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 β¦ 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
Universal Magnetic
Mos Def Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A be boys rock the world
CD's and tapes help generate papes
E F is the important Def
G good H is what style be
When I grab the microphone and MC
Roll off the tongue like L M N O P
And when I am done you will agree
Jesus what I used to rock it in '83
Drank up all the cool Aid at the block party
Used to wish I could break the Rock Steady
Wash this be the brown shoe on TV
But now it's not dis and it's on like THIS
My name is Mos Def, this is good as it gets
Baby I make you rub your lips like sardines and grits
My what still hits even when the record skip
Even when the record skip
Even when the record skip
I don't quit, I don't quit
We 'bout to make this one a sure hit
Sean J. make the party people feel it
(Ladies and gentlemen, we'd like to introduce a very
Interesting young man that has traveled from very far
Away to be with us tonight)
Ha ha ha, what uh-huh
There is such a place, that creates such a melody Brooklyn
No ladies it's a living G, it's a living G, it's a living G
Love like this
Recognize all area crew, whether you speak Japanese or Goony Goo Goo
Son when I come through, other rappers boo-hoo
'Cause they know they style's soft like baby doo-doo
I will continue, to hit like a fifth of stolen Naya
Puttin' jokers on ice to get the cream like Breyer
No secret, Mos Def is the one that hunts a Mya
I get in my stance and set the dance on fire
Spread out my wings and I take the world higher
Peace to the fam magnetic in the Chi
Job-on, top Sean and my man Ahtu
And all my other clan who reside in the Zoo
Got a celebrated oatmeal broadcast crew
Mos Def gon keep it naked like Um Fu-Fu (Andy!!)
Put it here to the tape like crazy glue
So when they bounce out of speakers they stick to you
The way that I communicate is non-typical
But high level like a 3-D visual
I hold the mic extensive, exhibit level and dimension
I radiate the space like a up-right bass
Son I leave crews laced and escape wit no trace
Sound official like the finish time at a horse race
Here to put it in place, for the nine-uno-seis
Mos Def set the pace, make your fam give chase
Raise your hands in the air, everybody get wit it
Universal Magnetic b-boy, scientific
It's like that and you don't stop
It goes onto the rhythm you don't stop
Raise your hands in the air, everybody get wit it
The Universal Magnetic b-boy, scientific y'all
You don't stop, it goes onto the rhythm bust it
Baby it's in my chromosomes to rock
Microphones sets who want to test the M-O
Best to leave that nigga alone
I make no bones or poems about droppin' bars
I make the world full swing under the Mos Def yes
I ring the alarm like tennis sore
My style hella-raw, I keep it raw bone like Skeletor
And you should go and tell your clientele
That they need to get The Message like Melle Mel
I got the locked like a Death Row show
And if I ain't a b-boy, Premier never used a bell (ding ding)
So tell your boy, (what) crew to retire
Before I make they ass catch fire like Richard Pryor
Nondescriptive fiendin' for riches, callin' earth's bitches
But most of y'all brothers is livin' wit your mothers
Your Boogie Man yankin' up your covers
Sharper than some new box cutters, on Parkay's and butters
And Stevie Wonder's, to make you run and tell the others
The beat lovers, and play my jam like the numbers
Son I rock the globe like I rocked your boat
I'm 'bout to tap it on your shoulder 'cause you got to know
Now raise your hands in the air, everybody get wit it
The Universal Magnetic b-boy, scientific
Like that, and you don't stop
It goes onto the rhythm you don't stop
And raise your hands in the air, everybody get wit it
Universal Magnetic b-boy, (hooo!!) scientific
You don't stop, it goes onto the rhythm you don't stop
Raise your hands in the air, everybody get wit it
Universal Magnetic b-boy, scientific
Like that, and you don't stop
It go onto the rhythm you don't stop
Now raise your hands in the air everybody get wit it
The Universal Magnetic in a b-boy stance
The lyrics to Mos Def's song "Universal Magnetic" are about the power and influence of music, particularly hip hop, and the way it can unite people regardless of language or nationality. Mos Def raps about his own experience with music, from listening to it as a child in the 80s to becoming a successful hip hop artist himself. He talks about how music has the ability to generate money and fame, but also how it can be used as a means of social and political commentary.
The chorus of the song encourages listeners to raise their hands and get into the music, as Mos Def emphasizes the universality of the music and the way it can bring people together. The song is filled with wordplay and clever rhymes, as Mos Def demonstrates his skills as an MC. He references other hip hop artists and pays tribute to the culture that has shaped his own music.
Overall, the lyrics to "Universal Magnetic" celebrate the power of music, particularly hip hop, to bring people together and create a sense of unity and camaraderie.
Line by Line Meaning
A be boys rock the world
Young boys take over the world
CD's and tapes help generate papes
Music sales make money
E F is the important Def
The letter E and the letter F are important to me
G good H is what style be
My style is always good no matter what
When I grab the microphone and MC
When I take the mic and rap
Roll off the tongue like L M N O P
I can rap smoothly without tripping over my words
And when I am done you will agree
When I finish rapping you will be convinced
Mos Def represent most definitely
I represent myself and my style with confidence
Jesus what I used to rock it in '83
I used to rap in 1983
Drank up all the cool Aid at the block party
I drank all the Kool-Aid at the neighborhood party
Used to wish I could break the Rock Steady
I wanted to be a part of the Rock Steady Breakers crew
Wash this be the brown shoe on TV
I used to wear brown shoes on television
But now it's not dis and it's on like THIS
Now it's not like it used to be, it's on now
My name is Mos Def, this is good as it gets
My name is Mos Def and this is the best it can be
Baby I make you rub your lips like sardines and grits
My rapping is so good it will make you pucker up your lips
My what still hits even when the record skip
My music is still good even if there's a scratch on the record
I don't quit, I don't quit
I never stop and I never give up
We 'bout to make this one a sure hit
This song is going to be a big success
Sean J. make the party people feel it
DJ Sean J. is going to make people dance and enjoy the music
(Ladies and gentlemen, we'd like to introduce a very Interesting young man that has traveled from very far Away to be with us tonight)
A person is being introduced, who has traveled from far away to be here tonight
There is such a place, that creates such a melody Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a place where great music is made
No ladies it's a living G, it's a living G, it's a living G
It's a lifestyle or state of being
Love like this
I have a great love for this
Recognize all area crew, whether you speak Japanese or Goony Goo Goo
I appreciate and recognize everyone from all over the world
Son when I come through, other rappers boo-hoo
When I arrive, other rappers become jealous and upset
'Cause they know they style's soft like baby doo-doo
They know their style is weak and not good
I will continue, to hit like a fifth of stolen Naya
I will continue to be strong and make an impact like a bottle of stolen alcohol
Puttin' jokers on ice to get the cream like Breyer
I'm taking out the competition to achieve success
No secret, Mos Def is the one that hunts a Mya
It's well known that I am talented and successful
I get in my stance and set the dance on fire
I get into my groove and make everyone dance
Spread out my wings and I take the world higher
I spread my influence and make the world a better place
Peace to the fam magnetic in the Chi
Hello to my family in Chicago
Job-on, top Sean and my man Ahtu
Shout out to Job-on, Sean and Ahtu
And all my other clan who reside in the Zoo
And to all of my other friends who live in the city
Got a celebrated oatmeal broadcast crew
My friends and I are famous and well-known
Mos Def gon keep it naked like Um Fu-Fu (Andy!!)
I'm going to keep it real and honest like always
Put it here to the tape like crazy glue
Put it on the recording like it's permanent
So when they bounce out of speakers they stick to you
My music is so good it will stick with you and never leave
The way that I communicate is non-typical
I don't communicate in the usual way
But high level like a 3-D visual
But my level of communication is advanced and impressive
I hold the mic extensive, exhibit level and dimension
I handle the mic with skill and expertise, showing depth and range
I radiate the space like a up-right bass
I fill the room with energy and music like an upright bass
Son I leave crews laced and escape wit no trace
I defeat other rappers easily and disappear without a trace
Sound official like the finish time at a horse race
My music sounds professional and official, like the end of a horse race
Here to put it in place, for the nine-uno-seis
I'm here to take over and represent the 916 area code
Mos Def set the pace, make your fam give chase
I set the standard and make everyone else want to follow and catch up
The beat lovers, and play my jam like the numbers
Those who love music will understand and appreciate my song
Son I rock the globe like I rocked your boat
I have a global impact like I had on your personal life
I'm 'bout to tap it on your shoulder 'cause you got to know
I'm about to make sure you understand the truth
Now raise your hands in the air, everybody get wit it
Put your hands up and dance to the music
The Universal Magnetic b-boy, scientific
My music is universal and scientific, and meant for b-boys
And raise your hands in the air, everybody get wit it
Keep dancing and enjoying the music
You don't stop, it goes onto the rhythm you don't stop
The music never stops
It go onto the rhythm you don't stop
The music continues without end
Baby it's in my chromosomes to rock
I am born to be a great rapper
Microphones sets who want to test the M-O
Other rappers want to challenge me and test my skills
Best to leave that nigga alone
It's best for them to avoid me
I make no bones or poems about droppin' bars
I am confident in my rapping and don't need to explain myself
I make the world full swing under the Mos Def yes
I make the world dance and move to my music
I ring the alarm like tennis sore
I have a big impact and make a lot of noise
My style hella-raw, I keep it raw bone like Skeletor
My style is very raw and I keep it real
And you should go and tell your clientele
You should tell your fans
That they need to get The Message like Melle Mel
They need to listen to my message like they listened to Melle Mel
I got the locked like a Death Row show
I have control and power like the Death Row record label
And if I ain't a b-boy, Premier never used a bell (ding ding)
I'm a true b-boy and it's as true as DJ Premier ringing a bell
So tell your boy, (what) crew to retire
Tell your friends and crew to quit and give up
Before I make they ass catch fire like Richard Pryor
Before I embarrass them and expose them like the comedian Richard Pryor
Nondescriptive fiendin' for riches, callin' earth's bitches
People who are greedy and disrespectful to women
But most of y'all brothers is livin' wit your mothers
Most of you guys still live with your moms
Your Boogie Man yankin' up your covers
I'm like your worst nightmare, pulling off your blankets
Sharper than some new box cutters, on Parkay's and butters
My rhymes are sharper than a new box cutter and can cut through butter
And Stevie Wonder's, to make you run and tell the others
And as amazing as Stevie Wonder, it will make you tell everyone
The beat lovers, and play my jam like the numbers
Those who love music will understand and appreciate my song
Son I rock the globe like I rocked your boat
I have a global impact like I had on your personal life
I'm 'bout to tap it on your shoulder 'cause you got to know
I'm about to make sure you understand the truth
Now raise your hands in the air, everybody get wit it
Put your hands up and dance to the music
The Universal Magnetic in a b-boy stance
My universal magnetic style is meant for b-boys
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANTE SMITH, SHAWN MALLORY JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mcches33
You can thank Shawn J. Period for this beat. One of the most under-appreciated producers in the world.
@brooklynstudent73
Yes indeed
@delahayenator
Genius production!
@mattdanner9472
Very very true
@6663000
Mos Def is easily a top 5 MC of all time.
@llewsub
Only a true lyrical genius could rap on a snare for a minute and still keep you hooked.
@KingVirmire
its our job as future parents to show our future children what REAL music is. Life isn't just about material and drugs.
@korruptnovellst4751
This ain't nothing to do with real or fake
@delahayenator
Great as an old hiphopjunkie to discover when one of your kids sends you a link of something like Jinxtro - Nahncenz.
All is not lost π
@delahayenator
@@korruptnovellst4751 most definitely :)