Mos Def, The Ecstatic

Back in 1998, Rawkus Records released Black Star, featuring the iconic debut of Mos Def and Talib Kweli as the hip-hop duo Black Star. One year later, Mos Def released his critically acclaimed solo album, Black on Both Sides, solidifying himself as a socially aware and truly gifted MC. Things then took a sharp turn south. His second album, The New Danger, missed the creativity and freshness of Black on Both Sides, while his third album, True Magic, seemingly lacked any real effort and can barely be considered an album. Ten years down the road, and Mos Def has yet to live up to the potential he displayed on that debut solo album. If Mos Def wants to avoid the has-been label, things need to change with The Ecstatic, Mos Def’s newest record.

Thankfully, The Ecstatic is a return to what made Mos Def great: the ability to weave in metaphors with the lyrical agility that most MCs lack. As obvious as it sounds, lyrics make or break for hip-hop, and it appears that Mos Def has rediscovered his ability to craft a great verse. Gone are the self-seeking lyrics and lazy poetry of the last two albums; instead we’re treated to a barrage of lyrical gems. In “Quiet Dog Bite Hard,” Mos Def calls out the whole wack-MC sound by claiming, “They flow so petty, unsteady, it’s boring / These dudes ain’t throwin, they yawnin’ / They need to get off it / So ‘wack rap’ is all you can call it / Therefore move it on to Def for stimulus.” The subject matter is back to what Mos does best, as well, relating his life through brilliant observational lyrics. “Life in Marvelous” describes Bed-Stuy Brooklyn in 1982 as a place where, “The windows on the ave look like sad eyes / They fix their sharp gaze on you when you pass by / and if you dare to stand, you can see ’em cry.”

It’s not just his lyrics that are better, though — it’s not that he hasn’t tried to incorporate new sounds and styles in previous albums, it was just so unsuccessful. The Ecstatic has found the right balance between hip-hop beats and the other, with beats ranging from the aggressive and brass-heavy “Twilite Speedball,” by the Neptunes, to the classic hip-hop sound and looped R&B samples in “History,” by the late J Dilla. Mos Def even does a little experimentation in “Casa Bey,” a song that’s one part funk and one part music for a 1970s game show. While conceptually bizarre, it all works well with Mos Def’s lyrical style.

Listen to The Ecstatic, and you can’t help but wonder what happened to Mos Def. It’s as if Mos knew that his last two albums were terrible and now speaks and rhymes with the passion of someone who has something to prove, someone with a chip on his shoulder. This is the Mos Def we’d hoped for and expected after Black on Both Sides. With rumors of a new Black Star album in the pipelines, it’s good to know that Mos Def still has it.