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Mos Def
Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the short-lived rap group Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD), after which they appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. He formed the duo Black Star (rap duo), Black Star, alongside fellow Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli, and in 1998 they released their debut album ''Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star'', featuring the singles "Definition (song), Definition" and "Respiration (song), Respiration". He was featured on the roster of Rawkus Records and in 1999 released his solo debut, ''Black on Both Sides''. His debut was followed by ''The New Danger'' (2004), ''True Magic'' (2006), and ''The Ecstatic'' (2009). About.com listed him 14th on its "50 Greatest Rappers of All Time". His hits include "Oh No (Mos Def and Pharoahe Monch song), Oh No ...
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Ilosaarirock
The Ilosaarirock Festival is an annual rock festival held on the second weekend of July in Joensuu, Eastern Finland. Founded in 1971, Ilosaarirock is the second oldest rock festival in Finland still active, and one of the oldest in Europe. In 2007 the event had 21,000 daily visitors. The festival sold out in advance every year from 1998 to 2011. Ilosaarirock is an entity of events that in its entirety, with clubs and side-events, spans Friday to Sunday. The actual festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday. The festival site, called Laulurinne, stages performances on five separate stages with over 50 artists. Including all events, Ilosaarirock weekend hosts over 100 artists. Ilosaarirock is organized mainly by volunteers and is put together by over 1,500 volunteer workers. The Ilosaarirock festival’s graphic look is chosen through an open design contest every year. The Ilosaarirock festival is organised by Joensuu Pop Musicians' Association, which is a non-profit organisatio ...
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Oh No (Mos Def And Pharoahe Monch Song)
"Oh No" is a song by American rappers Mos Def and Pharoahe Monch featuring American singer Nate Dogg. It was released in November 2000 by Rawkus Records, as a single from the compilation album ''Lyricist Lounge 2'' (2000). The song was produced by Rockwilder. Background Pharoahe Monch has stated that he never thought about collaborating with Nate Dogg on the track until Mos Def proposed it in a phone call. After hearing Nate sing in the chorus, Monch praised the idea. Track listing Track listing acquired from Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...: A1: Oh No (Explicit) (3:59) A2: Oh No (Instrumental) (3:38) B1: Get Up (Explicit) (3:53) -Performed by Cocoa Brovaz B2: Get Up (Instrumental) (3:53) Charts References 2000 singles 2000 songs Mos Def ...
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About
About may refer to: * About (surname) * About.com, an online source for original information and advice * about.me, a personal web hosting service * ''abOUT'', a Canadian LGBT online magazine * ''About Magazine'', a Texas-based digital platform covering LGBT news * About URI scheme, an internal URI scheme * About box, a dialog box that displays information related to a computer software * About equal sign, symbol used to indicate values are approximately equal See also * About Face (other) * About Last Night (other) * About Time (other) * About us (other) * About You (other) * ''about to The ''going-to'' future is a grammatical construction used in English to refer to various types of future occurrences. It is made using appropriate forms of the expression ''to be going to''.Fleischman, Suzanne, ''The Future in Thought and Langua ...
'', one of the future constructions in English grammar * {{disambiguation ...
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The Ecstatic
''The Ecstatic'' is the fourth album by American rapper Mos Def, released on June 9, 2009, by the independent record label Downtown Records. After venturing further away from hip hop with an acting career and two poorly received albums, Mos Def signed a recording contract with Downtown and recorded ''The Ecstatic'' primarily at the Record Plant in Los Angeles. He worked with producers such as Preservation, Mr. Flash, Oh No, and Madlib, with the latter two reusing instrumentals they had produced on Stones Throw Records. The work of Stones Throw rapper MF Doom was also cited by Mos Def as an influence, while singer Georgia Anne Muldrow, formerly of the record label, performed as one of the album's few guest vocalists, along with rappers Slick Rick and Talib Kweli. Described by music journalists as a conscious and alternative hip hop record, ''The Ecstatic'' features an eccentric, internationalist quality. Mos Def's raps about global politics, love, war, spirituality, and social co ...
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True Magic
''True Magic'' (or ''TRU3 MAGIC'') is the third studio album by American rapper Mos Def, released on December 29, 2006, by Geffen Records. After Geffen had absorbed Mos Def's former label Rawkus, the album was released haphazardly to fulfill a contractual obligation; its physical release lacked a booklet, cover art, lyrics, or credits. Following an internet leak, ''True Magic'' was released to mostly mixed reviews from critics, and has sold over 97,000 copies by 2014. Background ''True Magic'' was released to fulfill Mos Def's contract with Geffen Records. It featured production from The Neptunes, Rich Harrison and Minnesota, among others. The song "Crime & Medicine" samples GZA's 1995 single "Liquid Swords", while the song "Dollar Day" uses the same beat as Juvenile's "Nolia Clap". Release and reception Following an online leak of the album, ''True Magic'' was released by Geffen in a clear plastic case without a booklet, cover art, lyrics, or credits.Benbow, Julian (2007-01 ...
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The New Danger
''The New Danger'' is the second studio album by American rapper Mos Def, released on October 12, 2004, by Rawkus and Geffen Records. It is the follow-up to his breakthrough solo effort ''Black on Both Sides'' (1999), after which he devoted more time into his film and stage career. Production Production for the album was handled by Mos Def, Kanye West, 88 Keys, Minnesota, Warryn Campbell, and Psycho Les. It also features contributions from Mos Def's rock musical project Black Jack Johnson, which was named after boxing champion Jack Johnson and consists of guitarist Dr. Know, keyboardist Bernie Worrell, bassist Doug Wimbish, and drummer Will Calhoun. Critical reception ''The New Danger'' received generally mixed reviews from critics; it holds an aggregate score of 59 out of 100 at Metacritic."Critic Revi ...
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Black On Both Sides
''Black on Both Sides'' is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Mos Def, released on October 12, 1999, by Rawkus and Priority Records. Prior to its recording, Mos Def had collaborated with Talib Kweli for the album ''Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star'' in 1998, which raised high expectations for a solo effort by the former. ''Black on Both Sides'' features an emphasis on live instrumentation and socially conscious lyrics. On February 2, 2000, the album was certified Gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), following sales in excess of 500,000 copies. Music Talib Kweli (one-half of Black Star with Mos Def), Q-Tip and Busta Rhymes are the only main rappers to be featured on the album. Kweli raps the second and final verse of "Know That", while Busta goes back and forth with Mos on "Do It Now". Q-Tip helps sing the chorus on "Mr. Nigga" but doesn't deliver a verse. The lyrics Q-Tip recites are similar to his previously released lyri ...
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Respiration (song)
"Respiration" is a song by American rappers Mos Def and Talib Kweli, collectively known as Black Star. It was released as the second single from the duo’s eponymously titled 1998 album (see 1998 in music). It features a guest verse from fellow American rapper Common and guitar playing by DeChown Jenkins. The song’s production was handled by Hi-Tek, who sampled "The Fox" as performed by Don Randi. In addition, the song's introduction samples a monologue from the hip hop documentary ''Style Wars''. It is found on '' Best of Decade I: 1995-2005'', a compilation of Rawkus Records' best songs. It can also be found on Howie B's compilation album '' Another Late Night: Howie B''. The single reached #54 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Two remixes were made for "Respiration": 'Flying High Mix' contains production by Pete Rock and a verse by Black Thought of The Roots. Another remix found on the ''Hip Hop Classics Vol. 1'' compilation album also features Pete Rock produ ...
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Definition (song)
"Definition" is the first single from Black Star's eponymously titled 1998 album (see 1998 in music). It is produced by Hi-Tek, who samples "The P Is Free" by Boogie Down Productions for the track's beat. In addition, the song's chorus interpolates "Stop the Violence" by Boogie Down Productions. The chorus and the song's lyrics in general deal with the necessity to stop violence in hip hop. An underground hit the song still reached #60 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It is featured on multiples compilations such as '' Best of Decade I: 1995-2005'', Rawkus Records' greatest hits album. Allmusic writer Jason Kaufman considers it to be a "flawless" track. A reprise of "Definition" titled "RE: DEFinition" can be found on the ''Black Star'' album. It also appears on MTV Classic's 90's Nation and Yo! Hip Hop Mix. Track list A-side # "Definition" (Radio Version) # "Definition" (What We Really Said) # "Definition" (Instrumental to Your Development) B-side # "Twice Inna Lifeti ...
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Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
''Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star'' (often called simply ''Black Star'') is the debut studio album by Black Star, a hip hop duo consisting of emcees Talib Kweli and Mos Def (the latter of whom now goes by Yasiin Bey). The album was released on September 29, 1998, to critical acclaim. The title is a reference to the Black Star Line, a shipping line founded by Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey. The album deals with modern-day issues, philosophical ideas, and life in Brooklyn, New York City as the two artists know it. Background The album's fruition came about from the chemistry between the two emcees. Both planned to release their solo albums around the same time, but they postponed their individual projects and decided instead to collaborate on a full-length LP. The album's cover was designed by artist Brent Rollins. Music and lyrics The late jazz musician Weldon Irvine played the keys on the album's opening song, "Astronomy," which interprets the word "black" in a positive ...
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Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He earned recognition early on through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with solo success including collaborations with producers and rappers Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Pharrell Williams. His most recent album, ''Gotham'', was released in 2020. In 2011, Kweli founded his own record label, Javotti Media. Early life Born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, Kweli grew up in a household in Brooklyn's Park Slope. His mother, Brenda Greene, is an English professor at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York, and his father is an administrator at Adelphi University. His younger brother, Jamal Greene, is a professor of constitutional law at Columbia Law School and a graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School, and former clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court. As a you ...
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