Yasiin Bey, also known as Mos Def, is a hip hop legend from Brooklyn, New York, best known for his work on tracks such as "Oh No," "Ms. Fat Booty," and "Mathematics." The rapper has an extensive catalog of hit solo records and serves as one-half of the iconic hip-hop duo Black Star alongside fellow Brooklyn MC Talib Kweli. Though many young listeners may not be familiar with Yasiin Bey's work, a brief glance at his bio showcases his versatility and influence on the modern rap sound.
Currently, the rapper is making headlines in the news for referring to Drake as a pop star who makes commercial music for mass consumption. While these comments are objectively true, some have taken issue with Yasiin Bey's wording, misinterpreting the comments as a diss. Regardless, hip hop heads have long revered the legendary emcee for his thoughtful lyrics, capable rhymes, and powerful social commentary. Here's a brief look at Bey's career, examining the artist's life and legendary career.
Early Life & Career Start
Yasiin Bey was born Dante Terrell Smith and raised by his mother in Brooklyn. In his youth, Bey encountered a range of traumatic issues in his community, including gang violence, drug use, and poverty. A particularly traumatic moment occurred when the rapper saw a car hit his five-year-old brother. Though his younger brother survived the incident, Bey chose to avoid the streets as much as possible in the years following the event.
To stay away from crime and poverty, Yasiin Bey took up acting at a young age. By the time he was a Sophomore in high school, he had already flown out to Los Angeles to film a season of the short-lived sitcom You Take The Kids and appeared in leading roles in multiple stage shows. Before long, Bey quit school to perform full-time. As he began to launch his rap career, he had already shared the screen with legendary performers of both music and film, including Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby, Deion Sanders, and many more.
Later, Bey launched his solo rap debut Black On Both Sides under the moniker Mos Def in 1999, with the chart-topping single "Ms. Fat Booty." Throughout the early 2000s, Mos Def found massive success in both film and music by frequently collaborating with the likes of Kanye West, Q-Tip, Dave Chappelle, and many other prolific artists. His largest screen acting credits include works such as 2003's The Italian Job, 2005's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and a 5-episode stint in the Showtime series Dexter.
Name Change & "Retirement"
In September 2011, the rapper elected to legally change his name to Yasiin Bey and retire the Mos Def moniker. He explained that after years of cultivating a diverse media career, the title of Mos Def had become more of a product or brand than an actual person. During interviews, the rapper clarified that close friends and family members had been calling him Yasiin for over a decade. He expressed his readiness to officially adopt the name in all aspects of his life.
The name Yasiin is derived from the 36th surah of the Qur'an, holding special significance for the artist formerly known as Mos Def due to his roots in the Islamic community. During an interview with The Guardian, the rapper explained, "Mos Def is a name that I built and cultivated over the years, it's a name that the streets taught me, a figure of speech that was given to me by the culture and by my environment, and I feel I've done quite a bit with that name... it's time to expand and move on."
In January 2016, Yasiin Bey announced his retirement from film and music. His final screen acting credit came later that year for his appearance in the film Tour de France. His final album, December 99th, serves as a collaborative effort with producer Ferrari Sheppard and debuted in December 2016. Despite his claim to retire, Bey has continued to tour and appear on tracks as a featured artist. In March 2019, he performed songs from an unreleased album, Negus, at Art Basel Hong Kong. According to a press release from the artist, the album is not intended for mass consumption through digital or physical means. Instead, he plans to release the music exclusively through a series of live installations.
Podcasting, Future Ventures, And Return To Black Star
In 2021, Yasiin Bey teamed with Dave Chappelle and Talib Kweli to launch The Midnight Miracle, a podcast series available exclusively through the subscription-based platform Luminary. As part of an ongoing promotion for the podcast hosting service, Kweli has released several albums available only through streaming on the Luminary app, including a Black Star reunion project with Bey in 2022. Though the long-awaited project No Fear of Time has gained a cult following by die-hard fans of the duo, the inaccessibility of the platform has left many fans to miss out on the 2022 release.
Still, this marks a turning point in Yasiin Bey's career, leaving many fans to wonder what's next for the visionary artist. For now, only time will tell, though Bey has continued to tease new music since his alleged retirement.