Mos Def Black On Both Sides CD

Re-Issue;Replaces #Pri 50141

Personnel includes: Mos Def (rap vocals, keyboards, vibraphone, bass, drums, congas, percussion); Vinia Mojica (vocals); Talib Kweli, Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip (rap vocals); Johnny Why (guitar); Weldon Irvine (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards).
Producers include: Mos Def, DJ Premier, Diamond, The Beatnuts, 88 Keys.
Recorded at Sony Music Studios, Chung King and D & D Studios, New York, New York.
Mos Def's partnership with Talib Kweli produced one of the most important hip-hop albums of the late '90s, 1997's brilliant Black Star. Consciously designed as a return to rap's musical foundations and a manifesto for reclaiming the art form from gangsta/playa domination, it succeeded mightily on both counts, raising expectations sky-high for Mos Def's solo debut. He met them all with Black on Both Sides, a record every bit as dazzling and visionary as Black Star. Black on Both Sides strives to not only refine but expand the scope of Mos Def's talents, turning the solo spotlight on his intricate wordplay and nimble rhythmic skills -- but also his increasing eclecticism. The main reference points are pretty much the same -- old-school rap, which allows for a sense of playfulness as well as history, and the Native Tongues posse's fascination with jazz, both for its sophistication and cultural heritage. But they're supported by a rich depth that comes from forays into reggae (as well as its aura of spiritual conscience), pop, soul, funk, and even hardcore punk (that on the album's centerpiece, "Rock n Roll," a dissection of white America's history of appropriating black musical innovations). In keeping with his goal of restoring hip-hop's sociopolitical consciousness, Def's lyrics are as intelligent and thoughtfully crafted as one would expect, but he doesn't stop there -- he sings quite passably on several tracks, plays live instruments on others (including bass, drums, congas, vibraphone, and keyboards), and even collaborates on a string arrangement. In short, Black on Both Sides is a tour de force by an artist out to prove he can do it all. Its ambition and execution rank it as one of the best albums of 1999, and it consolidates Mos Def's position as one of hip-hop's brightest hopes entering the 21st century. ~ Steve Huey
Mos Def, one-half of the much loved Brooklyn duo Black Star, breaks out on his own with the most intense solo debut in hip-hop since THE MISEDUCATION OF LAUREN HILL. Like MISEDUCATION, BLACK ON BOTH SIDES stretches the definition of the genre to incorporate all aspects of music of the African Diaspora, from reggae to jazz, to form a new kind of sound. Def sings, Def raps, Def does all that and then some. The wide scope of the album is most evident by the collaborators he chooses to work with, who run the gamut from the underrated mastermind of a Tribe Called Quest, Ali Shaheed Mohammad, to the wrongly unsung hero of rare groove, keyboardist Weldon Irvine.
The message in Mos Def's music is that like in blues and jazz before it: hip-hop is not a separate "giant living in the hillside" but a reflection of who we are. In "Fear of Not Man," Mos queries his audience, "next time you ask where hip-hop is going, ask yourself where am I going?" In "Hip Hop" he warns, "hip hop will simply amaze you, praise you, pay you, do whatever you say to, but black, it can't save you."

Rolling Stone (11/11/99, p.137) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...manages the oxymoronic feat of being a humble MC....His often nationalistic rhymes are complimented by jazzy, mostly sample-free tracks....Who says that modesty and reverence don't have their place on hip-hop hits?"
Entertainment Weekly (11/5/99, p.83) - "...a tightrope walk across diverse hip-hop styles....Merging old-school bravado with new-school poetics, [Mos Def] spouts incisive Afrocentric reality that takes all sides into account." - Rating: A-
Q (12/02, p.120) - 4 out of 5 - "...One of the best rap albums of recent years and not a lame skit in earshot..."
Q (1/00, pp.120-22) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...A throwback to the sophisticated heyday of the Native Tongues Posse, with extra poignancy and a bracing Busta Rhymes cameo to boot."
Alternative Press (2/00, pp.85-6) - 4 out of 5 - "...This is the return of the '100-percent intelligent black child'...and he's smarter and more independent than ever....Everyone who likes rap music even a little should hear what Mos has to say..."
The Wire (1/00, p.67) - Included in Wire Magazine's "50 Records Of The Year ['99]"
The Wire (1/00, p.80) - "HipHop's most eloquent spokesman takes his rightful place on the throne....A deeply personal project...one that takes in a vast range of emotions and scenarios....a complex and many layered work..."
CMJ (11/1/99, p.3) - "...simply one of the most unhindered and aesthetically ambitious hip-hop records in recent memory..."
CMJ (1/10/00, p.3) - Ranked #5 in CMJ's "Top 30 Editorial Picks [for 1999]."
The Source (11/99, pp.218-220) - 4 mics out of 5 - "...the mighty Mos Def leads the charge for change....an 80-year-old couldn't make an album this mature."
Mojo (Publisher) (10/02) - "...Among the genre's all-time greats..."