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
The Questions
Mos Def Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the questions (what) it's the questions come on
The questions (what) it's the questions boy
It's the questions (hah) it's the questions yeah
Talking bout the questions, it's the questions y'all
It's the questions (what) it's the questions, dig it
The questions (why) it's the questions boy
It's the questions (huh) that's what it's all about
Yo, yo
What is an emcee if the wall ain't got no back
(I don't know, yo, he must be kinda wack)
What is paper to a nigga if the nigga don't stack
(Yo, why the hell you asking me that)
Why do these girls, look so good in the summer
(I don't know, I'm just saying this shit)
If you got ta-dat-ta-dat-tap for your lady would you wanna
(Hmmm, yeah, right)
Cause you answer the phone peace do that mean that you not a freak
(Hell no! That's right)
Cause you recognize me, yo, I got to speak
(Why can't you speak What you big a star now)
Why you got-ta, act like, nigga, all the time
(Even on Sunday's you should)
Is a nigga yo' complexion, is it all in your mind
(It's all your mind)
What's it called y'all
It's the questions (what) it's the questions boy
It's the questions (what) it's the questions, yeah!
The questions (uh) it's the questions y'all
It's the questions (What) it's the questions come on
The questions, it's the questions boy
It's the questions (ah, uh ah) it's the questions, yeah
The questions (yes) it's the questions boy
It's the questions, that's what it's all about
Yo, if I'm a intellectual, I can't be sexual
(I don't know, you wanna be sexual)
If I want to, does that mean I lack respect for you
(I don't know you tell me)
You see a grown man, why fuck that young girl, are you lusting
(I might look twenty but I'm 15, slow down girl)
If you got paper like that, then why you still hustling
(Why you still hustling come on!)
Now you know yo' stomach too big, to be wearing a shirt like that
(Look at your stomach, it's sloppy)
So why, you want, to go and do that
Why ya why ya why ya why ya why ya wanna why ya wanna
Why ya wanna go and do that love huh
Yo why your girl gigiddy when my name come up
How come the industry build careers that don't last
(Uh-huh, that's right, ask him)
How come niggas don't know but they front and don't ask
Man I don't know, I don't know
It's the questions (what) it's the questions girl
It's the questions (what) it's the questions come on
The questions (what) it's the questions Com
It's the questions it's the questions yeah
Yo we talking bout the questions, it's the questions girl
It's the questions (the who, the where, the when, the why)
It's the questions, come on!
The questions, the questions y'all (yo we shoutin' it out)
It's the questions, that's what it's all about
Yo, why they say never say never, when they know that ain't right
(What)
Cause to never say never you done said never twice
(They scrubs, that's why yeah that's twice)
Why do I need I.D. to get I.D.
(I don't know, beats me beats me)
If I had I.D. I wouldn't need I.D.
(That's right, that's true)
Why do these fine ghetto women got so much ass
(Why'd you talking about our ass though come on now)
Why did Dr. J shave his beard and mustache
(Like this, and like this)
How you got high expectations but got no patience
(Come on, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know)
How come this joint named The Questions is so John Blazin'
(Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh) Man I don't know, I don't know
It's the questions (what) it's the questions boy
It's the questions, it's just my questions black
Some questions, it's the questions y'all
It's the questions (what) it's the questions, yo
Talking bout the questions, it's the questions girl
It's the questions (what) it's the questions, come on
The questions (which) and we're shoutin' it out
It's the questions (huh) that's what it's all about, yo
The song Questions by Mos Def and Common is an introspective exploration of deeper questions, musings, and doubts of everyday people. It emphasizes the importance of questioning the status quo and critically evaluating everything one believes to be true. The opening lines repeat the phrase “It’s the questions” while implicating that these are the very questions that people are hesitant to ask. The lyrics then delve into societal issues such as emcee credibility, age discrepancies in relationships, and the commodification of fame. It challenges the superficiality of society and encourages listeners to engage in profound discussions about the complexities and contradictions that shape their worldviews.
At its core, Questions is a reminder to keep questioning in life. It highlights the importance of critical thinking, self-reflection, and introspection. The song purposefully asks deeply philosophical questions within casual conversations, highlighting how everyday dialogue can inspire deeper thought. Questions is a song that forces listeners to look past the surface level, to think about why things are the way they are and how they can be changed.
Line by Line Meaning
It's the questions (what) it's the questions boy
The song is addressing a series of thought-provoking questions.
Talking bout the questions, it's the questions y'all
The song emphasizes that its central theme is questions.
What is an emcee if the wall ain't got no back
The first question is about the identity of an emcee who does not have a support system.
What is paper to a nigga if the nigga don't stack
The second question is about the value of paper (money) to a person who does not save it.
Why do these girls, look so good in the summer
The third question is about the attractiveness of women during the summer season.
If you got ta-dat-ta-dat-tap for your lady would you wanna
The fourth question is about whether a man would want to have to constantly perform for his partner.
Cause you answer the phone peace do that mean that you not a freak
The fifth question is about whether answering the phone politely means a person is not interested in sexual activities.
Cause you recognize me, yo, I got to speak
The sixth question is about why people feel obliged to speak to celebrities they recognize.
Why you got-ta, act like, nigga, all the time
The seventh question is about why some people constantly adopt an aggressive attitude.
Is a nigga yo' complexion, is it all in your mind
The eighth question is about whether race is just a concept.
If I'm a intellectual, I can't be sexual
The ninth question is about whether a person who identifies as an intellectual can also be sexual.
If I want to, does that mean I lack respect for you
The tenth question is about whether wanting to be sexual demonstrates a lack of respect for the other person.
You see a grown man, why fuck that young girl, are you lusting
The eleventh question is about the inappropriate nature of relationships between adults and minors.
If you got paper like that, then why you still hustling
The twelfth question is about why wealthy individuals continue to engage in illicit activities.
Now you know yo' stomach too big, to be wearing a shirt like that
The thirteenth question is about the appropriateness of wearing certain clothes that do not flatter one's body type.
Yo why your girl gigiddy when my name come up
The fourteenth question is about why someone's girlfriend becomes excited when hearing the name of someone else.
How come the industry build careers that don't last
The fifteenth question is about the music industry's tendency to construct short-lived careers.
How come niggas don't know but they front and don't ask
The sixteenth question is about the tendency of people to pretend they know something without asking for clarification.
Yo, why they say never say never, when they know that ain't right
The seventeenth question is about the paradoxical nature of the saying 'never say never'.
Why do I need I.D. to get I.D.
The eighteenth question is about the circular requirement of having identification to obtain identification.
If I had I.D. I wouldn't need I.D.
The nineteenth question continues the theme of the previous question, questioning the need for identification.
Why do these fine ghetto women got so much ass
The twentieth question is about the physique of women who reside in urban areas.
Why did Dr. J shave his beard and mustache
The twenty-first question is about the reason behind basketball player Dr. J shaving his facial hair.
How you got high expectations but got no patience
The twenty-second question is about people who have high aspirations yet lack patience.
How come this joint named The Questions is so John Blazin'
The twenty-third question is a rhetorical one about the popularity of the song despite lacking a clear chorus.
It's the questions, it's just my questions black
The refrain of the song reminds the listener that the lyrics are simply a series of questions.
The questions (which) and we're shoutin' it out
The song ends by emphasizing the importance of asking questions.
It's the questions (huh) that's what it's all about, yo
The final line of the song reiterates the central theme of the song: asking questions.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: LONNIE RASHID LYNN, JAMES JASON POYSER, DANTE TERRELL SMITH, JAMES DEWITT YANCEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MuseOfTheMoose
"Why you got high expectations but got low patience?" Realest line.
@ibehabuchi2337
Hmm
@drkdrumz
How come this joint named The Questions is so John Blazin'?
@zigtgut1
💯
@Holy1OfIsrael.
@drkdrumz If a had ID i wouldnt neeeeeed ID!
@hozo1994
Dilla was so talented, he was not human. He always made them sick beats..... RIP
@HatishBeats
@Ustaz Official cry baby
@carterdotn3083
@Ustaz Official mfs really be writing whole ass paragraphs in yt comment sections lmao go outside
@T6M4L
Why do i need ID to get ID If i had ID i wouldnt need ID haha laugh every time when i hear that part
@drkdrumz
FACTS 🤷🏻♂️