Life Is Mos Def AMAZING: Yasiin Bey - "Bey" (Lil' Wayne & Biggie Smalls)

Mos Def is not merely a rapper, he's a fucking lyrical assassin! Born Dante Smith (1973) and formerly known as "Pretty Flaco," the man now replies to Yasiin Bey. Take it as a mid-career re-invention, of sorts for the seasoned rapper who's worked with everyone from The Black Keys-Gorillaz. In late 2010, Mos Def signed a record deal with Kanye West's very own G.O.O.D. Music, but an album for his new label has yet to fully materialize. Yasiin Bey is currently working on a number of assorted projects: 5th solo album (G.O.O.D. debut), Black Star Aretha with Talib Kweli, and Kanye's label comp. - "Cruel Summer." My personal favourite Mos Def album is The New Danger, which was released in 2004... right around the time that I was first getting into Hip-Hop and forming my own unique "musical ear." It's essentially a Blues-inspired Hip-Hop album that was recorded with African American Punk musicians, Black Jack Johnson. In fact, after I publish this very post, I'm gonna head over to Amazon and pick up whatever Mos Def albums that are missing from my CD collection!

I'm really hoping that ~~Mos Def~~ Yasiin Bey is still poised to remain one of the most talented rappers in the [ever-crumbling] Hip-Hop game. Bey is currently gearing up to release some sort of warm-up project, titled Top 40 Underdog. So far, 2 freestyles from the forthcoming collection have been issued, "Niggas In Poorest" and yesterday's cut "Bey." While he's indeed a highly skilled/witty rapper and humorous wordsmith, Mos Def has always retained a certain level of social consciousness. First, he did it with Black Star, following the after-math of Biggie & 2pac's tragic deaths and I think it's a tradition that he'll continue with Top 40 Underdog. Instead of adhering to a rigid weekly deadline, Yasiin Bey has been releasing tracks to co-align with important dates: Martin Luther King Day and [what would've been] Biggie's 40th birthday. With that said, Dante Smith is much more than just a veteran rapper - A true Renaissance Man who's capable of wearing many "hats:" dapper fashion icon, skilled actor, passionate activist, Golden Age Boom-Bap historian, youth role model, comedian, Blues-Soul musician, etc.

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