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
U Mi Says
Mos Def Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna tell you how I feel right now
I don't wanna take no time to write this down
I wanna tell you how I feel right now, hey
Tomorrow may never come
For you Umi
Life is not promised
For you Umi
This life is not promised
I ain't no perfect man
I'm trying to do, the best that I can,
With what it is I have
I ain't no perfect man
I'm trying to do, the best that I can,
With what it is I have
Put my heart and soul into this song (yes yes)
I hope you feel me
From where I am, to wherever you are
I mean that sincerely
Tomorrow may never come
For Umi
Life is not promised
Tomorrow may never appear
You better hold this very moment very close to you (right now)
Very close to you (right now)
So close to you, So- close to you (your moment in history is right now!)
Don't be affraid, to let it shine
My Umi said shine your light on the world
Shine your light for the world to see
My Abi said shine your light on the world
Shine your light for the world to see
(I want black people to be free, to be free, to be free)
My Abi said shine your light on the world
(Want black people to be free, to be free, to be free)
Shine your light for the world to see
(Want black people to be free, to be free, to be free)
My Umi said shine your light on the world
(Want black people to be free, to be free, to be free)
Shine your light for the world to see
(Want black people to be free, to be free)
Sometimes I get discouraged
I look around and, things are so weak
People are so weak
Sometimes,
Sometimes I feel like crying
Sometimes my heart gets heavy
Sometimes I just want to leave and fly away [fly fly fly, like a dove]
Sometimes I don't know what to do with myself [ow!]
Passion takes over me
I feel like a man
Going insane
Losing my brain
Trying to maintain
Doing my thing
Hey hey hey hey hey
Put my heart and soul into this y'all
I hope you feel me
Where I am, to wherever you are
Sometimes I don't want to be bothered
Sometimes I just want a quiet life, with
Me and my babies, me and my lady
Sometimes I don't want to get into no war
(Black people to be free, to be free)
Sometimes I don't wanna be a soldier
Sometimes I just wanna be a man, but
Umi said shine your light on the world
Shine your light for the world to see
My Abi said shine your light on the world
Shine your light for the world to see
(I want black people to be free, to be free, to be free)
My dreamers said shine your light on the world
(Want black people to be free, to be free, to be free)
Shine your light for the world to see
(Want black people)
My elders said shine your light on the world (Hey hey)
Shine your light for the world to see
I want black people to be free, to be free, to be free
All my people to be free, to be free, to be free
Oh black people to be free, to be free, to be free
Oh black people to be free, to be free, to be free
That's all that matters to me
Black people unite and let's all get down
Gotta have what,
Gotta have that love
Peace and understanding
One God, one light
One man, one voice, one mic
Black people unite come on and do it right
Black people unite come on and do it right
Black people unite come on and get down
Gotta have what,
Love, peace and understanding
One God, one voice, one life
One man, gon' shine my light
Black people unite, now hop up and do it right
Black people unite, now come on and do it right
Yeah baby that's what I like
Yeah baby that's what I like
Yeah baby that's what I like,
Black people, my people
The lyrics to Mos Def's song "U Mi Says" are deeply emotional and personal. The song is an ode to the artist's mother (Umi) and father (Abi) and their wisdom. He opens the song by saying he doesn't want to write his feelings down, he wants to tell you how he feels right now. He urges us to live in the present because tomorrow may never come. He admits that he is not a perfect man but is doing the best he can with what he has. He then segues into a plea for us to hold onto the moment tightly and not be afraid to let our light shine. Mos Def uses the words of his mother and father to encourage Black people to be free and to shine their lights on the world.
The song is raw and emotional, with Mos Def admitting that sometimes he feels weak and discouraged. He wants to be a man, a father, and a human being, but these things are sometimes interrupted by the world around him. He concludes that all that really matters to him is that Black people unite, love each other, and shine their lights on the world.
Overall, “U Mi Says” is a beautiful tribute to Mos Def's parents and their legacies, as well as a reminder for us to live in the present and not take anything for granted. The song has become an anthem for the Black community, urging them to unite, shine their lights, and fight for freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't wanna write this down
I want to express how I feel right now
Tomorrow may never come
For you Umi
Life is not promised
Life is transient and can end anytime, so value the present moment
I ain't no perfect man
I'm trying to do, the best that I can,
With what it is I have
I am only human and doing everything within my power to make things better
Put my heart and soul into this song (yes yes)
I hope you feel me
From where I am, to wherever you are
I mean that sincerely
I am putting everything I have into this music and hope that you can sense it, no matter where you are
You better hold this very moment very close to you (right now)
Very close to you (right now)
So close to you, So- close to you (your moment in history is right now!)
Don't be afraid, to let it shine
Seize the opportunity now, cherish the moment, and let your light shine bright
My Umi said shine your light on the world
Shine your light for the world to see
My Abi said shine your light on the world
Shine your light for the world to see
(I want black people to be free, to be free, to be free)
My parents urge me to use my talent and influence to make the world a better place and to fight for the freedom of Black people
Sometimes I get discouraged
I look around and, things are so weak
People are so weak
Sometimes I feel hopeless and see the fragility of people and things around me
Sometimes I don't want to be bothered
Sometimes I just want a quiet life, with
Me and my babies, me and my lady
Sometimes I don't want to get into no war
(Black people to be free, to be free)
There are times when I just want a peaceful life with my loved ones and not engage in any conflict, but I still yearn for the freedom of Black people
I want black people to be free, to be free, to be free
All my people to be free, to be free, to be free
Oh black people to be free, to be free, to be free
Oh black people to be free, to be free, to be free
That's all that matters to me
The most important thing to me is the liberation of Black people and all people from oppression
Black people unite and let's all get down
Gotta have what,
Gotta have that love
Peace and understanding
One God, one light
One man, one voice, one mic
Black people unite come on and do it right
Black people unite come on and do it right
Black people unite come on and get down
Gotta have what,
Love, peace and understanding
One God, one voice, one life
One man, gon' shine my light
Black people unite, now hop up and do it right
Black people unite, now come on and do it right
Yeah baby that's what I like
Yeah baby that's what I like
Yeah baby that's what I like,
Black people, my people
Black people need to come together and bring love, peace, and understanding to the world. We all have one life to live, one voice to speak up, and one opportunity to shine our light
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANTE SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheDinamiKK
I don't wanna write this down
I wanna tell you how I feel right now
I don't wanna take no time to write this down
I wanna tell you how I feel right now, hey
Tomorrow may never come
For you Umi
Life is not promised
Tomorrow may never show up
For you Umi
This life is not promised
I ain't no perfect man
I'm trying to do, the best that I can,
With what it is I have
I ain't no perfect man
I'm trying to do, the best that I can,
With what it is I have
Put my heart and soul into this song (yes yes)
I hope you feel me
From where I am, to wherever you are
I mean that sincerely
Tomorrow may never come
For Umi
Life is not promised
Tomorrow may never appear
You better hold this very moment very close to you (right now)
Very close to you (right now)
So close to you, So- close to you (your moment in history is right now!)
Don't be affraid, to let it shine
My Umi said shine your light on the world
Shine your light for the world to see
My Abi said shine your light on the world
Shine your light for the world to see
(I want black people to be free, to be free, to be free)
My Abi said shine your light on the world
(Want black people to be free, to be free, to be free)
Shine your light for the world to see
(Want black people to be free, to be free, to be free)
My Umi said shine your light on the world
(Want black people to be free, to be free, to be free)
Shine your light for the world to see
(Want black people to be free, to be free)
Sometimes I get discouraged
I look around and, things are so weak
People are so weak
Sometimes,
Sometimes I feel like crying
Sometimes my heart gets heavy
Sometimes I just want to leave and fly away [fly fly fly, like a dove]
Sometimes I don't know what to do with myself [ow!]
Passion takes over me
I feel like a man
Going insane
Losing my brain
Trying to maintain
Doing my thing
Hey hey hey hey hey
Put my heart and soul into this y'all
I hope you feel me
Where I am, to wherever you are
Sometimes I don't want to be bothered
Sometimes I just want a quiet life, with
Me and my babies, me and my lady
Sometimes I don't want to get into no war
(Black people to be free, to be free)
Sometimes I don't wanna be a soldier
Sometimes I just wanna be a man, but
Umi said shine your light on the world
Shine your light for the world to see
My Abi said shine your light on the world
Shine your light for the world to see
(I want black people to be free, to be free, to be free)
My dreamers said shine your light on the world
(Want black people to be free, to be free, to be free)
Shine your light for the world to see
(Want black people)
My elders said shine your light on the world (Hey hey)
Shine your light for the world to see
I want black people to be free, to be free, to be free
All my people to be free, to be free, to be free
Oh black people to be free, to be free, to be free
Oh black people to be free, to be free, to be free
That's all that matters to me
Black people unite and let's all get down
Gotta have what,
Gotta have that love
Peace and understanding
One God, one light
One man, one voice, one mic
Black people unite come on and do it right
Black people unite come on and do it right
Black people unite come on and get down
Gotta have what,
Love, peace and understanding
One God, one voice, one life
One man, gon' shine my light
Black people unite, now hop up and do it right
Black people unite, now come on and do it right
Yeah baby that's what I like
Yeah baby that's what I like
Yeah baby that's what I like,
Black people, my people
@jdatx
My best friend passed from cancer 2 1/2 years ago. This is the song he wanted played at his funeral. Being at a church, that didn't happen. I carried him to his grave. Hardest thing I've ever done. Everytime my wife and I visit his gravesite, we sit down and play this. We feel close to him in that moment even though he's gone. 😢
@SGNJBROKENTHEATER
Relax In Paradise to your friend.
@SGNJBROKENTHEATER
Relax In Paradise to your friend
@feliciaharrison9325
🙏🌅
@surelock22
Cancer sucks. It took my aunt at the young age of 54.
@keithkatane4854
I hope Mos' reads your beautiful words one day.
@mbf6160
The fact he freestyled this is simply amazing
@DeTAYL.
I never knew that. That’s dope af
@NomfundoV8
Oh wow that’s amazing
@cueyork8179
I just lost my Umi last night, and her last words to me was “you are my sunshine” 😢✌🏽💯 R.I.P mom