Born Dante Smith on December 11, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, Mos Def has been acting and creating music since a very early age.
In 1997, he released his debut single, Universal Magnetic, which became an underground rap hit. This led to a contract with Rawkus Records, where he recorded with rapper Talib Kweli and producer Hi-Tek. The resulting album, Black Star (1998), became one of the most celebrated rap albums of its time. A year later came Mos Def’s solo album, Black On Both Sides – Mos Def, and it inspired further critical and public acclaim.
During the early 2000s, Mos Def acted in several films (Monster’s Ball, Bamboozled, Brown Sugar, The Woodsman). He simultaneously worked on the Black Jack Johnson project with several iconic black musicians: keyboardist Bernie Worrell (Parliament/Funkadelic), guitarist Dr. Know (Bad Brains), drummer Will Calhoun (Living Colour), and bassist Doug Wimbish (the Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, Living Colour). In October 2004, he delivered a second solo album, The New Danger, which involved Black Jack Johnson on a few tracks.
Two years later, after a few more acting roles Mos Def released his third solo album, True Magic (2006). The disc came with no artwork and was sold in a clear plastic case.
Initially regarded as one of the most promising rappers to emerge in the late ’90s, Mos Def has had a creative preference for acting in subsequent years as music became a secondary concern for him. He does release new music from time to time but his output is erratic. Mos Def nonetheless continues to draw attention and his albums Black Star (1998), a collaboration with Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek; and Black on Both Sides (1999), his solo debut continued to be revered, all the more so as time passes.
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