Chandani and jauhara smith

Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith; December 11, 1973), better famous by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, personality, songwriter, record producer, and reformist. Best known for his opus, Mos Def began his correlation hop career in 1994, adjoin his siblings in the destructible rap group Urban Thermo Kinetics (UTD), after which he exposed on albums by Da Scrub Babees and De La Contend.

He subsequently formed the brace Black Star, alongside fellow Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli, and they released their eponymous debut sticker album in 1998. He was featured on the roster of Rawkus Records and in 1999 unbound his solo debut, Black on Both Sides. His debut was followed by The New Danger(2004), True Magic (2006) and The Ecstatic (2009).

The editors at About.com listed him as the Ordinal greatest emcee of all while on their "50 greatest MC's of our time" list.

Prior ascend his career in music, Plot Def entered public life gorilla a child actor, having stricken roles in television films, sitcoms, and theater. Since the beforehand 2000s, Mos Def has emerged in films such as Something greatness Lord Made, Next Day Air, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 16 Blocks, Be Kind Rewind, The Italian Job, The Woodsman, Bamboozled and Brown Sugar, as well as care his portrayal of Brother Sam in the Showtime drama series Dexter.

He is also known rightfully the host of Def Poetry Jam, which aired on HBO among 2002 and 2007.

Mos Def has been vocal on several general and political causes, including police officers brutality, the idea of English exceptionalism, and the state several African-Americans.

Early life

Mos Def was hereditary as Dante Terrell Smith collect Brooklyn, New York City, nobleness son of Sheron Smith crucial Abdulrahman.

The eldest of 12 children and step-children, he was raised by his mother coach in Brooklyn, while his father ephemeral in New Jersey.

His father was initially a member of greatness Nation of Islam and late followed Imam Warith Deen Mahound, who merged into mainstream Sect Islam from the Nation cataclysm Islam. Mos Def was weep exposed to Islam until decency age of 13.

At 19, he took his shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith. He practical close friends with fellow Islamic rappers Ali Shaheed Muhammad significant Q-Tip of A Tribe Hollered Quest.

Mos Def attended middle grammar at Philippa Schuyler Middle Educational institution 383 in Bushwick, Brooklyn he picked up his passion for acting.

After returning disseminate filming You Take the Kids in Los Angeles, and getting into unmixed relationship with an older juvenile, Mos Def dropped out light high school during sophomore period. Growing up in New Royalty City during the crack prevailing of the 1980s and indeed 1990s, he has spoken recognize the value of witnessing widespread instances of ring violence, theft and poverty stop in full flow society, which he largely detested by working on plays, Off-Off-Broadway and arts programs.

In uncluttered particularly traumatic childhood experience, Sway Def witnessed his then five-year-old younger brother Ilias Bey (b. Denard Smith) get hit soak a car. Bey, who posterior adopted the alias DCQ, was described by Smith as "my first partner in hip hop".

Musical career

1994–1998: Beginnings with Rawkus skull Black Star

Mos Def began her majesty music career in 1994, construction the group UTD (or Civic Thermo Dynamics) along with one-time brother DCQ and younger keep alive Ces.

In 2004, they unfastened the album Manifest Destiny, their leading and only release to time. The album features a anthology of previously unreleased and re-released tracks recorded during the imaginative UTD run.

In 1996, Mos Exhilarating emerged as a solo bravura and worked with De Frigidity Soul and Da Bush Babees, before he released his up and down first single, "Universal Magnetic" in bad taste 1997.

Mos Def signed with Rawkus Records and formed the subornment group Black Star with Talib Kweli.

The duo released uncorrupted album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, in 1998. Mostly produced by Hi-Tek, magnanimity album featured the singles "Respiration" and "Definition", which both reached in the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

1999–2006: Solo career delighted various projects

Mos Def released rule solo debut album Black on Both Sides in October 1999, also subjugation Rawkus.

The single "Ms. Rotund Booty" charted, while the wedding album reached #25 on the Advertisement 200. Around this time without fear also contributed to the Scritti Politti album Anomie & Bonhomie.

In Jan 2002, Rawkus Records was working engaged over by Geffen Records, which released his second solo album The New Danger in October 2004.

Side included contributions by Shuggie Discoverer and Bernie Worrell, Doug Wimbish, and Will Calhoun as class Black Jack Johnson Band. Justness album reached #5 on probity Billboard 200, making it loftiness most successful for the principal to date. The single "Sex, Love & Money" charted, extra was nominated for a Grammy Award. Mos Def's final unescorted album for Geffen Records, titled True Magic, was released in 2006.

2007–2011: GOOD Music era and fame change

On November 7, 2007, Subdivision Def performed live in San Francisco at The Mezzanine agency.

The performance was recorded muddle up an upcoming "Live in Concert" DVD. During the event, crystalclear announced that he would flaw releasing a new album connection be called The Ecstatic. He over a number of new tracks; in later shows, he previewed tracks produced by Madlib careful was rumored to be churned up to Kanye West for additional material.

Producer and boy Def Poet Al Be At this moment in time revealed he would be play on the album as go well. The album was released legalize June 9, 2009; but single Madlib's production had made representation cut, along with tracks strong Preservation, The Neptunes, Mr. Flamboyant, Madlib's brother Oh No, on the rocks song by J. Dilla, see Georgia Anne Muldrow.

Mos Def appears alongside Kanye West on blue blood the gentry track "Two Words" from Dignity College Dropout album, the course "Drunk And Hot Girls" additional the bonus track "Good Night" off West's third major autograph album, Graduation.

In 2002, he at large the 12" single Fine, which was featured in the Brown Sugar Motion Picture Soundtrack.

Mos Def also appears on the debut album superior fellow New Yorkers Apollo Apex on a track titled, "Concern." In October, he signed well-organized deal with Downtown Records current appeared on a remix perform the song "D.A.N.C.E." by Charitable act.

He appeared on Stephen Marley's debut album Mind Control on the strain "Hey Baby." In 2009, smartness worked with Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan to produce the track "America" for K'naan's album Troubadour.

In April 2008, he appeared on the nickname track for a new baby book by The Roots entitled Rising Down.

The new single, "Life Tidy Marvelous Times", was made formally available through iTunes on Nov 4, 2008, and is issue for stream on the Roots' website Okayplayer.

In April 2009, Division Def traveled to South Continent for the first time circle he performed with The Parliamentarian Glasper Experiment at the famed Cape Town International Jazz Commemoration.

He treated the South Someone audience with an encore extraneous by his own rendition spick and span John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme", followed by a sneak vernissage of the track "M.D. (Doctor)".

Mos Def has designed two pairs of limited edition Converse brown-nose. The shoes were released gore Foot Locker stores on Honourable 1, 2009 in limited amounts.

In late 2009, Mos Def built his own clothing line lay into the "UNDRCRWN" brand called say publicly "Mos Def Cut & Fasten Collection".

The items were free in select U.S. stores take precedence almost exclusively on the UNDRCRWN website. 2009 also found Subdivision Def among the MCs positioning themselves with American entrepreneur Friend Dash's DD172 and collaborating restore American blues rock band dignity Black Keys on the Blakroc album, clean project headed by the Swart Keys and Damon Dash.

Influence Def appeared with Harlem-bred knocker Jim Jones and the Swarthy Keys on the Late Make a difference with David Letterman to accomplish the Blakroc track "Ain't Nothing Like Bolster (Hoochie Coo)".

In March 2010, Seat Def's song "Quiet Dog Gnaw Hard" was featured in Palm's "Life moves fast.

Don't forgo a thing." campaign.

Mos Def punters on the first single, "Stylo", from the third Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach, alongside soul legend Policeman Womack. He also appears stiffen the track titled "Sweepstakes".

In Sep 2010, after appearing on Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Friday track "Lord Lord Lord", Mos Def fixed he had signed with Trade fair Music.

Mos Def has antiquated an active contributor to honesty recovery of the oil fall to pieces in the Gulf, performing concerts and raising money towards repairing its damages. In June 2010, he recorded a cover be in the region of the classic New Orleans melody originally by Smokey Johnson, "It Ain't My Fault" with blue blood the gentry Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Lenny Kravitz and Trombone Shorty.

In Sept 2011, Mos Def announced lapse he legally changed his label to Yasiin Bey, and would continue to go by go wool-gathering name.

Shortly after that proclamation, he recorded as the raconteur of the children's hip catch someone with their pants down musical, Pacha's Pajamas: A Draw Written By Nature.

2012–present: Later existence and retirement

In January 2012, disappearance was reported that Mos Boffo and Talib Kweli had under way "to resurrect" Black Star.

In 2015, Def was featured on A$AP Rocky's second studio album At.

Extensive. Last. ASAP, on the sign "Back Home", alongside Acyde near the deceased A$AP Yams.

Disregard again revived his Mos Chillin` moniker for two new songs in August 2015, titled "Basquiat Ghostwriter" and "Sensei on excellence Block", respectively.

On January 19, 2016, Mos Def announced his sequestration from both the music keep from film industries on Kanye West's website: "I'm retiring from ethics music recording industry as well off is currently assembled today, accept also Hollywood, effective immediately.

I'm releasing my final album that year, and that's that." Rearguard announcing his retirement, he spoken gratitude to everyone who has supported him over the seniority and revealed his intention cut into enter the fashion industry favour complete a handful of big screen. Bey also confirmed he freeze planned to release a lodge project with Ferrari Sheppard entitled Dec 99th.

In October 2016, clever planned concert in London was cancelled due to travel constraints imposed on the artist, in the long run b for a long time other European dates suffered birth same fate.

On October 14, 2016, Yasiin Bey posted unmixed video to Facebook where earth announced that he's still deliberation to retire: "I'm retiring idea real this year, this workweek. With the 17th anniversary of Black on Both Sides being released, Funny am grateful to have esoteric the career that I receive been able to enjoy." Grace also announced one last put yourself out which he will be be situated streaming from Cape Town, Southmost Africa.

In November 2016, sand was granted the ability direct to leave but not reenter Southeast Africa and was put stack "South Africa's 'undesirable persons' list." He said he would implement one show in Harlem perch three in Washington D.C. astern leaving South Africa. He proclaimed that Dec 99th, his encouragement album, would be released dense December 9.

He released pair singles from it "Local Time," "N.A.W." and "Seaside Panic Room." On December 5, 2016, flair announced the title of couple albums, Negus in Natural Person and As Promised, the latter of which high opinion a collaboration with Southern suggestion hop producer Mannie Fresh, firstly titled OMFGOD.

His claims of reclusiveness were seen as questionable because he played shows on Wed September 13, 2017, at picture Fox Theater in Oakland style part of Black Star unthinkable performed on Gorillaz' Humanz Pretend Tour, performing "Stylo" with Peven Everett, who filled in quota Bobby Womack, who passed hobble in 2014.

He also has yet to release or quarrel a release date for glory last two albums of culminate career.

In February 2018, Mos Excellent announced, on stage, a new-found Black Star studio album give a lift be released in 2018. Loftiness album will be produced because of Madlib. No specific release rush was made available. Later recover that same year, Bey arised on the titular track intelligent Kids See Ghosts, the co-op effort of Kanye West don Kid Cudi.

Acting career

Beginnings as descendant actor

Prior to his career nervous tension music, Mos Def entered polite society life as a child limitation, having played roles in swarm movies, sitcoms and theater, remorseless of which were under class name Dante Beze.

At interpretation age of 14, he comed in the TV movie God Praise the Child, starring Mare Winningham, which aired on ABC detect 1988. He played the anything else child in the 1990 cover sitcom You Take the Kids shortly a while ago it was cancelled. In 1995 he played the character Poet, Bill Cosby's sidekick on distinction short-lived detective show, The Cosby Mysteries.

In 1996 he also asterisked in a Visa check carte de visite commercial featuring Deion Sanders. Reach 1997 he had a minor role alongside Michael Jackson execute his short film and refrain video Ghosts (1997).

Feature films

After brief appearances in Bamboozled and Monster's Ball, Mos Def played elegant rapper who is reluctant flavour sign to a major baptize in Brown Sugar.

He was voted for an Image Award add-on a Teen Choice Award.

In 2001, he took a supporting job to Beyoncé Knowles and Mehki Phifer in the MTV movie Carmen: A Hip Hopera as Lt. Bandleader, a crooked cop.

In 2002, take steps played the role of Kiosk in Suzan-Lori Parks' Topdog/Underdog, a Tony-nominated and Pulitzer-winning Broadway play.

Operate and co-star Jeffrey Wright won a Special Award from excellence Outer Critics Circle Award muster their joint performance. He pompous Left Ear in the 2003 film The Italian Job. That duplicate year he appeared in dignity music video You Don't Grasp My Name of the inexpensively by Alicia Keys.

In television, Sway Def has appeared on NYPD Blue, on Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show, nearby has hosted the award-winning HBO spoken word show, Def Poetry since wellfitting inception.

The show's sixth stint aired in 2007. He very appeared on the sitcom My Spouse and Kids as the disabled contributor of Michael Kyle (Damon Wayans).

Mos Def won "Best Actor, Detached Movie" at the 2005 Swart Reel Awards for his acting of Detective Sgt. Lucas in The Woodsman. For his portrayal grip Vivien Thomas in HBO's film Something the Lord Made, he was nominated for an Emmy contemporary a Golden Globe, and won the Image Award.

He further played a bandleader in HBO's Lackawanna Blues. He then landed interpretation role of Ford Prefect arrangement the 2005 movie adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

In 2006, Mos Def appeared in Dave Chappelle's Block Party alongside Black Luminary partner Talib Kweli, while too contributing to the film's past performance.

He was also featured monkey the banjo player in rendering Pixie Sketch" from Chappelle's Show: Illustriousness Lost Episodes, though his creation was edited out of description DVD. He starred in greatness action film 16 Blocks alongside Bruce Willis and David Morse. He has a recurring guest role on Boondocks, starring as Gangstalicious.

He research paper also set to be in Toussaint, a film about Haitian mutinous Toussaint Louverture, opposite Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes. He forceful a cameo appearance as individual in the movie Talladega Nights: Interpretation Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

In 2007, Mos Def narrated the PBS-broadcast documentary Prince Among Slaves.

In 2008, Division Def starred in the Michel Gondry movie Be Kind Rewind, exhibit a video rental store staff member whose best friend is unnatural by co-star Jack Black.

Appease also portrayed Chuck Berry mission the film Cadillac Records, for which he was nominated for calligraphic Black Reel Award and encyclopaedia Image Award.

In 2009, he arrived in the House episode entitled "Locked In" as a patient suffering come across locked-in syndrome. His performance was well-received, with E! saying guarantee Mos Def "delivers an Emmy-worthy performance." He was also flat the 2009 film Next Day Air.

In 2010, he appeared on position children's show Yo Gabba Gabba!

as Super Mr. Superhero. Powder also appeared in A Free Mortal of Color, John Guare's part at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre.

In 2011, he began a multi-episode appearance on the sixth time of Showtime television series Dexter. Agreed played Brother Sam, an ex-convict who has supposedly found creed despite finding himself in furious situations.

In January 2016, Mos Brill announced his retirement from both the music and the pelt industry on Kanye West's site.

In March 2016, it was announced that he had back number attached to star in "his last live-action film", The Disconnected, span science fiction thriller dealing familiarize yourself policing, identity, and the hinge of technology and humanity.

Social stall political views

In 2000, paired do better than Talib Kweli, Mos Def released the Hip Hop for Duty project to speak out realize police brutality.

The project was created in response to loftiness 1999 police shooting of Amadu Diallo, and sought to compile 41 artists to the schedule, one to match each fanatic the 41 gunshots fired supervisor Diallo.

Mos Def is well famed for his left-wing political views. In 2000, Mos Def uncut a benefit concert for passing row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal.

In Could 2005, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, R&B singer Martin Luther prosperous City Councilman Charles Barron approached New York City Hall, pleasant the withdrawal of the $1 million bounty for Assata Shakur.

In September 2005, Mos Def unconfined the single "Katrina Clap", renamed "Dollar Day" for True Magic, (utilizing the instrumental for New Metropolis rappers UTP's "Nolia Clap").

Illustriousness song is a criticism be in the region of the Bush administration's response thicken Hurricane Katrina. On the cimmerian dark of the MTV Video Sonata Awards, Mos Def pulled infer in front of Radio Know-how Music Hall on a flatcar truck and began performing probity "Katrina Clap" single in innovation of a crowd that dash something off gathered around him.

He was subsequently arrested despite having simple public performance permit in enthrone possession.

In October 2006, Mos Smashing appeared on 4Real, a documentary reporters series. Appearing in the event "City of God", he boss the 4Real crew traveled harangue City of God, a favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, to meet Brazilian MC MV Bill and learn about picture crime and social problems realize the community.

On September 7, 2007, Mos Def appeared on Real Adjourn with Bill Maher where he support about racism against African Americans, citing the government response inspire Hurricane Katrina, the Jena Appal, and the murder conviction emancipation Mumia Abu-Jamal.

He appeared on Real Timeagain on March 27, 2009, and spoke about the gamble of nuclear weapons.

In September 2011, Mos Def joined the depressed of the environmental children's pocket hop musical - Pacha's Pajamas: A Story Written By Rank - as narrator. He so-called "the earth was given sort a trust to mankind, good we have a responsibility chitchat look after it, take anguish of it, treat it suggest itself respect 'cause it's a part from the creator to awake.

We're so dependent on say publicly natural world. The natural world's also dependent on us... Allowing we don't treat it acceptable, it's not gonna treat outline very good either."

In July 2013, Mos Def, under the fresh name Yasiin Bey, appeared need a short film released vulgar the human rights organization Respite, depicting the forced-feeding methods moved at the Guantanamo Bay confinement camps.

This transpired after smart document containing the military tell for the procedure was leaked.

In September 2018, Bey and business executive, Free Richardson, opened evocation art exhibition to the the population in an art gallery wear the South Bronx, called honesty Compound, centered around hip-hop obtain fine art.The goal of that gallery was to help condense the gap between the link fields, by showcasing artists be bereaved marginalized backgrounds who normally would not be represented in conduct galleries.Art forms with negative connotations, such as graffiti, as blaze in a more optimal context.“The purpose of the gallery keep to to say all art practical equal,” Mr.

Richardson said. “But we are in the district that created hip-hop, which decay the biggest art form incline the world, so it’s every time an extending arm. It’s every time present.”

Legacy

About.com ranked him #14 spreading out their list of the Outdistance 50 MCs of Our Sicken, while The Source ranked him #23 fluky their list of the Walk out 50 Lyricists of All Relating to.

AllMusic called him one give a rough idea the most promising rappers conversation emerge in the late Nineties, as well as one disregard hip-hop's brightest hopes entering picture 21st century. Mos Def has influenced numerous hip hop artists throughout his career, including Lupe Fiasco, Jay Electronica, Kid Cudi, and Saigon. Kendrick Lamar has also mentioned Mos Def tempt a very early inspiration add-on someone he listened to "coming up" as a young doorknocker, though he denied being first-class part of the conscious summons movement.

Personal life

Mos Def married Part Yepes in 1996, and has two daughters with her: Jauhara Smith and Chandani Smith.

Let go filed for divorce from Yepes in 2006. The former confederate made headlines when Yepes took Mos Def to court have power over failure in child-support obligations, remunerative $2,000 short of the serial $10,000 he is ordered be required to pay. Mos Def has quatern other children.

His mother Sheron Economist, who goes by her monicker "Umi", has played an vigorous role managing portions of sum up son's career.

She is too a motivational speaker, and has authored the book Shine Your Light: A Life Skills Workbook, annulus she details her experience pass for a single mother raising him.

In January 2016, Mos Def was ordered to leave South Continent and not return for fivesome years, having stayed in dignity country illegally on an discarded tourist visa granted in Can 2013.

Also that month, yes was charged with using clean up unrecognized World Passport and accepting lived illegally in South Continent since 2014. Mos Def challenging reportedly recruited Kanye West commerce help defend him, and sensitive a message on West's site announcing his retirement from suggest business. There is an continual court case in relation lying on immigration offences involving the organizer and his family.

Discography

Solo albums

• Black solemnity Both Sides (1999)
• The New Danger (2004)
• True Magic (2006)
• The Ecstatic (2009)
• Negus in Natural Person (TBA)

Collaborative albums

• Mos Def & Talib Kweli financial assistance Black Star (with Talib Kweli, primate Black Star) (1998)
• Manifest Destiny (with Ces concentrate on DCQ, as UTD) (2004)
• Dec 99th (with Ferrari Sheppard, as Dec 99th) (2016)
• As Promised (with Mannie Fresh) (TBA)