Artist: Mos Def
Album: The Ecstatic
Year: 2009
Grade: 4 pretzels
Mos Def has spent so much time lately exploring his career as an actor that it has become easy to forget he was a rapper once upon a time. It also doesn’t help that he’s one of the best music-acting crossover artists and that his music has been in a creative decline for a while. In that sense, The Ecstatic seems to come prepackaged with a sense of “importance.” It definitely feels like Mos is trying to remind the world that yes, he is indeed still interested in rapping and that he can be a damn good rapper too.
Adding to the heavy feel of the album is the immense diversity of the beats and music. Many of the tracks seem to pay homage to other cultures, be it the Middle East (“Auditorium”, “The Embassy”), Latin America (“No Hay Nada Mas”, “Workers Comp.”) or even Europe, with the techno-club crunch of “Life In Marvelous Times”. Mos Def has always had a distinct seriousness to his music, all the way back to his work in the late 90s with Black Star. Politics have always been present in his music, so it’s no surprise to hear all this international influence on this album. I mean, the album begins with a quote from Malcolm X. This is definitely political rap.
At the same time, however, much of The Ecstatic’s appeal comes from Mos’ ability to say what he wants to say without beating his listener over the head with tragic images and forced preaching. His voice, as always, has an easy, casual confidence about it. He occasionally slurs his words, which helps keep things from being too serious, while still keeping things interesting. Mos Def has one of the most natural deliveries in rap and it works to great effect on The Ecstatic. Songs like “Casa Bey” would be irritating or boring in the hands of other, lesser rappers, but Mos Def gives the song just the right amount of laidback charisma it needs.
The Ecstatic is definitely a tremendous return to form for Mos Def, showing he’s still capable of churning out some impressive music. The great moments on the album are many, including the swaggering opener “Supermagic” and the tense, rhythmic “Quiet Dog Bite Hard”. Unfortunately, a handful of duds do sneak in, especially on the album’s last third. “Roses” feels a bit too overwrought, with big, dramatic piano chords, while “History” seems almost a throw-away track, flying by at two-and-a-half minutes without Mos Def really saying anything. These tracks keep The Ecstatic from being a masterpiece, but the majority of the album is a powerful, impressive statement. Now that Mos has proven he can be an actor and rapper with equal skill, I hope he sticks with both. He’s a very talented guy and I see no reason why he should limit that talent to a single medium.
Adding to the heavy feel of the album is the immense diversity of the beats and music. Many of the tracks seem to pay homage to other cultures, be it the Middle East (“Auditorium”, “The Embassy”), Latin America (“No Hay Nada Mas”, “Workers Comp.”) or even Europe, with the techno-club crunch of “Life In Marvelous Times”. Mos Def has always had a distinct seriousness to his music, all the way back to his work in the late 90s with Black Star. Politics have always been present in his music, so it’s no surprise to hear all this international influence on this album. I mean, the album begins with a quote from Malcolm X. This is definitely political rap.
At the same time, however, much of The Ecstatic’s appeal comes from Mos’ ability to say what he wants to say without beating his listener over the head with tragic images and forced preaching. His voice, as always, has an easy, casual confidence about it. He occasionally slurs his words, which helps keep things from being too serious, while still keeping things interesting. Mos Def has one of the most natural deliveries in rap and it works to great effect on The Ecstatic. Songs like “Casa Bey” would be irritating or boring in the hands of other, lesser rappers, but Mos Def gives the song just the right amount of laidback charisma it needs.
The Ecstatic is definitely a tremendous return to form for Mos Def, showing he’s still capable of churning out some impressive music. The great moments on the album are many, including the swaggering opener “Supermagic” and the tense, rhythmic “Quiet Dog Bite Hard”. Unfortunately, a handful of duds do sneak in, especially on the album’s last third. “Roses” feels a bit too overwrought, with big, dramatic piano chords, while “History” seems almost a throw-away track, flying by at two-and-a-half minutes without Mos Def really saying anything. These tracks keep The Ecstatic from being a masterpiece, but the majority of the album is a powerful, impressive statement. Now that Mos has proven he can be an actor and rapper with equal skill, I hope he sticks with both. He’s a very talented guy and I see no reason why he should limit that talent to a single medium.
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