Mos Def Album: “Black on Both Sides [Clean]”

As a 34 year old black woman who was not raised on but has grown to both love and appreciate hip-hop, I can honestly say that Mos Def's CD is the most amazing hip-hop CD that I ever owned. As a lover of The Roots, ATCQ, Black Star, De La Soul, Common and many of the other underground artists out there today, I have never heard anything so prophetic, thought-provoking and moving as the words on this CD. And NEVER, EVER does he say anything disrespectful about black women. AMEN.

His LOVE for black people and his accompanying distress over the ecological, political, judicial and historical racism that we have experienced and continue to endure is simply unsurpassed.

This is the type of CD that I will be playing for my children and grandchildren one day because it is like listening to black history via spoken word. Mos Def is a 21st century Griot and prophet whose socio-political poetic words, soulful singing, and slamming beats will bring tears your eyes.

I would like to close by sharing the lyrical genius of Mos Def with my favorite lines from the song called "YOU KNOW THAT" which is a tribute he does with Talib Kweli to how much "you know that" he loves his people and respects his ancestors:

"LET THOSE WHO MAKE THE EXODUS SEEKIN THE NORTH BEACON/ FROM BEATIN AND HOG-EATIN/ FROM PUNISHMENT ALL SEASON/ FROM HANDS CRACKED AND BLEEDIN -- COTTON THORNS IN YOUR PALMS/ IT'S FOR Y'ALL THAT I SKETCH THESE SONGS/ AND IT GOES.. /YEA THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW/ I FEAR NO MAN, BECAUSE FAITH IS THE AAROW ..."

Thank you Mos and God Bless you for the sharing your talent, faith and inspiration with the world.

If you're like me and you love to sit around and think of your "Top 5" albums of all time in different genres and such, then you will love Mighty Mos' debut solo effort. If you have a life and you don't sit around thinking of your top 5 albums then you're still likely to love it.

This album is so important to me because it doesn't necessarily rely on amazing production to make each track listenable. Mos Def has one of the most listenable voices EVER - his flow is tight, he's funny, socially conscious, passionate and creative. His nasal voice works so well with the production that it rolls off the boom bap like it was part of the beat.

That's not to say that this album has wack production. Speaking in April 2004 anyone who doesn't know Kanye West lives in a cave, wearing earmuffs and a blindfold. This is where I first heard from 'Ye, who produced the hot to death single Ms. Fat Booty and a couple other jams. Habitat is another track that stand out among the rest, as Mos is at his best with jawdropping flow and a really uplifting napsack-friendly beat.

While Mos Def still teases us with speculation of a sophore album dropping sometime soon, go get this album before you realize that one of the most important emcees in the game passed under your nose. Talib may be the better-known half of Blackstar, but Mos deserves just as much attention because this album's bananas and it's a must-have for so-called conscious hip hop heads.

I agree with the other reviewer, "Black on Both Sides" is easily in the Top Five Hip Hop albums of all time. From the intro, Mos Def eases the listener into the concept of Hip Hop with "Fear not of Man". His spiritual approach is reminiscent of early A Tribe Called Quest. However, his style is his own. "Ms. Fat Booty", the popular single, is perhaps the worst song on the album, and it's a great song. It's story telling fun recalls Slick Rick at his best. "Mathematics", with his direct analyzation of the facts of life could easily have been a Guru episode. The instrumental tracks are delicious as well.The album simply does not go wrong. "Rock and Roll" is a monumental track that probably disturbed his following of suburban Caucasians but it was essential to the album's concept. Relating to the true meaning of the title itself,"Black On Both Sides." The album is progressive, approachable, and intelligent. If I can compare it to any other Hip Hop album I'd have to say the underated ahead of its time "Blowout Comb" by Digable Planets. Which he sampled from on this album. Now that Mos Def has proven that he is indeed the Master of Ceremony, the world is waiting for him to show us how far ahead of us he actually is with the Black Jack Johnson Band he's been touring with for the past few years. I own everything he's released, seen all his films, seen him on Broadway performing "TopDog UnderDog", and seen him in concert several times. Being from Brooklyn myself I feel like he is the best representative of what Hip Hop is and what it can be. 'Nuff respect to the Mighty Mos Def. But...what's good with his new album? When is he gonna bless us with a new joint? Remember Mos, Umi said shine your light on the world. Shine Brethren, shine.

You know what makes me sick? When people talk about an artist who makes a groundbreaking record, and the people around you scoff in that arrogant way as if to say, "if it ain't in the charts, then its nothing". I hope it's not just me, but it makes me mad. I am a 20 year old MUSIC fan, not just a "hip hop" fan or a "metal" fan. I don't understand all this genre-limiting bulls*!t, which says that you can't use hardcore guitars in a hip hop record or people who go "hey, you're white - what you doing listening to rap music." MUSIC IS MUSIC, and it is a breath of fresh air when someone with the creativity in terms of musical rythms, lyrics and scope like Mos Def comes along and conveys his thoughts in such an unpretentious and natural way that is sorely lacking in music, in the commercial world. I listen to bands like Kyuss and Black Flag, through to A tribe called quest and the Roots, through to bands like Wilco and I think that this record is one of the most important records for a long time.

It is difficult for me to put into words what this album means to me. I guess I can say that Mos Def is truly a friend. He's a friend to hip-hop, to Brooklyn and to the planet earth.

When I think of classic hip-hop albums, I think of BDP's "Criminal Minded", PE's "Nations", Big Daddy Kane's "Long Live the Kane", Slick Rick's "The Great Adventures" and EPMD's "Strictly Business". Midway between that generation and the current generation of hip-hoppers something got lost. Looking back, I believe that sincerity is what got lost. Sure, there was passion and there was definitely skill display, but sincerity was M.I.A.. Save for Nas' "Illmatic", Mobb Deeps's "Infamous", The WU, Tribe, BIG and X. Introspection could only really be heard in the underground. The Commons, the Roots, and the De La's of the world. But for most, they weren't accessible. Enter Mos Def.

Spawned from the Native Tongue factory, Mos Def is the child of a great hip-hop bloodline. Mos Def tells the truth as he "Sketch lyrics so visual, you rent my rhyme book at your nearest home video." His punch lines are as sharp as Jigga's, his flow is as tactical and dextrous as Nas', and his musical abilities are matched only in hip-hop by Wyclef. This album is the perfect showcase of those qualities and after listening, one could see the compromises that Mos made in his BlackStar collabo with Kweli. Nuff respect to Kweli. But this is sheer Dante' Smith. The album has great continuity as one song seems to flow into the other without seeming monotonous. He definitely hold's his own while harmonizing with the likes of Vinia Mojica and of course he and Kweli tag team a beat like the British Bulldogs. Most importantly, he has the rare ability to spit knowledge without sounding corny. On the flipside, he reps Brooklyn with the same emblematic ferver as BIG and Audio Two did. The highlight to me is when he rips "Who shot ya'?" better than BIG. Other memorable moments are the afforementioned duet with Vinia Mojica, "New World Water", and the urban survival guide "Got". With the exclusion of Havoc, he picked a my dream production team with Hi-Tek, Diamond, Premiere and Shaheed, amongst some very good up and comers. The beats are simply hypnotic. You can smoke to it, you could drink to it, make love, ride in the car or just chill with an iced out glass of Grand Marnier.

No sweeping indictments here, but if you don't own this album, I pity you.