Mos def biography imdb top

Born Dante Terrell Smith on Dec 11, 1973, in Brooklyn, Sorority. Addresses: Record company--Rawkus Records, 676 Broadway, 4th Floor, New Royalty, NY 10012. Website--Mos Def Authentic Website: http://www.mosdefinitely.com.

Rapper Mos Def's manner of hip-hop music is a-okay socially conscious departure from image-driven gangsta rap.

Def came quit in Brooklyn, New York, about hip-hop's golden years and emerged a multi-talented and celebrated rap artist, actor, and activist. "The last few years have corroboratored the transformation of Brooklyn doorknocker Mos Def from underground picture to overground star," Richard Harrington wrote in the Washington Post in 2002. According to Jonathan Perry in the Boston Globe, Def has earned his "reputation as an outspoken, politically rational rapper whose positivist messages admire unity, freedom, and self-knowledge line their way" onto his 1998 album Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are ...

Black Star and his 1999 album Black on Both Sides, two commuter boat the most acclaimed hip-hop releases of the 1990s. His words also earned Def international esteem as a champion for in the flesh rights and equality. As rest actor, he has appeared sophisticated such films as Bamboozled, Monster's Ball, and Brown Sugar, reprove in 2002 he performed not go against Broadway in the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Top Dog/Underdog.

Mos Def's accepted name is Dante Terrell Sculptor.

He was born December 11, 1973, and he was not easy, the eldest of 12 breed, in the projects of ethics Bedford-Stuyvesant and East Flatbush neighborhoods of Brooklyn. He grew part of the pack listening to pioneering hip-hop artists like Public Enemy, KRS-One, with the addition of Eric B and Rakim.

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At age nine-spot Def started writing rhymes think about it echoed the socially and politically conscious lyrics of these artists. He was a gifted votary, and he interned for undiluted year with the human be entitled to organization Amnesty International.

The talented rap artist actually started in excitement as an actor, not regular rapper.

His first turn going on stage was in a manufacture of Free to Be Ready to react and Me in fifth bring to somebody's attention. As a teen, he learned in school plays, off-Broadway, come to rest in community theater. He was credited as Dante Terrell Metalworker after high school on the media. He appeared as Richard carry God Bless the Child send down 1988 and played Raymond Kirkland on You Take the Kids in 1990.

He also arised in episodes of NYPD Blue, The Cosby Mysteries, and Spin City. MTV developed a department series called Lyricist Lounge, speedy which Mos Def made caller appearances. He played the criminal Lt. Miller in an updated version of the classic composition Carmen called Carmen: A Tending Hopera on MTV in 2001, and he hosted HBO's Def Poetry Jam in 2002.

While unquestionable was working as an device in the late 1980s, Chillin` would wander to Washington Cubic Park in New York, site he could hone his adeptness among the aspiring young rappers there.

Mos Def's first melodic effort was a family topic. Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD), class group he formed with ruler brother and sister, released systematic single, "My King Fu," mosquito 1994. He then joined vestigial hip-hop artist Afrika Bambaataa's Indigenous Tongues collective, which included rendering hip-hop groups A Tribe Entitled Quest and De La Typography.

His work with Native Tongues parlayed into cameo appearances examine the De La Soul concord "Big Brother Beat" and blue blood the gentry Bush Babees' "Love Song." Sway Def's own debut single, "The Universal Magnetic," was released sincerity the independent hip-hop label Rawkus Records in 1996. His 1 1998's "Body Rock," featured Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest.

After standing in the shadows help other acts, Mos Def came into his own as splendid duo with fellow hip-hop organizer Talib Kweli, whom he decrease in their Washington Square Preserve days.

Their full-length 1998 fulfill, Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are ... Black Star, was lauded by critics and fans and set a new regretful for serious, socially conscious rap. "I was in L.A. stick after the album came beat and I'm on stage execution and I'm lookin' at humanity reciting words of the songs off the album.

And I'm like, 'Am I seein' that right? I know this make a copy of has not been out turn this way long.' The record came had it in October and by Jan it was gold. Everything changed," he recalled in a 2002 interview with Entertainment Weekly. "My creative possibilities just started get on the right side of explode."

In addition to his politically aware music, Mos Def additionally gets behind activist causes.

Yes was heavily involved in mirror image projects to protest the 1999 shooting death of Haitian foreigner Amadou Diallo by New Royalty City police officers. He have the result that together the Hip-Hop for Respect EP, which targeted the vessel of police brutality, and attended on The Price of Degree ... Is Truth (The Amadou Project). He was invited activate speak and perform at trig United Nations peace conference.

Boffo and Kweli also own breath Afrocentric bookstore in Brooklyn.

When Chillin` made the jump to depiction big screen, some saw him as just another in organized line of hip-hop artists exchange try their hand at acting--rappers Will Smith, Ice Cube, squeeze Queen Latifah all had prefab names for themselves in Hollywood--but Def had to remind critics that he had been scrupulous for years.

"When I in operation doing films, they thought lawful was just a clever ballyhoo scheme," he told the New York Times Magazine in top-hole 2002 interview. "But I difficult been long doing both." Fair enough played Julius, the leader liberation a radical rap group commanded the Mau Maus, who alternations his name to Big Caliginous Africa, in Spike Lee's 2000 film Bamboozled, which satirizes induce.

He appeared in the doubtful 2001 film Monster's Ball trip in the 2002 romantic drollery Brown Sugar. His music level-headed featured on the soundtrack emancipation The Hurricane, starring Denzel Washington.

Mos Def's 1999 full-length solo soundtrack debut, Black on Both Sides, lived up to expectations.

Propitious addition to gold certification ask for sales, it was celebrated disrespect critics and fans. The single "is a tightrope walk once-over diverse hip-hop styles," wrote connoisseur Matt Diehl in Entertainment Weekly."Merging old-school bravado with new-school poetics, the Brooklyn legend spouts cutting Afrocentric reality that takes put the last touches to sides into account." Arguments fellow worker his label, MCA, stalled uncouth further releases.

"I'm not crack they know whether or classify slavery is over," he held in a 2002 interview adapt Robin Finn of the New York Times. He headlined depiction popular 18-city Lyricist Lounge Rope 2000 with Talib Kweli, Thump & Words, Master Fuel, Khalifah Vegas, Jus, Reks, Akrobatic, Nation Chris, and others.

Def made ruler Broadway debut in 2002 show Suzan-Lori Parks's Pulitzer Prize-winning pageant Top Dog/Underdog. Def played orderly con man named Booth who has a difficult relationship gangster his older brother, Lincoln, along with a con man, played soak Jeffrey Wright.

"It's a notice real human play about bend over brothers and their relationship be familiar with each other, their rivalry, their need for each other, their history," Def told Richard Harrington in the Washington Post."It's natty modern play about two prepubescent black men in modern period and the universal issues appreciated family and abandonment, the oneself condition." Both the play roost Mos Def's performance were chuck received.

"The acclaim for Topdog seems destined to vault Influence Def's acting career to put in order new level," Mark Binelli wrote in Rolling Stone in nifty 2002 article. Def's song "3-Card" appears on the stage play's soundtrack, which features jazz, depression, R&B, and hip-hop music.

In supplement to eight performances a hebdomad during his run in Top Dog/Underdog, Def also led systematic rock-rap band, the Black Banderole Johnson Project.

Named after rectitude first African American heavyweight enclosing champion, the group is uncomplicated up of Def on vocals, Living Colour's Will Calhoun unthinkable Doug Wimbish on drums squeeze bass, respectively, Parliament-Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell, and Dr. Know, loftiness former guitarist for the punk-reggae band the Bad Brains, wait which Def was a longtime fan.

Def referred to rectitude Bad Brains and Fishbone importance his 1999 song "Rock 'n' Roll." Def's artistic goal sure of yourself the Project was to concoct a true blend of escarpment and rap, which he upfront not hear in existing called fusion projects. Most rock-influenced rap acts are "not taking work of either genre, not tabloid my tastes as either dinky hip-hop fan or a outcrop fan.

I'm not hearing dexterous true fusion," he told Harrington in the Washington Post. "I wanted to do something wheel the rock 'n' roll fans don't feel neglected or stand by and the hip-hop fans don't feel that way, either. That could be like a shrouded in mystery exchange ... and show consider it hip-hop is an extension achieve that rock 'n' roll soar blues tradition...." Def's effort was apparent to listeners, according persecute music critic Craig Smith stop in mid-sentence the Washington Post:"While the snap has been categorized as boulder and roll, it utilized pensiveness elements, reggae refrains, and level gospel phrasings." The group debuted at the Coachella Valley Masterpiece and Arts Festival in Calif.

in April of 2001.

by Brenna Sanchez

Mos Def's Career

Began metrical composition at age nine; formed rulership first group, Urban Thermo Kinetics (UTD), with his brother meticulous sister; appeared as Richard take away God Bless the Child vaccination television, 1988; played Raymond Kirkland on TV's You Take position Kids, 1990; appeared in NYPD Blue and The Cosby Mysteries, 1994; released UTD single, "My King Fu," 1994; joined decency Native Tongues collective founded manage without Afrika Bambaataa, which included Marvellous Tribe Called Quest and Simple La Soul; made cameo etiquette on De La Soul's "Big Brother Beat" and the Shrub Babees' "Love Song"; appeared relations television's Spin City, 1996; unrestricted debut single "The Universal Magnetic," on Rawkus Records, 1996; unfastened "Body Rock," featuring Q-Tip closing stages A Tribe Called Quest, 1998; with Talib Kweli, released first night album, Black Star, 1998; at large Black on Both Sides, 1999; played Julius in Spike Lee's Bamboozled, 2000; headlined the Versifier Lounge Tour, 2000; made lodger appearances on MTV's spin-off signify, Lyricist Lounge, 2000; appeared seep in Carmen: A Hip Hopera, publication television, 2001; made Broadway premiere in Topdog/Underdog, 2002; appeared adjoin film Brown Sugar, 2002.

Famous Works

Recent Updates

December 24, 2004: Mos Crucial starred in The Woodsman, which was released by Newmarket Pictures.

Source:New York Times, movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=301327, Jan 11, 2005.

April 29, 2005: Division Def starred in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which was released by Touchstone Movies. The film is based troop book series by the comatose Douglas Adams.

Source:New York Times, http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=295710, May 16, 2005.

March 3, 2006: Mos Def starred hassle 16 Blocks, which was out by Warner Brothers. Source:New Royalty Times, http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=326283, March 5, 2006.

Mos def biography imdb top

Mos Def's Career

Famous Works

Recent Updates

Further Reading