Person
- Born
- 1973-12-11
via Open Library + Wikidata
Film & TV
Acting · Brooklyn, New York, USA
Yasiin Bey (/jæˈsiːn ˈbeɪ/; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def, is an American retired rapper, singer-songwriter, and actor. Regarded as one of hip hop's most introspective and insightful artists, Mos Def, has shaped a career that transcends music genres and artistic medium. With the release of "Universal Magnetic" (1996), he became an underground favorite in…
Known for
- Together for Palestine — Self2025
- Part of Me — Himself2023
- Gorillaz | MTV World Stage — Mos Def2023
- Hargrove — Self2022
- jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy — Self (archive footage)2022
- You're Watching Video Music Box — Self (archive footage)2021
- Peculiar Contrast, Perfect Light2021
- Gorillaz: Reject False Icons — Mos Def2019
- French Tour — Focé2016
- Amy — Self2015
Article
Yasiin Bey (/jæˈsiːn ˈbeɪ/ yass-EEN BAY; born Dante Terrell Smith; December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def (/ˌmoʊs ˈdɛf/ MOHSS DEF), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A prominent figure in conscious hip-hop, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social and political issues, such as police brutality, American exceptionalism, and the status of African Americans in the United States.
After embarking on his career in 1994, he joined his siblings in the short-lived rap group Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD) and guest appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. In 1996, he and fellow Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli formed the duo Black Star, whose debut album Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998) spawned the singles "Definition" and "Respiration" (featuring Common). His debut solo album, Black on Both Sides (1999), was met with critical acclaim, along with his fourth album, The Ecstatic (2009). Bey's 2000 single, "Oh No" (with Pharoahe Monch featuring Nate Dogg) remains his sole entry on the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo act. In 2014, About.com listed him 14th on its "50 Greatest Rappers of All Time".
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1973 births20th-century African-American male actors20th-century African-American male singers20th-century American male actors20th-century American male rappers20th-century American male singers20th-century American rappers20th-century American singers21st-century African-American male actors21st-century African-American male singers21st-century American male actors