When it takes you five years to follow up a debut of near-landmark stature, you're setting yourself up for failure. Mos Def's second solo album is not disastrous, but it's a sprawling, overambitious mess. A handful of songs from this 75-minute affair feature Black Jack Johnson, the ock band Mos set up with some very respected musicians: bassist Doug Wimbish (Sugar Hill house band, Living Colour), drummer Will Calhoun (Living Colour), guitarist Dr. Know (Bad Brains), and keyboardist Bernie Worrell (Parliament/Funkadelic). Unsurprisingly, the hottest moments tend to come when Mos sticks to what he does best. One slight exception to this is "Modern Marvel," a nine-minute suite smeared with a series of Marvin Gaye samples. Mos sings in whispers (he makes Pharrell sound like Luther, but he has the required spirit), momentum floats in as easy as a light breeze, and then the MC shifts into goose pimple-raising mode. Throughout the whole thing, his conviction is apparent.
Our man Terrence Jennings was on hand to snap some incredible flicks out at Jones Beach this past Sunday for Rock The Bells. See our feature for the full scoop from the event, and peep Terrence's photos from the day, after the jump.{flickr4j_set id="72157606566659519"}~~
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--- - |- Hip-hop royalty reigned supreme as the Rock the Bells tour made a flagship stop at Jones Beach in Long Island yesterday. As if scheduled appearances by Nas, A Tribe Called Quest (including a Q-Tip solo set), De La Soul, Ghostface & Raekwon, Method Man & Redman, Mos Def, Afrika Bambaataa, the Cool Kids, and Spank Rock weren't sensational enough, this Rock the Bells came packed with a f...
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I never gave Mos Def a chance until I saw the episode of Chapelle's Show with his in-car destruction of "Close Edge". It was so awesome I went out and bought The New Danger as well as Talib Kweli's Beautiful Struggle, because I always associated the two and both were new releases. I was blown away with both. I used to go to work in Phoenix every morning listening to Def's "Ghetto Rock" or Kw...
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The bi-annual Magic Convention went down in Vegas this week. While out there, the homie Shake got some footage of Mos Def freestyling infront of a crowd. I've tried to bury the "A Milli" beat for good, but I think Mos can get a late pass.~~
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Our man Terrence Jennings was on hand to snap some incredible flicks out at Jones Beach this past Sunday for Rock The Bells. See our feature for the full scoop from the event, and peep Terrence's photos from the day, after the jump.{flickr4j_set id="72157606566659519"}~~
More >
--- - |- Hip-hop royalty reigned supreme as the Rock the Bells tour made a flagship stop at Jones Beach in Long Island yesterday. As if scheduled appearances by Nas, A Tribe Called Quest (including a Q-Tip solo set), De La Soul, Ghostface & Raekwon, Method Man & Redman, Mos Def, Afrika Bambaataa, the Cool Kids, and Spank Rock weren't sensational enough, this Rock the Bells came packed with a f...
More >
| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 The Boogie Man Song |
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| 2 Freaky Black Greetings |
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| 3 Ghetto Rock |
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| 4 Zimzallabim |
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| 5 The Rape Over |
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| 6 Blue Black Jack |
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| 7 Bedstuy Parade & Funeral March |
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| 8 Sex, Love & Money |
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| 9 Sunshine |
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| 10 Close Edge |
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| 11 The Panties |
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| 12 War |
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| 13 Grown Man Business (Fresh Vintage Bottles) |
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| 14 Modern Marvel |
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| 15 Life Is Real |
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| 16 The Easy Spell |
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| 17 The Beggar |
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| 18 Champion Requiem |
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© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved
 "The New Danger")
