My Take On Mos Def’s The Ecstatic

Let me preface this little spiel by saying that I am a long time fan of Mos Def.  A first time listener to Mos Def’s The Ecstatic most likely will have a different view than I.

I can’t remember the year, but I remember vividly the first time a pal of mine put on the recently released Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star album.  I quickly dubbed that thing and wore the tape out.  Time passed and Mos Def gained more prominence with the release of Black On Both Sides.  I recall sitting with a group of my close comrades taking it in – being wowed by the broad spectrum of styles Mos was tackling.  Then silence for a while.  Mos Def did the acting thing.  Was he ever going to rap again on a full length?  The answer was “sort of ” with the release of his second album The New Danger – a Jeckll and Hyde type album switching between some solid hip hop tracks and some not so solid rock/hardcore Blackjack Johnson tracks.  He was testing some new things out, and I respected that, but really didn’t like the album that much.  Years passed and eventually he put out True Magic, a straight up rap album.  I enjoyed this album more then most people, but now revisiting it does come across as little flat.  Where was the exploration the Mos Def usually strives for?  The answer to that has come in his new album The Ecstatic.  It seems Mos Def has come full circle bouncing his exceptionally strong rhymes over a multitude of genres (latin, jazz, club, electro, hip hop, funk) put together by a number of super producers (Madlib, Oh No, Mr. Flash).  The Ecstatic is a massive feast for the avid music fan as it keeps you on your toes for the full 45 minutes leaving you guessing what style/energy Mos Def would come at you with next.  It’s not filled with guest rhymers (like so many rap albums), but the two notables are like icing on the cake.  Slick Rick the Ruler lends a hand on “Auditorium” and Talib Kweli joins his Black Star member on “History” – a track that simply KILLS (please say there will be another Black Star album…please).

Without dragging on too much longer (I could go on and on) GET THIS ALBUM.

mp3: Mos Def – History (featuring Talib Kweli)

mp3: Mos Def – Casa Bey

and some more…

mp3: Mos Def – Crime and Medicine off True Magic

mp3: Mos Def – Hip Hop off Black On Both Sides

mp3: The Roots – Double Trouble (featuring Mos Def)

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