My padlet by Finn

Bio

brownfa3 — 2024-11-08 18:25:10 UTC

Dante Terrell Smith was born on December 11th 1973 in Brooklyn, New York. Now known as Yasiin Bey(Formerly and better known as Mos Def), Mos is a Grammy Award-nominated rapper and actor. As a solo artist he has released the albums Black on Both Sides in 1999, The New Danger in 2004, True Magic in 2006 and The Ecstatic in 2009.

Lyric Analysis

brownfa3 — 2024-11-11 18:14:36 UTC

Mos Def's song "Mathematics" takes us through a lot of big numbers and many figures are named that described the effects of poverty, drugs and racism on urban black communities. He took stats of what he was seeing and added them to his song; "Sixty-nine billion in the last twenty years
Spent on national defense but folks still live in fear like
Nearly half of America's largest cities is one-quarter black"

Influential Lyrics

brownfa3 — 2024-11-22 19:22:44 UTC

"Committed to page, I write rhymes

Sometimes won't finish for days" I related to this because I love writing music but its something that you have to really work at and be patient with. It can take a while to refine lyrics.

"Brooklyn number one" Real stuff.

Art and Imagery

brownfa3 — 2024-12-11 12:55:40 UTC

Mos Def uses a lot of imagery in his songs. He never really did graffiti or art but he did like to put a picture in your mind, that's something he was very good at. Like when he says "I against I Flesh of my flesh, and mind of my mind. Two of a kind, but one won't survive · My images reflect in the enemy's eye" I feel like I see and understand what he's talking about, which is hard to do when writing.

Brooklyn #1(geography)

brownfa3 — 2024-12-11 19:09:24 UTC

Brooklyn, New York is a staple of NYC, it is the home of the second largest black population in any city in North America. Living in the city is an experience. Although it's expensive and a little dangerous, it's somewhere I think people should visit or live. It feels like you own the city and everyone there has their own different view on it. The street art you'll see is beautiful, there's a couple banksy's in Brooklyn which I love. Overall Brooklyn's a big part of my childhood and holds a special place.

Top 5 Songs

brownfa3 — 2025-01-06 18:47:25 UTC

1: Mathematics- The flow and beat of this song is heavenly and it fits into the album perfectly. The lyrics in the song are deep and thought out and it gives you something to take away from the song.

2: Ms. Fat Booty- The story telling through the song is flowing so smoothly and easily and the way he words things are very well done.

3: Hip Hop- The beat of this song is so crazy rhythmic and fun to listen to. It's made for parties and groups and as always his lyrics are very thought out.

4: UMI says- This is a much deeper song and goes into how life isn't promised and he puts his whole heart into his music. It's mixed really well and it's a bit longer than the others at 4:15 seconds.

5: Stars- He's a feature on this song so i'm not sure if it counts but his verse is amazing. When he featured on this song he went as Yasiin Bey. He talks about the restrictions of materialistic things and how they hold you back from living. I love this verse and I love when he says"Playmate, playboy, flip sides, same coin, big front but no joy."

Conclusion

brownfa3 — 2025-01-16 18:51:41 UTC

All in all, Mos Def is a very influential and deep artist. His songs convey many themes and each one with their own unique wisdom. His beats and rhythm are known through generations and for a good reason.