But far more importantly, it also offers a thrillingly accessible demonstration of hip-hop's limitless creative possibilities to those whose experience of the medium stretches no farther than the occasional random episode of Run's House. With musical borrowings that range from Banda Black Rio to Selda Bagcan and Fela Kuti to Mary Wells, The Ecstatic is undoubtedly a crate-digger's wet dream.
#Mos def the ecstatic review tv#
And Slick Rick's immortal guest verses contain more compressed humanity than is to be found in the entire oeuvre of Mos Def's TV tormentor, Christopher Hitchens. Mos Def's unhappy recent appearance on US talk show host Bill Maher's Real Time may have given YouTube viewers cause to doubt his political perspicacity, but his analytical skills are beyond reproach on this album. with Noam Chomsky on remix duties, Pretty Dancer proclaims the survival of the phattest ("Too busy surviving to argue about Darwin, darlin'") and History's emotional reunion with Talib Kweli will have people whose lives were changed by Rawkus's first Soundbombing compilation crying into their port and lemon. The irresistible Quiet Dog is Beyoncé's Single Ladies. But just as his co-headlining appearance with Jack Black in Michel Gondry's Be Kind Rewind and a sequence of Emmy, Tony, Obie and Golden Globe nomination-winning acting performances seemed to signal the end of his career's MC phase, The Ecstatic blasts it into another dimension. Sometimes, the quiet dogs are the ones that bite the hardest.Like many of the golden generation of New York rappers whose rise was tied up with the New York independent label Rawkus, Mos Def seemed to lose his way somewhat after switching to a major. Mos Def has proved that you don't need radical promotion to make a successful record. But if you are tired of hearing the same old rap music that talks about stuff no one cares about and makes rhymes out of the exact same words more than once (Soulja Boy, anyone?), then get this album, because this is real hip-hop in its purest form. If you do not keep an open mind, or are a picky music listener, you may not enjoy this album as much as I did. This is simply a stellar CD in every way and I have no complaints. The idea of celebrating the act of being alive seems so in line with the vibe of a classic hip-hop show, and Mos Def embodies the joy of the genre as well as anyone. In retrospect, it is quite possible that he actually called us live, but I choose to believe I got the quote right. Okay, I lied you would never be able to guess what was on this disc until you put it in. This bit of Mos Def stage banter was my favorite moment of a show I saw a couple years ago.
Other than that, it's basically what you'd expect. “The Ecstatic” has two notable guest appearances: an artist named The Ruler and Brooklyn native, Talib Kweli. In “No Hay Nada Mas,” Mos Def sings in Spanish with Spanish guitars as accompaniment. “Quiet Dog” (my favorite) is all heavy-hitting African drums and fast-paced, inventive lyrics from Mos Def. Track three, “Auditorium,” sounds like a fusion of traditional Middle-Eastern and background music from a classic '70s cartoon (it reminded me of “Johnny Quest,” for some reason). For example, the first, “Supermagic,” features an energetic guitar riff and a tinge of Indian flavor. The producers seemed to take extra time to ensure that no two songs sounded alike. When I listened to this disc for the first time, I was taken aback by the staggering variety of sounds. Outspoken and even prone to some fairly loony conspiracy theorising, The Ecstatic thankfully does not become such a platform, and is a refined selection of strong tracks, which skilfully tread the balance between tight beats and forthright exclamations.
Now, the multi-talented hip-hop artist is returning to what he does best – rapping his butt off. You may have seen him alongside Bruce Willis in “16 Blocks” and teamed up with Jack Black in “Be Kind Rewind” – both very entertaining movies. He has spent the last few years building up his acting chops.
But it's been a while since we've heard new music from him. Mos Def returns from long strange trip with excitingly coherent new album. Halfway through she said that the music was too weird, and that is how I knew I had made the right choice.įor years Mos Def has consistently been the most innovative MC as far as his lyrics and delivery go. On the way home my mom wanted me to put it in. I bought this album not knowing what to expect.