| Mos Def | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Birth name |
Dante Terrell Smith |
|
Also known as |
Yasiin Bey |
|
Born |
December 11, 1973 |
|
Genre |
|
|
Occupation(s) |
Rapper, actor |
|
Years active |
1994-present |
|
Label |
Rawkus, Priority, Geffen, Downtown, GOOD Music, DD172 |
|
Associated acts |
Black Star, Da Bush Babees, De La Soul, Pharoahe Monch, Talib Kweli, Urban Thermo Dynamics, Kanye West |
Yasiin Bey (born Dante Terrell Smith; December 11, 1973), formerly known by his stage name Mos Def, is an American rapper and actor from Brooklyn, New York. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, and they released the album Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star in 1998. He was a major force in late 1990s underground hip hop while signed to Rawkus Records. As a solo artist he has released the albums Black on Both Sides in 1999, The New Danger in 2004, True Magic in 2006, and The Ecstatic in 2009. Bey has been active in several social and political causes.
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
- 1999: Black on Both Sides
- 2004: The New Danger
- 2006: True Magic
- 2009: The Ecstatic