Yasmin Bey ( born Dante Terrell Smith; December 11, 1973), best known by his stage name Mos Def, is a rapper, poet, actor, and activist. He first formed a short-lived rap group of siblings called Urban Thermo Dynamic(UTD). After the group fizzled, he began appearing on various albums of other artists. He eventually started working with rapper Talib Kweli, forming Blackstar. He released his first solo album, Black on Both Sides, in 1999 and has succeeded as a solo artist. He is on several lists of greatest M.C.’s Mos Def cadence, which is pretty unique; he can go from abstract to literal. His background in poetry and freestyle skills give him an upper hand over other rappers. Mos Def has appeared in several films and television outside the hip-hop world and is probably one of the better rappers/actors. From 2002 to 2007, he hosted HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. He is also very socially conscious, and the lyrics reflect that. Mos Def is a rapper/ actor who has succeeded in both fields. If you have the time or resources, check out his thoughts on Drake. He is one of the best M.C.s in the game.
