I love this guy. He's from Bed-Stuy and he's a great rapper, although some of his early work like Black on Both Sides shows his odd belief in conspiracies and some homophobia. Regardless, his black nationalist outlook and themes are everywhere, including my favorite, "Mr. Nigga." My criteria is largely based on beats, with lyrics coming second. Unfortunately, his albums have been somewhat all over the place in quality. For instance, he released a second album and a third which, though not absolutely horrible, were significantly worse than his first solo outing, Black on Both Sides. The problem was partly due to a desire on his part to fuse hip-hop and live rock instrumentation, which I usually stay as far from as possible. In addition to his experimenting with live instrumentation in a rock style, he also sang more often, and his voice, though not bad, is certainly not great. People listen to Mos Def for his rapping and the innovative or catchy beats. Unfortunately, he changed his perfect name to Yasiin Bey, something explicitly Arabic and presumably tied to his Muslim faith. His collaborations with other artists are usually good, too. He raps alongside R&B singers and other rappers, such as The Roots, Talib Kweli, Kanye West and many others.
Here's the playlist on youtube and multiple links below
"Ms. Fat Booty" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-y-lS0YqF0
"Mr. Nigga" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjDK-N1A-wI
"Umi Says" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcxLFXbECsY
"Mathematics" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5vw4ajnWGA
"Love" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyGGsBSpg90
"Brooklyn" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCuTYVulOzY
"Roses" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gz1Sh19JNk
"Do It Now" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10WgCJKSJhI
"Hip Hop"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rMk2Oe0fik&feature=related
"Double Trouble" with The Roots http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBPq8VXHmgY
"Climb" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU0hbjJ6vVE
"Know That" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2VuQ_Duo-4
"Got" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO62em6iZag
"Sunshine" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKzd3QV8MZw
"Bedstuy Parade and Funeral March" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfmnRQRAt3g
"Ghetto Rock" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7S5jPiKeO8
"The Beggar" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0C5aVAJ-fw
"Auditorium" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwjwKPXy4sg
"History" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdqG6EfOe6g
"Casa Bey" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_svl8efXts
"Pretty Dancer" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55M5scMxetA
"Pistola" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elmbRdPUMUI
"Life in Marvelous Times" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK8QoxuVQWo
"Twilight Speedball" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIqf77tckVc
"Supermagic" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnIen6xNL78&
Common's "The Corner" ft. Mos Def http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU93b4McfKo
Black Star's "Definition" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hyc49KcO_o
"Brown Skin Lady" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpBH_e519uY&feature=related
"Respiration" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vouhfXudlz8&feature=related
"Thieves in the Night" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjxtRehIz2Y&feature=related
"Astronomy" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9eVz3I4mBg
"Children Story" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwPf3rSXjEk&feature=related
Robert Glasper's "Black Radio" featuring Mos Def/Yasiin Bey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcIuGl1_3w8
Bilal's "Reminisce" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YZjMLRmuV8
Kanye West's "Two Words" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA3XsNsq_WI
K'Naan's "America" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAYvjOzh1ag
Jill Scott's "Love Rain" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TdKsPTdwrQ
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