who is captivating and alluring. The song starts with "Shake it up...shake it up girl", a call to the woman to move and dance. Mos Def then proceeds to describe the woman's beauty; he compares her to lightning in the skies and states that her name is sexy. The lyrics praise the woman's curves and call her ass a spaceship that the artist wants to ride. These lyrics are sexual in nature, and the artist is essentially trying to get the woman he's singing about to move and dance with him.
The chorus of the song is "Move, she wants to move, but you're hogging her, you're guarding her." This line suggests that the woman wants to dance, but her partner or whoever is with her is not allowing her to. Mos Def is essentially inviting the woman to dance with him and asserting that her partner is standing in the way.
The bridge of the song features a spoken word monologue by the artist, calling out the girl's partner and asking why she is with him. The bridge is a passionate plea to the girl to realize her worth and move on from her current partner.
Line by Line Meaning
Shake it up...shake it up girl
Encouraging the girl to shake and move to the beat.
Shake it up...bass
Encouraging the bass to keep playing and keep the beat going.
Hey! Shake it up...shake it up
Continuing to encourage the girl to shake and move to the beat.
She makes me think of lightning in skies
The girl is so attractive and mesmerizing that she reminds the artist of lightning in the sky.
(Her name) She's sexy!!
The girl is so sexy and attractive that the artist can't help but exclaim it.
How else is God supposed to write
The girl is so perfect and beautiful that only God could have created such a masterpiece.
Move, she wants to move
But you're hogging her, you're guarding her
She wants to move (she wants to move)
She wants to move (she wants to move)
But you're hogging her, you're guarding her (damn!)
The girl wants to move and dance, but the person she is with is not allowing her to have fun and is keeping her close to them.
Mister! Look at your girl, she loves it!
The artist is pointing out to the man that his girl is enjoying the music and dancing.
(Look at her) I can see it in her eyes
She (come here babe) hopes this lasts forever, Hey!!
The girl is enjoying the music and dancing so much that it feels like it will last forever.
Her off beat dance makes me fantasize
The girl's unique and off-beat dance is so mesmerizing to the artist that they can't help but fantasize about her.
(Her curves) She's sexy!!
The girl's curves and body are so attractive and sensual that the singer can't help but exclaim it.
Her ass is a spaceship I want to ride
The girl's butt is so attractive and alluring that the artist wants to be close to her and enjoy the ride.
Ehh, this is your part girl
Uh, this is your part girl!!
(Move, she wants to move) c'mon!
Oww! (Move, she wants to move) ehh
Man (and move, she wants to move)
(Move, she wants to move)
But you're hogging her, you're guarding her
Beat it!!
Encouraging the girl to continue moving to the beat, while telling the person she is with to let go and let her dance.
I know you love it girl
The singer knows that the girl is having fun and enjoying the music and dancing.
Somebody get us some water in here!
'Cause it's hot!
(Yo why you, why you, why you wit that fool?)
Hot y'all! Hey! Huuuhh!
(I like it when you're wet baby) Ehh
The music and dancing is so hot and intense that they need some water to cool down. The singer also questions why the girl is with someone who is not letting her dance and have fun.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHAD HUGO, PHARRELL WILLIAMS, PHARRELL L WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
AsSeenOnTV0893
This is one of the rare cases when the remix is better than the original.
Taku Te Puke
i prefer the original hook
sj appiyah
FAAAAACTS
glenda goodewright
And I love them both!
Nelson Mercado Jr
it definitely is
Pete - Dogg
It's a cool jam, but the original is definitely better. More catchy.
Delia
Still bumping in 2021 because I can't stream anywhere else. This song is so slept on!
ReGGie siZzla
same here 😪😪
Elroy Martinez Jr. Films
Word. Only on youtube.
JJSpade17
Really need this to be on Spotify. You lame if you not up and dancing to this