Mos Def was born as Dante Terrell Smith in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Sheron Smith and Abdulrahman. The eldest of 12 children and step-children, he was raised by his mother in Brooklyn, while his father lived in New Jersey.
What the hell happened to Mos Def?
Mos Def/FacebookThis week, Yasiin Bey, the 42-year-old artist formerly known as Mos Def, shockingly announced that he was retiring from music and acting. The strange message, a freestyle rap via cell phone that was posted on the website of longtime friend Kanye West, has prompted many hip-hop fans to ask: “What the hell happened to Mos Def?”.
What kind of TV shows does Mos Def appear on?
In television, Mos Def has appeared on NYPD Blue, on Comedy Central’s Chappelle’s Show, and has hosted the award-winning HBO spoken word show, Def Poetry since its inception. The show’s sixth season aired in 2007. He also appeared on the sitcom My Wife and Kids as the disabled friend of Michael Kyle (Damon Wayans).
What was Mos Def’s hip hop for respect?
In 2000, paired with Talib Kweli, Mos Def organized the Hip Hop for Respect project to speak out against police brutality. The project was created in response to the 1999 police shooting of Amadu Diallo, and sought to accumulate 41 artists to the roster, one to match each of the 41 gunshots fired on Diallo.
When did Mos Def’s the ecstatic come out?
Mos Def’s fourth solo album The Ecstatic was released in 2009 on Downtown Records with distribution by Universal Records.
When did Mos Def first perform in South Africa?
In April 2009, Mos Def traveled to South Africa for the first time where he performed with The Robert Glasper Experiment at the renowned Cape Town International Jazz Festival.
How many albums does Mos Def have?
Mos Def discography. The discography of Yasiin Bey / Mos Def, an American rapper, consists of four solo albums, two compilation albums, and several singles. Mos Def began his hip hop career in 1994 in the underground rap group UTD (Urban Thermo Dynamics) alongside his sibling group members DCQ and Ces, after which he pursued a solo career.
Is Mos Def one of the greatest rappers of all time?
The editors of About.com listed him as the 14th greatest rapper on their “50 Greatest Rappers of All Time” list. Some of Mos Def’s top hits include “Oh No”, ” Definition “, and ” Respiration “.
