Yasiin Bey

Yasiin Bey
Yasiin Bey
	Yasiin Bey performing at the 2012 Ilosaarirock festival
Background information
Birth name	Dante Terrell Smith
Also known as	Mos Def (1994–2011); Black Dante; Dante Beze; Flaco; El-Bey the Moor;
Born	December 11, 1973 (age 50); Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Genres	East Coast hip hop; alternative hip hop; conscious hip hop; progressive rap;
Occupation(s)	Rapper; singer; songwriter; record producer; actor; activist;
Discography	Yasiin Bey discography
Years active	1987–present
Labels	Downtown; GOOD; Geffen; Rawkus; Priority;
Member of	Black Star
Formerly of	Crooklyn Dodgers; Dec 99th; Soulquarians;
Children	6

Yasiin Bey (/jæˈsiːn ˈbeɪ/; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def (/ˌmoʊs ˈdɛf/), is an American rapper. A prominent figure in conscious hip hop, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social and political issues, such as police brutality, American exceptionalism, and the social status of African Americans.

He launched his hip hop recording career in 1994 and joined his siblings in the short-lived rap group Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD), and guest appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. In 1996, he and fellow Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli formed the duo Black Star, whose debut album Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998) contained the singles "Definition" and "Respiration" (featuring Common). He released his solo debut, Black on Both Sides in 1999, which was followed by The New Danger (2004), True Magic (2006), and The Ecstatic (2009).^[4] His 2000 single, "Oh No" (with Pharoahe Monch featuring Nate Dogg) remains his sole entry on the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo act.^[5] In 2014, About.com listed him 14th on its "50 Greatest Rappers of All Time".^[6]

A former child actor in television films, sitcoms, and theater, Bey has appeared in the films Something the Lord Made, Next Day Air, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 16 Blocks, Be Kind Rewind, The Italian Job, The Woodsman, Bamboozled, and Brown Sugar and in television series such as Dexter and House.^[7] He hosted Def Poetry Jam from 2002 to 2007.

^ Reese, Eric (2018). "Rise of Hip-Hop in the 2000's". The History of Hip Hop: Volume 1. Barnes & Noble Press. ISBN 9781538076798.
^ Johnson, Josh (May 27, 2014). "Steal This Track from Courier GT". The Denver Post. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
^ O'Connor, Christopher (March 29, 2000). "Common Moves Toward a Progressive Hip-Hop". MTV News. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
^ Jason Birchmeier. "Mos Def | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
^ "Mos Def Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Mos Def | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved April 2, 2019.