Dante Terrell Smith (born December 11, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, United S… Read Full Bio ↴Dante Terrell Smith (born December 11, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, United States), now known by the stage name Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def), is a Grammy Award-nominated rapper and actor. He now works under the nom de plum Yasiin Bey, and has performed under the aliases Mighty Mos Def, The Freaky Night Watchman, Boogie Man, Black Dante and Pretty Flaco. He began rapping in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics in 1994, and then formed the duo Black Star with Talib Kweli in 1998. As a solo artist he has released the albums Black on Both Sides in 1999, The New Danger in 2004, True Magic in 2006 and The Ecstatic in 2009. Initially recognized for his musical output, Mos Def's screen work since the early 2000s has established him as one of only a handful of rappers who have garnered critical approval for their acting work.

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

Thug Is a Drug
Mos Def Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Quick question
You ever felt like the realest nigga alive?
Felt too pretty or powerful to die?
Tell the truth,
You ever felt ugly enough to cry?
Have you ever begged for mercy?
Have you ever wished you died?
Tell the truth

Have you ever taken pride in the crime?
Been too hungry to break down or hide?
Felt low down dirty? Or super duper high?
Or contemplated murder, robbery, or suicide?
Tell the truth
Taken medicine for trouble in your mind?
Or taken down a number? For taking up a scheme?
I made her wild, beautiful take her 'til she skeet?
Take her to the penthouse or take her to the skreet?
Tell the Truth
So the waterman he take it to the beat
And I take it to the 'mic
So we takin' what we like
Take it to your neck
We gon' take it to the bank
Triple X, Killa K
Black we take it to your face
Like, G "Bank bank"

Gangsta, birth sign is danger
It's like thug is the drug
That make 'em fall in love
When love don't love nobody
Bank, bank
Gangsta, star sign is danger
It's like thug is the drug
Ready rock, steady pump
Man they leanin' and they fiendin'
Cause they can't get enough

The Dee-Jay play this song in the dance
And every buggy on the block got the tune on blast
The TV is like the radio with visuals too
So shiny, so gutter, mean moody and cool
Tell the truth
They might be doing things that you wanna' do
You fantasize as they be living it through
The big home with the beautiful view
You have a swim in the pool, and get fresh
And take a spin in the coupe
Tell the truth
You probably want to feel the world in your palm
While hold a gun in your hand
And make 'em know you a star
Tell the truth
And there's those who probably already are
They well known in they zone
Or they town or they block
Tell the truth
Then there's the rest who are usually not
And the heavy dose of thug feel like all that they got
So they ready to rock, R-r-rock

Gangsta, birth sign is danger
It's like thug is the drug
That make 'em fall in love
When love don't love nobody
Bank, bank
Gangsta, star sign is danger
It's like thug is the drug
Ready rock, steady pump

Man they leanin' and they fiendin'
Cause they can't get enough

Overall Meaning

Mos Def's song "Thug Is A Drug" is a commentary on the glorification of thug culture in society. Mos Def questions the listener, asking whether they have ever felt like the "realest nigga alive" or too powerful to die. He then asks whether they have ever felt ugly enough to cry or begged for mercy. Mos Def goes on to explore the mindset of someone who is involved in criminal activity, asking whether they have ever taken pride in their crimes, felt low and dirty or considered suicide. Mos Def suggests that thug culture is like a drug that people become addicted to, and this addiction can lead to dangerous behavior like murder and robbery.

The song's chorus emphasizes the central message of the song: "Gangsta, birth sign is danger / It's like thug is the drug / That make 'em fall in love / When love don't love nobody / Bank, bank / Gangsta, star sign is danger / It's like thug is the drug / Ready rock, steady pump / Man they leanin' and they fiendin' / Cause they can't get enough." This chorus suggests that people fall in love with the dangerous lifestyle of a thug, even though they know that it's not sustainable.

Overall, "Thug Is A Drug" is a commentary on the attraction of thug culture and the dangerous behavior it can inspire. Mos Def encourages his listeners to tell the truth about their own experiences with these feelings and thoughts.

Line by Line Meaning

Quick question
Starting the song with a question to the listener about their identity

You ever felt like the realest nigga alive?
Asking the listener if they have ever felt untouchable

Felt too pretty or powerful to die?
Asking the listener if they have ever felt invincible

Tell the truth,
Asking the listener to be honest with themselves

You ever felt ugly enough to cry?
Asking the listener if they have ever felt low enough to break down and cry

Have you ever begged for mercy?
Asking the listener if they have ever pleaded for mercy

Have you ever wished you died?
Asking the listener if they have ever contemplated suicide

Tell the truth
Asking the listener again to be honest

Have you ever taken pride in the crime?
Asking the listener if they have ever found glory in criminal activities

Been too hungry to break down or hide?
Asking the listener if they have ever been so desperate that they couldn't hide from their problems

Felt low down dirty? Or super duper high?
Asking the listener if they have experienced extreme emotional highs and lows

Or contemplated murder, robbery, or suicide?
Asking the listener if they have ever thought about committing violent crimes or ending their own life

Taken medicine for trouble in your mind?
Asking the listener if they have ever taken medication for mental health issues

Or taken down a number? For taking up a scheme?
Asking the listener if they have ever acquired someone's phone number for criminal purposes

I made her wild, beautiful take her 'til she skeet?
Describing sexual conquests and the power dynamics involved

Take her to the penthouse or take her to the skreet?
Describing the different lifestyles one can have in society

Tell the Truth
Asking the listener to be truthful once again

So the waterman he take it to the beat
Describing the role of a DJ in playing music for people to dance to

And I take it to the 'mic
Referring to Mos Def's own role as a rapper

So we takin' what we like
Expressing a sense of entitlement to take what one wants

Take it to your neck
Describing violence against someone's neck, possibly as a way to assert dominance or control

We gon' take it to the bank
Describing a desire for wealth and financial gain

Triple X, Killa K
Referencing other figures in the rap world

Black we take it to your face
Describing violence against someone's face, possibly as a way to assert dominance or control

Like, G "Bank bank"
Using the phrase 'bank bank' to describe a successful financial situation or gain

Gangsta, birth sign is danger
Describing a certain type of persona or lifestyle, where one's birth sign is associated with danger and violence

It's like thug is the drug
Comparing the addictive qualities of drugs to those of the 'thug' lifestyle

That make 'em fall in love
Describing the allure that the 'thug' lifestyle has for some people

When love don't love nobody
Suggesting that the love one feels for the 'thug' lifestyle is not reciprocated, and can lead to heartache and pain

Bank, bank
Repeating the phrase from earlier to emphasize its importance

Gangsta, star sign is danger
Using star signs to further emphasize the danger associated with certain lifestyles and personas

Ready rock, steady pump
Referring to the use of guns and drugs in the 'thug' lifestyle

Man they leanin' and they fiendin'
Describing the intense craving and addiction that can be associated with the 'thug' lifestyle

Cause they can't get enough
Emphasizing the addictive qualities of the 'thug' lifestyle

The Dee-Jay play this song in the dance
Referring to the way music and culture can influence and spread certain lifestyles and personas

And every buggy on the block got the tune on blast
Describing the ubiquity of certain cultural elements in certain neighborhoods and communities

The TV is like the radio with visuals too
Commenting on the way media can influence and spread certain lifestyles and personas

So shiny, so gutter, mean moody and cool
Describing the aesthetic and attitude associated with certain lifestyles and personas

They might be doing things that you wanna' do
Acknowledging the allure that the 'thug' lifestyle has for some people

You fantasize as they be living it through
Describing the way people can get caught up in fantasies of certain lifestyles and personas

The big home with the beautiful view
Describing the material success that can be associated with certain lifestyles and personas

You have a swim in the pool, and get fresh
Describing the luxuries that can be enjoyed with material success

And take a spin in the coupe
Further describing the luxuries that can be enjoyed with material success

You probably want to feel the world in your palm
Commenting on the desire for power and control that can be associated with some lifestyles and personas

While hold a gun in your hand
Linking the desire for power and control to violence and the use of guns

And make 'em know you a star
Describing the desire for fame and recognition that can be associated with some lifestyles and personas

And there's those who probably already are
Acknowledging those who have already achieved fame and recognition in certain communities

They well known in they zone
Describing the notoriety and fame that can be associated with certain lifestyles and personas

Or they town or they block
Further describing the limited scope of fame and recognition that can be associated with certain lifestyles and personas

Then there's the rest who are usually not
Describing those who have not achieved fame or recognition in certain communities

And the heavy dose of thug feel like all that they got
Acknowledging the sense of community and belonging that can be associated with the 'thug' lifestyle

So they ready to rock, R-r-rock
Describing the sense of readiness and preparedness that can be associated with certain lifestyles and personas

Lyrics © Royalty Network
Written by: DANTE SMITH, MARK RICHARDSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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