Mos Def “The Ecstatic” Review
Mos Def, Brooklyn’s hip hop Renaissance man, is much cherished for his early backpacker classics including the Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star and Black On Both Sides releases with the indie powerhouse Rawkus Records. But since those days in the late ’90s, Mos Def has released a couple of miscues including 2004’s experimental New Danger and 2006’s misfire True Magic, which was shelved immediately after its release. Flash to 2009 and Mos Def is back with the most mature record from a hip hop artist in quite a while. It may not be the classic we had hoped for, but in the midst of southern sing-along and fashionista rappers, Mos Def stays in his own lane, ignoring stringent, insular indie rules and not giving a fuck about commercial radio.
The Ecstatic, Mos Def’s fourth solo record, is his smart, gimmick-free debut for upstart hipster label Downtown Records (Santigold, Justice, Cold War Kids). And with the release, Pretty Flaco covers a bit of expected territory: he may be in movies, but he’s still a universal ghetto advocate with unwavering respect and admiration for the streets of Brooklyn and the tradition of hip-hop itself. There’s still Malcolm X speeches, Arabic prayers, and some Spanish flows, but injecting some new flavor in the record is production from indie luminaries J Dilla, Madlib, Oh No and the Neptune’s Chad Hugo as well as guest spots from the legendary, longtime collaborator Talib Kweil, West Coast neo-soul experimentalist Georgia Muldrow, and samples of legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti.
Opening with verbal gymnastics of “Supermagic†over a winding guitars, Mos announces “I refute these snitches,†and in the Hugo-produced head knocker “Twilite Speedball†he continues to survey the urban landscape alongside muted, marching horns, “Bad news and good dope, powder, potion, pills, dope… survival mathematics.†And “Auditorium,” featuring Slick Rick, finds the Ruler sounding as fresh as ever. Mos Def continues to drop jewels, schooling the young cats with a sense of urgency on “Wahid,†“Gun smoke, young folks living any kind of way.†On the interlude “Priority†he declares a mini-manifesto of “Peace before everything, God before anything, love before anything, home before any place, style and stay radiate, quiet with major waves, full flavor in a native strain, full exposure to slangâ€.
Ever the universal ghetto representative, The Ecstatic is both internationally ambitious and ambiguous as Mos shows his Spanish skills on “No Hay Nada Mas,†delivers Brazilian funk on “Casa Bey,†and rides “Pistola†over sampled Eastern xylophones. But on the soulful “History†he changes styles and reconnects with Talib Kweli for a Dilla produced b-boy throwback.
There are moments that are off the mark such as the boggie jump “Quiet Dog,†as well as “Roses†which features the incoherent warbling of Georgia Anne Muldrow. Adding to the uneven feel, Mos himself sings a bit more than expected on the record. That said, The Ecstatic ultimately rides through at an even pace, never actually bringing the hardcore boom bap—but it bangs, and bangs hard throughout.
The Ecstatic shows an artist’s growth artistically without reaching for the obvious. Mos Def’s charismatic voice and playfulness, even when dealing with serious subject matter, shows a maturity and willingness to take risk. And even if not that drastic, those risks are more than welcome in the era of ring-tone rap. Mos Def is first and foremost an original b-boy with tons of artistic integrity and respect for the culture in which he serves as an ambassador. And for that we’re all the better.
[review by guest contributor Jon Jon Scott]
Mos Def “Casa Bey” (mp3)
Georgia anne? incoherent…i understood everyword she sung! you must not have enough melonin to comprehend.
in fact her track is a breath of fresh air!
this lp is a breath of fresh air, compared to that demonic brainwashed fake soul music stuffed down our brains lately!
Nice review Jon Jon. Thanks. Curiosity sparked, can’t wait to check it. I agree about The New Danger and True Magic (what tha?) but… is it just me or were “Sex Love and Money” and “Sunshine” not uniquely dope tracks? A couple of gems amidst a rock experiment gone wrong.
I thought “Roses” hit a nice groove at its place on the album. Nonetheless, this review is mostly spot-on. I think I can say for all fans of hip-hop that it feels good having Mos back.
yo nigs checkout this ish
I dig the whole album and I happen to like the ‘boogie jump’ of Quiet Dog. So much so, I played it on air this past weekend!
Ken_UF
nice review. i’m really enjoying this one. two things i disagree with you on, though: i think the new danger was dope. not a Great album, but the sound was ridiculous. just a little bit too loose as a unit. and roses is perfect (and the most coherent georgia anne muldrow has ever been as far as i know. . . if that counts for anything).
Thorough assessment Jon, thanks – I’ll muster the patience and courage to give it a listen. But if I can’t reconnect with this dude’s music, my Umi says NO MORE!
The most mature hip hop record in a while? Really?
I’d take POS, Cyne or Mr SOS’s records over this any day.
Casa bey is a work of genius
great tune
great album
im not trying to nit-pick, but yes i am.. “The New Danger” is an amazing album, an absolute artistic masterpiece. the next time you listen to it pay attention to the different “personas” or even “characters” Mos takes on, each one has a different and unique style of music, delivery, and perspective..
you gotta see the forest AND the trees, trust me on this one..
I have to say I have all of mos defs albums, I am an italian male and when you listen to mos he talks to problems everyone faces on a day to day basis. I enjoyed new danger, but felt it could be more complete and I think most of us got that feeling. After sampling his new one i have to say if I never heard of this guy before wow, but because of black on both sides and black star you have to just give thanks to mos def for bringing out such a strong album. I enjoyed beging to end there are a few parts that could be cleaned up a little but thanks so much for lyrics that mean something in a time when people just say and do as they are told. Peace and god bless!