During the first several years of the 2000s, it wasn't unreasonable to want Mos Def, one of the most dazzling living MCs, to make a rap album. After he released 2006's True Magic, his first all-rap release in seven years -- following the back-to-back instant classics Black Star and Black on Both Sides -- it was easier to understand why he had been devoting much more time to acting and diversions like The New Danger. It was evident that he was not inspired, no doubt prompting a fair portion of his followers to think, "OK, maybe we should have been more specific: please make a good rap album." On The Ecstatic, it's not as if Mos Def makes a full return to the lucid/bug-eyed rhymes heard on decade-old cuts like "Hater Players" and "Hip Hop." Instead, he comes up with a mind-bending, low-key triumph, the kind of magnetic album that takes around a dozen spins to completely unpack. Oscillating between cerebral gibberish and seemingly nonchalant, off-the-cuff boasts, it's obvious that Mos Def is back to enjoying his trade. For those who are deeply into the Stones Throw label, the album won't take quite as long to process. Some of the productions from brothers Madlib and Oh No were pulled from their instrumental releases, including a pair from the India-themed installments of the Beat Konducta series. Altogether, they provide much of the album's dusty off-centeredness; even though "Supermagic" has Mos Def at his most energized and alert, its needling psychedelic guitars and sweeping Bollywood drama are transportive. Combined with backdrops from Georgia Anne Muldrow, Preservation, the Neptunes' Chad Hugo, and the Ed Banger label's Mr. Flash, the album is a gumbo that adds juicy dub thwacks, regal synthetic horns, tangled piano vamps, dashes of spiritual jazz, and rolling Afro-beat, almost all of which is cloaked in light reverb. Though there are highlights throughout, two of the most notable tracks are at the very end: "History," where Talib Kweli joins in over a wistful J Dilla beat, and "Casa Bey," where a playful Mos Def somehow keeps up with Banda Black Rio's deliriously frantic samba funk.
It’s been ten years since Mos Def released his seminal debut album Black on Both Sides but if you were to grade him on his activities since, it would make for a depressing report card. Cerebrally disappointing albums in The New Danger, the truly awful True Magic and largely forgettable guest appearances made it look [...]
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Reviews of new albums by Tiny Masters of Today, Miike Snow, Mos Def, Mannequin Men, and Quest for Fire
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The two records preceding Mos Def's 1999 solo début 'Black On Both Sides' never really lived up to the first's brilliance and though there were bits and pieces of genius lacing them both, it was almost a step backwards in terms of potential.
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/p>After enjoying some well deserved success collaborating with none other than Talib Kweli to form ‘Black Star’ in ‘98, Mos Def embarked on his solo career. His first album, ‘Black On Both Sides’ was released a year later. Confronting racial issues and expressing his love for his hometown Brooklyn, the album was hailed as a [...]
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Mos Def is many things. He is an MC, thespian, boogeyman and revolutionary. But one thing he is not is adherent to the pigeonhole that is placed upon him. When we tell him to go up, he turns upside...* Summary only. Visit the site for full article!
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With his last two albums receiving less than enthused reactions from fans and critics alike, is The Ecstatic really worth getting excited about? Short answer: Yes.
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At first I had trouble putting my finger on why Mos Def's Life in Marvelous Times - the most leading single off of his forthcoming "The Ecstatic" - reminded me so much of a mixtape track from Weezy or Clipse. But after a few spins I realized it's a combination of factors - the beat is epically large, the flow is solid, and it sounds like Mos Def has something that he feels is worth hearing....
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It's the mighty Mos Def. This is for all the people looking for a re-up. If you don't have it yet, check it out quick. Got it from Metaphor. Wonder if Mos is caught yet after smashing up that papparazzi's gear. Mos Def - Life In Marvelous Times PigeonsandPlanes
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With The Ecstatic hitting stores tomorrow, Mos Def performs Quiet Dog on Letterman.
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Having just bought Mos Def's mos' recent album The Ecstatic, my ears and eyes are open for all things Mos Def this week. If you haven't picked it up yet STOP SLEEPIN'! Interview Magazine has Spank Rock interviewing Mos. Here's a snippet to further entice you...SR: What are the main issues that you wanted to approach with this album? MD: Life, Love, just observations. It's not a super-defined na...
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In honor of Mos Def's latest release (The Ecstatic, in stores tomorrow // stream now) RubyHornet uploaded a bootleg disc he came across at Dr. Wax on the southside of Chicago more than a decade ago. A collection of Mos tracks like Universal Magnetic, Little Brother w/ Talib Kweli, Respiration (rmx) w/ Talib Kweli & [...]
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While we wait to hear Mos’ upcoming album in it’s entirety (on June 9th), Amazon has put up 30 second snippets of each track. Which I’ve included in a nice single .mp3 below. Hit the jump for the artwork and tracklist.Mos Def - The Ecstatic (Album Snippets)01 Supermagic02 Twilite Speedball03. Auditorium04. Wahid05. Priority06. Quiet Dog07. [...]
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I don’t normally make posts for single artwork but this is pretty cool (click for full version), plus my man Diego shot over some information on Mos’ upcoming album…The Ecstatic drops June 9th. Guests include Talib Kweli and Slick Rick. Production from Oh No, Chad Hugo, Mad Lib, Mr. Flash, DJ Preservation, J Dilla and [...]
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The long awaited return of Black Star happens courtesy of Mos Def’s The Ecstatic.DOWNLOAD: Mos Def - History f. Talib Kweli (prod. J. Dilla) | Mediafire
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Mos performed Quiet Dog on Letterman last night and tonight he performs Casa Bey w/ The Roots on Jimmy Fallon. The performance can be found after the jump as the above clip features some chit chat. The Ecstatic is in stores now! I've gotta get to the store tomorrow and pick my copy up.
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OMG for $3.99 HELL YEAH!See here:Amazon.com: The Ecstatic: MP3 Downloads: Mos Def
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For more information zune.net/thegreenroom. And as you can tell by the lovely ads on the site, The Ecstatic is available now! For those that can't make it to an actual store, Amazon & iTunes have it as well.
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Mos Def is many things. He is an MC, thespian, boogeyman and revolutionary. But one thing he is not is adherent to the pigeonhole that is placed upon him. When we tell him to go up, he turns upside...* Summary only. Visit the site for full article!
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I recently posted a brand new music review on Blogcritics. This time, it's of Mos Def's newest album The Ecstatic. An excerpt is below:In recent years, Mos Def has become more well-known for his acting than his music. His latest album suggests that it should be the other way around. With a unique sound all its own, The Ecstatic is one of the more intriguing hip-hop albums released so far this ...
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well party people we gotta get ready for this spring to arrive cause heres a taste of what we've been missing!!!!!!!peace,knowledgeMos Def - Words - The Ecstatic - in stores Spring 2009
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New Mos Def. This one is the second single off the upcoming The Ecstatic (out Feb 24th). Dope song, but I was waiting for it to pick up a little more and it never did.Mos Def - Quiet DogPigeonsandPlanes
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Mos Def "Quiet Dog" FULL, CDQ, 2nd Single off upcoming album, Ecstatic *Tibs Fav.™ Def feelin' this Mos Def, haha. He literally rips through his verses and I just love his style on this track. It's another unique feature record that all you should DL right now just 2 hear for yourself. Down below, a couple trax [...]
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Supermagic |
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| 2 Twilite Speedball |
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| 3 Auditorium |
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| 4 Wahid |
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| 5 Priority |
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| 6 Quiet Dog Bite Hard |
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| 7 Life in Marvelous Times |
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| 8 The Embassy |
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| 9 No Hay Nada Mas |
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| 10 Pistola |
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| 11 Pretty Dancer |
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| 12 Workers Comp |
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| 13 Revelations |
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| 14 Roses |
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| 15 History |
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| 16 Casa Bey |
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 "The Ecstatic")
