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
Sun Moon Stars
Mos Def Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The mathematic to acting still
The unfamiliar the warm embrace
The family ties and the stranger's face
The lighting thunder the power steed
The what it is and the what is believed
The strong connections desire to need
The waking now or the moment to dream
The voice of reason somewhere in between
The one and all the me and the we
The I and I the thou and the thee
A man a design a child of the streets
The daily chore the impossible feat
The drum the chorus phenomenal beat
Easy to touch and the harder to reach
The sweetest fruit in the top of the tree
The sun the moon the stars and the breeze
I'm coming to it, and it's coming to me
I'm coming to it, and it's coming to me
I'm coming to it, and it's coming to me
I'm getting ready
It's the sun moon and stars
Mos Def's song, Sun Moon Stars, is a celebration of life's beauty and complexities. The lyrics are a juxtaposition of opposites: the familiar and the unfamiliar, the waking now and the moment to dream, the laugh, the murmur, the moan and the scream, the one and all, the me and the we, and the I and I, the thou, and the thee. Mos Def describes the different facets of life, the strong connections that exist between people, and the desires and needs that drive individuals in their daily lives. He also reflects on the power of music and the rhythm that connects us all.
The chorus repeats the phrase, "I'm coming to it, and it's coming to me, I'm getting ready," suggesting that he is preparing himself for something big, something that is coming his way. The sun, moon, and stars symbolize the celestial bodies that guide us and inspire us. They represent the natural beauty of the world and are a reflection of the order and harmony that exists in the universe. For Mos Def, they are a source of inspiration, and he uses them to reflect on his own journey and the challenges he faces along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
A night where beautiful life is real
A moment in time where everything seems to fall into place and life appears beautiful
The mathematic to acting still
The art of acting is not just performance, it requires calculations and precision
The unfamiliar the warm embrace
Even though something may seem foreign or strange, it can still bring comfort and warmth
The family ties and the stranger's face
Both family members and strangers can have an impact on our lives and shape who we are
The lighting thunder the power steed
The forces of nature, such as lightning and thunder, can be powerful and awe-inspiring
The what it is and the what is believed
There exists the reality of situations and the perception/belief of those situations
The strong connections desire to need
Human connections can be strong and important, but can also stem from a place of desire and need
The waking now or the moment to dream
One can choose to live in the present moment or to allow imagination to lead them to places of possibility
The laugh the murmur the moan and the scream
The range of human expression can be broad and diverse, encompassing joy, quietness, pain, and intensity
The voice of reason somewhere in between
Amidst emotional extremes, there may exist a rational and logical voice or perspective to provide balance
The one and all the me and the we
There is both the individual and the collective, the singular and the plural, that make up the human experience
The I and I the thou and the thee
In the same way, there can be a sense of self, others, and a deeper spiritual presence within oneself
A man a design a child of the streets
One's identity can be multifaceted and shaped by various factors, such as background, experiences, and creativity
The daily chore the impossible feat
Life can be both mundane and challenging, requiring both routine tasks and seemingly impossible goals
The drum the chorus phenomenal beat
Music can be a powerful and unifying force, with its rhythms and harmonies uplifting and inspiring
Easy to touch and the harder to reach
Some things can be easily within grasp, while others may require more effort or seem out of reach
The sweetest fruit in the top of the tree
There may exist rewards and treasures at the top, but it requires the effort and risk to climb and reach them
The sun the moon the stars and the breeze
Nature can be both beautiful and unpredictable, but always present and constant
I'm coming to it, and it's coming to me
Both the individual and the world around them are in a state of mutual discovery and growth
I'm getting ready
Preparation is necessary in order to face the challenges and opportunities that come with life
It's the sun moon and stars
In the end, it is the grandness and beauty of nature that remains constant and awe-inspiring
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Alvin Ranglin, Dante Smith, Jean Daval
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ajesam George
on Ms. Fat Booty
https://soundcloud.com/.../sudenly-by-da-george-prod-by...