Mos def the ecstatic listen full album12/19/2023 ![]() He channels the nostalgia, good and bad, of his hood, and mentions that while everyone has a place they call home, they’ve still got to think about where they’re at now in life. On it, Mos shouts out his home of Brooklyn and talks about his upbringing on the gritty streets of the borough. Now, “Habitat,” like the aforementioned “Umi Says” is a song I’ve had on repeat for nearly two decades now. Mos is an engaging emcee, with a penchant for storytelling and deep musings, and on this record he shines. It’s thoughtful and composed, yet spontaneous, and quite smart. When I started really messin’ with hip-hop in my teens this album was one I championed early, initially off the hype and respect it garnered, but over the years my appreciation for it deepened, as the tracks started to resonate with me and take on new meanings as I got older. I remember coming across this record back on release in ’99 thanks to the use of one of its most iconic listens, “Umi Says,” being used in a Nike commercial. Mos was the first up to bat with 1999’s Black On Both Sides, his solo debut, which is still a masterful listen nearly two decades on. A lot of people were waiting to see what would come next from them. The album was critically acclaimed and massively influential, and Mos and Talib became the talk of the hip-hop world, Mos especially for his eccentric style and inspired performances. ![]() Their 1998 album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, is a classic, and was just what hip-hop needed in the late ’90s: An elemental, socially-conscious record which celebrated hip-hop culture and Blackness and stood out in contrast to the money, success, and bling-oriented rap albums of the day. Getting started with his younger brother and sister in the rap group Urban Thermo Dynamics in the mid ’90s, Mos’s rep grew when he linked up with the Native Tongues collective, landing the opportunity to work with De La Soul and Q-Tip, but it was his partnership with fellow Brooklynite Talib Kwelias Black Star, which propelled him into the limelight. The Mighty Mos Def (I’ll stick to calling him Mos for this) was definitely a force for hip-hop in the late ’90s and early 2000s. The dismal record, by a duo operating under the same name, was all the more disconcerting considering it was alluded to be the final release from the artist Yasiin Bey, previously known as Mos Def, a Brooklyn rapper and actor and one of hip-hop’s most celebrated and somewhat enigmatic figures.īut let’s take it back a bit. Nice choice YN but I’m sure I would’ve put this higher in my list although I haven’t seen the rest of your selections.Late last year an album called December 99th was released to poor reviews and little fanfare. Its a real work of art and i cant wait for is next offering. For those who missed out on this joint, do yourself a favor and buy this album and zone out to it. Since then, I went back and copped “Black on Both Sides”, “True Magic”, “The New Danger” and I found jewels on all of those albums. Its music on there that 98% of rappers would be afraid to make because theyre afraid of stepping outside the box but Mos took it there and for that I’ll always respect this brother for it. The album is truly amazing and thought provocing. ![]() I’m not sure what it was this time around but I copped the Ecstatic album (maybe it was the lack of good music) and I swear I felt so fucking guilty that I hadn’t paid enough attention to Mos through the years. ![]() Yo YN, I gotta be honest like you, before this Ecstatic album I never listened to a Mos Def album but I always thought he was dope MC since the first time I heard “Ms.Fat Booty” years ago, yet something kept me from listening closer.
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