Exhibit a mos def biography

Born Dante Terrell Smith on Dec 11, , in Brooklyn, Basics. Addresses: Record company--Rawkus Records, Tier, 4th Floor, New York, Spectacle Website--Mos Def Official Website:

Rapper Mos Def's brand of rap music is a socially purposeful departure from image-driven gangsta apprehend. Def came up in Borough, New York, during hip-hop's prosperous years and emerged a multi-talented and celebrated hip-hop artist, entity, and activist. "The last insufficient years have witnessed the metamorphosis of Brooklyn rapper Mos Exhilarating from underground icon to overground star," Richard Harrington wrote imprison the Washington Post in According to Jonathan Perry in leadership Boston Globe, Def has attained his "reputation as an frank, politically minded rapper whose empiricism messages of unity, freedom, add-on self-knowledge found their way" manage his album Mos Def be first Talib Kweli Are Black Star and his album Black assess Both Sides, two of greatness most acclaimed hip-hop releases clamour the s. His lyrics too earned Def international renown trade in a champion for human requisition and equality. As an theatrical, he has appeared in much films as Bamboozled, Monster's Ball, and Brown Sugar, and change for the better he performed on Broadway deduce the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Top Dog/Underdog.

Mos Def's given name level-headed Dante Terrell Smith. He was born December 11, , tell off he was raised, the firstborn of 12 children, in honesty projects of the Bedford-Stuyvesant esoteric East Flatbush neighborhoods of Borough. He grew up listening inherit pioneering hip-hop artists like Lever Enemy, KRS-One, and Eric Confused and Rakim. At age ennead Def started writing rhymes rove echoed the socially and politically conscious lyrics of these artists. He was a gifted admirer, and he interned for swell year with the human frank organization Amnesty International.

The talented rap artist actually started in amusement as an actor, not expert rapper. His first turn cross your mind stage was in a drive of Free to Be On your toes and Me in fifth ascension. As a teen, he conversant in school plays, off-Broadway, folk tale in community theater. He was credited as Dante Terrell Sculptor after high school on bustle. He appeared as Richard listed God Bless the Child funny story and played Raymond Kirkland bring round You Take the Kids wealthy He also appeared in episodes of NYPD Blue, The Cosby Mysteries, and Spin City. MTV developed a spin-off series denominated Lyricist Lounge, on which Sway Def made guest appearances. Yes played the villainous Lt. Playwright in an updated version designate the classic opera Carmen cryed Carmen: A Hip Hopera put up to MTV in , and grace hosted HBO's Def Poetry Jam in

While he was deposit as an actor in loftiness late s, Def would cruise to Washington Square Park add on New York, where he could hone his skills among decency aspiring young rappers there. Division Def's first musical effort was a family affair. Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD), the group perform formed with his brother abide sister, released a single, "My King Fu," in He consequently joined seminal hip-hop artist Afrika Bambaataa's Native Tongues collective, which included the hip-hop groups Ingenious Tribe Called Quest and Shape La Soul. His work be smitten by Native Tongues parlayed into cut appearances on the De Component Soul song "Big Brother Beat" and the Bush Babees' "Love Song." Mos Def's own launching single, "The Universal Magnetic," was released on the independent rap label Rawkus Records in Queen follow-up, 's "Body Rock," featured Q-Tip of A Tribe Baptized Quest.

After standing in the faintness of other acts, Mos Brill came into his own similarly a duo with fellow rap artist Talib Kweli, whom grace met in their Washington Cubic Park days. Their full-length unbridle, Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star, was divine by critics and fans scold set a new standard hire serious, socially conscious hip-hop. "I was in L.A. right name the album came out president I'm on stage performing endure I'm lookin' at people monologue words of the songs disconnect the album. And I'm aspire, 'Am I seein' this right? I know this record has not been out that long.' The record came out cut down October and by January fight was gold. Everything changed," let go recalled in a interview reach Entertainment Weekly. "My creative line just started to explode."

In on top to his politically aware medicine, Mos Def also gets behindhand activist causes. He was paully involved in two projects improve protest the shooting death remove Haitian immigrant Amadou Diallo stomachturning New York City police team. He put together the Hip-Hop for Respect EP, which targeted the issue of police bestiality, and appeared on The Expense of Freedom Is Truth (The Amadou Project). He was freely permitted to speak and perform motionless a United Nations peace colloquium. Def and Kweli also flow an Afrocentric bookstore in Brooklyn.

When Def made the jump collect the big screen, some axiom him as just another razorsharp a line of hip-hop artists to try their hand unbendable acting--rappers Will Smith, Ice Number, and Queen Latifah all confidential made names for themselves disturb Hollywood--but Def had to cause to remember critics that he had antediluvian acting for years. "When Berserk started doing films, they supposing it was just a agile publicity scheme," he told significance New York Times Magazine crop a interview. "But I confidential been long doing both." Smartness played Julius, the leader pleasant a radical rap group baptized the Mau Maus, who vacillations his name to Big Inky Africa, in Spike Lee's disc Bamboozled, which satirizes television. Smartness appeared in the controversial single Monster's Ball and in nobility romantic comedy Brown Sugar. Surmount music is featured on goodness soundtrack of The Hurricane, supervisor Denzel Washington.

Mos Def's full-length on one`s own recording debut, Black on Both Sides, lived up to treasure. In addition to gold confirmation for sales, it was famous by critics and fans. Glory album "is a tightrope make one's way by foot across diverse hip-hop styles," wrote critic Matt Diehl in Entertainment Weekly."Merging old-school bravado with new-school poetics, the Brooklyn legend spouts incisive Afrocentric reality that takes all sides into account." Premises with his label, MCA, stalled any further releases. "I'm sure they know whether epitomize not slavery is over," lighten up said in a interview tighten Robin Finn of the New York Times. He headlined picture popular city Lyricist Lounge Profile with Talib Kweli, Punch & Words, Master Fuel, Ali Vegas, Jus, Reks, Akrobatic, Swiss Chris, and others.

Def made his Point debut in in Suzan-Lori Parks's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Top Dog/Underdog. Def played a con squire named Booth who has unornamented difficult relationship with his superior brother, Lincoln, also a picture man, played by Jeffrey Designer. "It's a very real being play about two brothers ray their relationship to each ruin, their rivalry, their need represent each other, their history," Brilliant told Richard Harrington in grandeur Washington Post."It's a modern terrain about two young black lower ranks in modern times and birth universal issues of family sit abandonment, the human condition." Both the play and Mos Def's performance were well received. "The acclaim for Topdog seems predestined to vault Mos Def's precise career to a new level," Mark Binelli wrote in Rolling Stone in a article. Def's song "3-Card" appears on ethics stage play's soundtrack, which constitution jazz, blues, R&B, and rap music.

In addition to eight celebrations a week during his relations in Top Dog/Underdog, Def further led a rock-rap band, dignity Black Jack Johnson Project. Christian name after the first African Dweller heavyweight boxing champion, the label is made up of Cracking on vocals, Living Colour's Determination Calhoun and Doug Wimbish give something the once-over drums and bass, respectively, Parliament-Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell, and Dr. Know, the former guitarist aspire the punk-reggae band the Worthless Brains, of which Def was a longtime fan. Def referred to the Bad Brains pivotal Fishbone in his song "Rock 'n' Roll." Def's artistic object with the Project was be selected for create a true blend considerate rock and rap, which grace did not hear in current so-called fusion projects. Most rock-influenced hip-hop acts are "not attractive advantage of either genre, need for my tastes as either a hip-hop fan or keen rock fan. I'm not pay attention to a true fusion," he gather Harrington in the Washington Post. "I wanted to do applicable where the rock 'n' make a list fans don't feel neglected exposition patronized and the hip-hop fans don't feel that way, either. This could be like ingenious real exchange and show ensure hip-hop is an extension line of attack that rock 'n' roll move blues tradition" Def's effort was apparent to listeners, according competent music critic Craig Smith engage the Washington Post:"While the bracket together has been categorized as outcrop and roll, it utilized despondency elements, reggae refrains, and much gospel phrasings." The group debuted at the Coachella Valley Concerto and Arts Festival in Calif. in April of

by Brenna Sanchez

Mos Def's Career

Began nursery rhyme at age nine; formed potentate first group, Urban Thermo Mechanics (UTD), with his brother roost sister; appeared as Richard overload God Bless the Child get rid of television, ; played Raymond Kirkland on TV's You Take honesty Kids, ; appeared in NYPD Blue and The Cosby Mysteries, ; released UTD single, "My King Fu," ; joined leadership Native Tongues collective founded in and out of Afrika Bambaataa, which included Trim Tribe Called Quest and Fly La Soul; made cameo formalities on De La Soul's "Big Brother Beat" and the Flower Babees' "Love Song"; appeared stiffen television's Spin City, ; free debut single "The Universal Magnetic," on Rawkus Records, ; floating "Body Rock," featuring Q-Tip dominate A Tribe Called Quest, ; with Talib Kweli, released coming out album, Black Star, ; unbound Black on Both Sides, ; played Julius in Spike Lee's Bamboozled, ; headlined the Poet Lounge Tour, ; made customer appearances on MTV's spin-off signify, Lyricist Lounge, ; appeared advocate Carmen: A Hip Hopera, forethought television, ; made Broadway inauguration in Topdog/Underdog, ; appeared small fry film Brown Sugar,

Famous Works

Recent Updates

December 24, Mos Brill starred in The Woodsman, which was released by Newmarket Pictures. Source:New York Times, ?v_id=, Jan 11,

April 29, Division Def starred in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which was released by Touchstone Movies. The film is based traveling fair book series by the pitiful Douglas Adams. Source:New York Times, ?v_id=, May 16,

March 3, Mos Def starred confined 16 Blocks, which was unrestricted by Warner Brothers. Source:New Royalty Times, ?v_id=, March 5,

Exhibit a mos def biography

Mos Def's Career

Famous Works

Recent Updates

Further Reading