Mos Def

After making a name for himself with a slew of indie singles, mix tape appearances, guest verses, and the Black Star LP, the mighty Mos Def ups the ante with his '99 solo debut. Intelligent lyricism abounds, challenging the listener to think as they bob their head. Produced by Premier, the Beatnuts, Diamond D, and others, this record features his hit "Ms. Fat Booty."

With his Solo Debut, "Black on Both Sides," rapper Mos Def – half of the Brooklyn hip-hop
purist duo Black Star – manages the oxymoronic feat of being a humble MC. For one thing,
he's attuned to his elders, whether acknowledging the connection between bebop and
hip-hop on the anthemic "Hip Hop" ("Remind me of Thelonious and Dizzy/But now it's the
B-boys gettin' busy") or making historical points about his cultural forebears on "... More >

"Building it now for the promise of the infinite," Black Star's star overreaches; delete the right tracks, which is always the catch, and his solo CD would pack more power at 55 minutes than it does at 71. I hope someday he learns that what made Chuck Berry better than Elvis Presley wasn't soul, even if that rhymes with rock and roll the way Rolling Stones rhymes with (guess who he prefers) Nina Simone. But the wealth of good-hearted reflection and well-calibrated production overwhelms one's petty objections. "New World Water" isn't just the political song of the year, it's catchy like a motherf*cker. "Brooklyn" and "Habitat" are no less geohistorical because they act locally. (Grade - A-)