Why Mos Def Sabotaged His Rap Career
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- čas přidán 27. 02. 2023
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Although they may intersect, there are some bold voices out there who will always believe that art & business can be separated when you remain true to yourself. Where others are happy to be commercialized, reupholstered, and sold as part of a multipack of rappers who are all riding the same wave, the mark of a true musician is to never water down the art to feed the algorithm. Even if it means that you sacrifice a degree of success.
But despite making strides in the mainstream with film roles and collabs with high-profile rappers, there is no one who had potential quite like Mos Def
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Narrated by: Spencer Pearman
Written by: Robert Blair
Edited by: Roman Bill
Music by: Josh Petruccio
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mos def, andre 3000, lauryn hill, all three were too real for the music industry.
Lauryn Hill not a rapper though
@@ItsYaBoi888 she both like drake. She was known in the scene as a rapper who sings though (that’s why you see miseducation on a lot of best rap album lists)
@@ddl3718 that's true, i remember her on "ready or not" song with Fugees. Song was fire and she was part of that 🚒
@@ItsYaBoi888 she was part of the fugges. She wasn't just on that song
@@marcel3942 woah my mistake, she's a great rapper 😧 (at least she used to be, not sure if she'd done anything recently)
Mos is a legend. Seriously doesn’t get talked about enough.
As far as talent, body of work, character and intelligence. He sits right at that top table with only a select few. But the fact that you and I have to write that he's a legend on various comments sections. Is proof that we haven't done right by our Legends. No one will question whether Nas, Jay, Em, Wayne, Pac, Biggie, KRS, Rakim, LL, Andre 3000 and that are legends. It doesn't need to be written down. Yasiin is up there in terms of Legendary status, but it's like we have to keep reminding people and that shouldn't be the case.
1000% ❤❤❤
@@kh7688 on god, gotta spread the message baby he's just one of the goats
Facts
Mos had a massive impact on the UK. Absolute legend.
Such a talented artist and massively underappreciated.
Truth
It's a damn shame. He is a generational talent and we haven't treated him with the respect and reverence he deserves. We'd rather give all that to the conveyor belt of trash artists that come out every year.
Because this industry has an agenda.. mos goes against it
I guess you’re born after 1990.
I’m a Berliner who has wrote graffiti on the wall and tore it down. My generation of hip hop heads loves him.
As most pure things are 😢
"Lyrically handsome, go collect the kings ransom, jams I write soon become the ghetto anthem, way out like Bruce Wayne's mansion, moooove like a phantom, you talk about me to your grandsons!" Mos Def has ALWAYS been the truth!!!
Maaan this is one of the greatest verses ever written in hip-hop. Goosebumps everytime I listen to it
It's not just the bars, it's how smooth he is with them. He makes it look so effortless.
Cats who claimin they hard be mad fags, so i run through em like, flood water through sandbags. Competition is mad, what i got they can’t have, sinkin they ship, like moby dick did ahab
“I find it's distressing, there's never no in-between
We either iggas or Kings, we either ithes or Queens
The deadly ritual seems immersed in the perverse
Full of short attention spans, short tempers, and short skirts
Long barrel automatics released in short bursts
The length of black life is treated with short worth”
@@GuavaConQuesosong?
I recently bought "Black On Both Sides" vinyl, one of the greatest hip hop albums ever.
That is definitely next on my list of vinyl purchases!
jealous
Agreed.
Way ahead of its time imo and so was Mos 💯💯
So jealous man. I’ve loved the album since the age of ten 😂 good for u honestly I hope it becomes more available sometime soon
Mos Def is a legend. He just decided to walked away from the fame like Dave chappelle. They were both friends.
Dave Chappelle is how I found out about Black star
Also they both went to Africa 😄
Still friends, they have a podcast with Talib Kweli. Unique and one of my favourites
@@Paranoidpeacekeeper that podcast is TOO GOOD
What's the podcast name??
I met Mos and we had conversation like we knew each other for years.
Did you really
@@MrDwightsimon what's strange about that? Lots of people meet celebrities
@@MrDwightsimoncelebrities are just people dang...you act like he spoke to a unicorn or something. 😂they do go outside you know. People are around them. Fans do recognize them. And not all of them are surrounded by guards.
@@Negativ3_exactly 💯
@@FaceFamous he just wrote 1 sentence and you reply it by 1 paragraph dude 😂. Its even better when you think about he more likely lied than meet mos def.
What are you talking about sabotaging his rap career? Not selling out, and instead sticking up for what you believe in isn't sabotage.
My favourite quote from one of the goats: "Art is the expression of life. So art and life are never separate". He truely embodies that quote and will continue to inspire future generations for decades to come...
This man will always be one of my favorite artists. His verse on "Thieves In The Night" is one of the greatest verses in hip-hop history and in music as a whole.
The best verse I’ve heard ever
czcams.com/video/95VZrkIBuRk/video.html
Word
Most cats in my area be loving the hysteria
"The deadly ritual seems immersed in the perverse
Full of short attention spans, short tempers, and short skirts"
Auditorium is one of the greatest songs ever made
It’s perfect. The beat, the rhymes, the mix there’s nothing I would change about it.
suckas tryna hide like the struggle won't find em'...
Personally, I prefer am leaving but auditorium is really up there too
Auditorium is the best. The Ecstatic is one of my favorite albums of all time !
RULER!!!!!
Def and Kweli were already underground heroes before Blackstar thanks to their Rawkus singles. The album was even anticipated as a kind of supergroup thing.
I had nothing but respect for Kweli when I listened to his music. Too bad he turned out to be such a clown, can't take the music serious anymore neither
@@dimadobrik4516 wait what happened with him? haven’t heard anything about that
@@iggykad he's constantly at war on social media basically calling everyone and everything racist, fascist ect. Like an NPC that has only like three dialogue lines, and reports people he doesn't like (not that I'm talking out if experience or anything).. imo he's making a giant clown out of himself on the regular
Knweli is dog shit compared to Mos. I love how butthurt he is to this day that people have always prefered Mos over him.
Use your creativity to inspire others. That's Mos Def.
To create is beautiful. To inspire creation? Well then perhaps that is divine.
He's one of the first few who realized the Artist/Careerist dichotomy the music industry imposes on rappers
Its purpose is very clear- blocking inconvenient messages and spreading complacency as much possible -
I think the idea is more: the highest levels of the music industry want a product, not a person.
They want absolute control over everything. What you say, what you tweet, what you sing, how the marketing department can exploit your identity, etc. Individuality is eroded, in favor of creating a product.
Some people tap dafuq out of that quickly, and rightly so.
Art by commitee is worse than ai art imo.
You may enjoy the last album from Joey Bada$$ that released in 2022. Titled: 2000
That is an excellent hiphop album imo, and could in fact exist in the same sentence as Kendrick Lamar's 2022 grammy snubbed album (which is also a crazy weird masterpiece in many ways)
One of my coworkers turned me on to Joey Badass.
Truth be told I never tried to listen to him (Even though he is a rapper from Brooklyn where i live)cuz i thought he had a stupid name.
That was my fault. My judging a book by the cover.
But my coworker insisted because he knew we vibrated at the same frequency when it came to hip hop.
Joey is on his way to greatness if he keeps at it.
Black star one of the best duos, and mos' solo debut is a classic.
The first rap concert I went to was seeing Onyx and Yasiin Bey in a park in my city in eastern europe nearly 10 years ago. It was an awesome experience
I love this video. Yasiin Bey stuck to what he’s about and refused to play the game. I know it’s hard for a lot of people to understand because to them becoming a rap idol, super famous celebrity is everything they’ve been told is important but Yasiin proves that’s not what is ultimately the most important thing.
Yasiin is not underrated by those who know the real and what is what. So give him his flowers and learn from him. Those of us who have been rocking with him from the start KNOW and appreciate him even if casuals don’t celebrate him. Causals care about clout and hype. Real ones know what is real!
word
And changing to that goofy name ain't opening doors. I understand his pain but he need to go back to Mos Def.
@@folddpd1 That's why he doesn't care about "opening the doors" just because of a name change.
@The Black Unfold no he doesn't because he changed his name for himself, and I think its disrespectful that ppl won't call him by it
If they want that life they better be ready to open their back door to p-diddy / jay-z / some other rap mogul cause all of them is secretly SPICY 🌶️
One of the most humble MCs ive ever met
This guys values to the Art and the Culture is a breath of fresh air and needed, he's a true artist
“Not strong, only aggressive 'cause the power ain't directed
That's why we are subjected to the will of the oppressive
Not free - we only licensed, not live - we just excitin'
'Cause the captors own the masters to what we writin'
Not compassionate, only polite - we well trained
Our sincerity's rehearsed in stage, it's just a game
Not good, but well behaved, 'cause the cameras survey
Most of the things that we think, do or say”
Mos Def is such a goat
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Straight poetry
@@silewis9396this is an homage to the bluest eye by Toni Morrison a literary masterpiece just shows how amazing and in tune mos and talib were
That's my song... Thieves in the night
We chasing after death just to call ourselves brave, when everyday next man meet with the grave, I give a damn if any fan recall my legacy, I'm trying to live life in the sight of God's memory -Mos Def
Transexual freak
I learned about him in high school, my senior year English teacher used his lyrics to teach us small things and help us develop what he did for our own work
What, did you go to some exclusive private school or something?! Sounds like you had someone teaching you who was actually invested in growing your mind. Someone who wanted y'all to learn how to think critically. Good for you. We desperately need more of that today. Forreal. 🤨😉
I wasn't familiar with Waka Flocka and/or Mos Def's stories. Both interesting, touching, and well articulated. I learned a lot from those videos and now am familiarizing myself with them. This channel is the JxmyHighroller of hip hop. Top notch quality. Keep it pushing! 🚀❤️
First album I’ve ever listened to from beginning to end was Black on Both Sides. That album is the thread to hip hop’s clothes
Mos Def it's a legend, his music feels like someone being genuine and talking to you about what's on their mind, just everything from how the music sounds to the topics he talks about, I will always appreciate the music of Yasiin Bey.
Most Def's unwavering commitment to his craft is truly inspiring. In a world where success is often measured by algorithmic metrics, he stayed true to his roots and paved his own path to greatness, all while remaining deeply entrenched in the culture that shaped him. That is the definition of an artist.
Could literally cry rn, right before the pandemic my sister and I went to his Negus installation in Brooklyn. I’m so glad I got to experience. Mos makes me fall in love with the purpose of art every time he opens his mouth. He will forever go down in my book as an infinite inspiration.
I have a lot of respect for Yasiin, for his actions and conviction, but I think he does sell himself short. It's dope that he doesn't care about being top 5, but he his top 5 and he should recognize that, and if he has the motivation to, he can definitely put out another groundbreaking album.
2 collumns for who is and who aint in the spotify top 5?
I know...I would rather quote the actual lyric, exactly and properly. Yet we live in an era of thought control, censorship and me having to censor myself often, yet perhaps cleverly.
Mos Def is a genius and needs to be appreciated more for his art
czcams.com/video/95VZrkIBuRk/video.html
I will always love Mos and respect that he choose to keep his peace and walk the path he wants and not by what the music label wants him to take.
He’s happy within himself, his art, his music and like he said he doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone.
IDC what u say, he is one of the greatest hip-hop artists ever
Everytime I hear Mos Def, all I can hear is Ganstalicious 😆 I got dat thugging luv
3 o’ clock yesterday, I don’t care what they say, sock um with the champagne and hit um with the Hennesssssyyyyyy. 🕺🏾
@@brooks8769 that was a reference to Tupac going on Yo MTV raps talking about how he beat up the Hughes Bros (the dudes that made Menace To Society) I love Boondocks
@@brooks8769 homies over hoes
@@jameshathaway1558lol it’s even more relevant today with all the self snitching
@@brooks8769 hell yea, it's a side on CZcams named Shorts McGee and he lost all the episodes on here for free
I get his point and argument overall but think of how many people may really would benefit listening to his words but they can’t cause of how hard it is to find some of his stuff.
Ecstatic will always remain the hidden diamond of the entire history of rap.
Loved him in “Hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy.” Found out he was on that movie from a skit track on “Running on Air” by Bliss n Eso (huge fans of 90’s hip-hop) and that was cool to see rappers geek out over their favorites doing other things they’re known for. Do not doubt they weren’t influenced by Mos’ mindset as well.
Goddamn how did I go so many years loving Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy and mos def and not realize the dude was a main role in the fuckin movie lol
Im going to be honest, I’ve never checked out his catalog, but his collab with jid made me interested lately, and this video made me respect him so much as a man, sticking to his values no matter what. That level of integrity is unbelievable cuz which other artist sacrifices his bread like that
True the JID album forever story was fire
His verse was doe too 🔥
The industry wanted Mos Def to be the real life character he played in Carmen: A True Hip Hop Story
Such great content as always ~!!
Big fan of everything you create, please keep the heat coming!
honestly insane that the word "racist" needs to be censored nowadays
Black on both sides and The Ecstatic are legendary. The GOAT.
Yesssirrr I have to give this channel its props!!! I watch this bc I'm not a hip hop head of all the legendary ones like Jay, Biggie, etc bc I'm not interested in their music, but I always wonder the back story to a lot of them bc I was too young back then (born in '93), and I was definitely about to say you forgot to add JID as one of the artist that are conscience like him and it truly warmed my heart when you put him on here. I listen to JID everyday and him and Yasiin have a song on JID's newest project The Forever Story and I LOVE it bc JID gives me Yasiin vibes. Soooo glad you added his pic up there! I love this channel!
Seeing Black Star live is one of the highlights of my life
Looking forward to checking out more of your videos
I love Mos. I’ve always loved him as an artist and his perspective. I’ve followed him through his career progressions and respect him as an artist who can fully expand his creativity and is respected for his talent in various media.
The ecstatic lives and breathes within me, and the people who post the whole album/tracks on CZcams are doing gods work.
Can you please do a video about what happened to Immortal Technique? He's the reason I got involved in Guerrilla Republik, and I really think the guy deserves a lot more attention
Thanks for you standing up strong. Glad to know we still have many around.
Most Def's verses on Respiration and Thieves in the Night are some of the most poetic verses I ever heard.
I was a Mos Def fan. Like he was on the verge of blowing up big time and he just walked away. He was there. He was on Dave’s show. Doing movies. He was still making his own type of music. I never understood it.
yup... i think he can still do it if he wanted to but thats not on his plate rn.
He's just a dude who does what he wants
I challenge anyone to show me someone that can do it all at the level that Mos can. He's top tier lyrically, listen to "Brooklyn" where he raps over "Who Shot Ya" his cadence, delivery, message, bravado is unmatched. Then he can make something like "Umi Says" or "Creole" and then make a hit like "Ms. Fat Booty" AND he can kill a cypher just like he did at the beginning of this video. That freestyle is legendary, he's using EVERY skill in Hip-Hop in the freestyle. Nas, Jay, Big, Big L, Pun, NONE of them could spit a freestyle like that and have people nearly dancing with his cadence and at the same time make it fun, use Spanish words, represent Hip Hop AND do it all while maintaining the highest level of emcee'ing.
"You ain't the mos def you the mos defective
Bounce and keep steppin'
My inkwell is a riverbed that resurrect the living dead
I manifest what's considered but what isn't said"
Jesus christ that goes hard. What song is that?
I can’t even find it [Brooklyn - alternative version]. Time to go diggin.
Anytime I'm talking hip-hop with someone who claims to be a hip-hop head and they say "who's Yasiin Bey" or "who's Mos Def" I'm just like "yeah, this conversation is over".
Yasiin Bey's live performance nowadays is a spiritual experience. Saw him open for Erykah Badu and left the venue different. 🙏🏽
Mos Def is like Andre if he was from Brooklyn
just got mad respect for you, Mos, as an actor, as a rapper, as another human and a man after your convictions. Very inspiring.
Dude awesome video ! And what is on your vocal chain??? Your voice sounds so clean
really excited to see him next month!!
I think this video is titled incorrectly. Mos Def did not sabotage his rap career rather he made a choice to own his art.
Excellent break down. I ain’t really feeling black stars latest album, truth be told he’s always going to be one of my favorite because of the body of work he did early in hood career. And with this narrative of hard work and dedication to self, makes me hold him in even higher regards! One love
Artists like Mos Def,Andre3k etc doesn’t need more to prove imo. Like i said on the Andre video „they want having their times“. I think it’s kinda good sometimes to be far away of your success/fame, bcs there‘s ppl who still don’t get it they’re humans like others. If they don’t want putting music out, then accept it. Bcs you don’t know their priorities. Still one of my fav ever.
God bless & take care Mos Def.
I see a lot of Mos Def in Joey Badass
“It’s too heavy for the scale to say” 💯🔥🔥🔥
Mos Def a legend, i still want his album "The Ecstatic" back in streaming services!
Awesome video. Love Mos. Anyone know how I can buy that album? Or is it only for streaming on Luminary?
Staying true to himself. What an admiral human being!
This was a very good one well put together!
Mos has mos definitely earned his Flowers from his peers and his fans. I’m sure he is content with where he is in his rap career and more importantly his own life. The man paved the way for so many and proudly stands on the mountain among the greatest to ever touch a mic. The man has nothing to prove to anyone.
Mos Def is one of my favorites for sure. Absolute poetry always. I love the little nudge warning not to judge at the end of this video. Even when he's not trying it's still raw. Can't compare to others. Appreciate the wisdom and the lyricism involved.
"Don't even put it on a scale or weigh, it's off the chart, it's too heavy for the scale to say..."
Reminds me of another one of my favorite artists, Layne Staley from Alice in Chains on the song "Angry Chair"
"Weight of my heart, not the size..."
The weight of the heart was also said to be how a person was judged when entering the afterlife in Ancient Egypt. Both artists heavy in their own right.
“Mos Def stood against consumerist culture. By the way, the sponsor of this video is the pinnacle of consumerist culture, they send you stuff you don’t even want or need!”
Mos is easily in my top 3 rappers OAT. Also just seems like a great guy who couldn't (or more likely, refused to) play along and do the "industry" thing like a lot of artists are forced to
I'm so proud of his choices and I'm glad he is happy. I wish more rappers would adopt his resolve, then hip hop would be ressurected and more highly respected.
Most Definitely
mos definitely
mos def
Most Definitely
He is a true ARTIST, and not a product. He refused to be a product. Massive amounts of respect to him.
Westside Gunn newest album has a Blackstar feature called Peppas and it's probably my favorite song since it was released. Yasin verse is something special.
What I love about him, and am jealous of is that he makes it look so effortless.
Black Thought and Benny The Butcher are a few in the same vein.
He sounded a bit over it on the Blackstar album, but I see them with Westside and he sounds a little more invigorated.
He's extremely lively performing ALL CAPS, you can feel his admiration for DOOM.
Flowers and salute to one of the greatest to ever do it.
Very solid brother!
Mos is the artist hip hop needs but doesn't deserve at all. Easily in my top 10.
Mine too
Great vid
Man I'm watching this and thinking I didn't realise how lucky I was to have influences like this growing up. I'm only starting to appreciate it.
Incredible artist, he changed the way I view the world. I’m so glad i stumbled across the midnight miracle podcast because it somewhat restores my faith in humanity. Also, love the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy… he’s so well rounded
The fact that I never see mos def in most ppls too 5 list says that there is a whole wack of old school hip hop that still needs to be introduced into the world. The world loves new school rap but anytime they hear my old school their minds r blown
This makes me appreciate this dude way more.. he's humble
5:41 that album is fire. I love that song featuring slick rick on that album.
Respect for those who don't let the game play them.
the bars he was spittin at the end of this video. nuff said. much respect to yasin bey! ✊🏽
one of the artists from when I was younger that actually got me passionately into the lyrical backgrounds of amazing hip hop artists
To sum it up, Mos didn't sell his soul
He wanted to act he didn’t like how rap evolved he said that
A huge inspiration
I’m Gen X so I’ll always say Rakim is the greatest. But Mos is absolutely my favorite hip hip artist ever. Black On Both Sides & The Ecstatic are both perfect albums. God bless Yasiin Bey
Hope Mos Sees this, great job!!
Def one of the most underrated rappers
Thanks bro for that video. Firstly, i just know that yassin guy in jid's album is mos deff. I'm fan of his work since, i heard two words by ye and mos def from that moment i want know more about that guy. Truely a hidden 💎
I remember the first time I saw that freestyle. Goddamn I feel old.
Definitely need a mos def mach-hommy tape👌👌
on gawd.🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
The way he did the Tennessee verse!! He's slowed and said " take me to" That's the line in that song ... take me to another place!! Fire!!
I dont understand Comments like " Mos Def is underatet" He had great Albums , and was a great Actor in Movies too👌
Much respect legend
Mos Def and Consequence are so underrated. Love them both, Mos Def a goat fr
I was fully on board until I found out that he had a limited release in a Brooklyn museum. Goddamn, I get it in a way but it hurts so much to not be able to see what he had to say through his art. So I have mixed feelings now.
His feature on jids album was so good