Mos Def: The Ecstatic
Downtown Records
Released June 9, 2009
If you're a hip-hop head, you know who Mos Def is. If you're not a hip-hop head, you probably know who Mos Def is. Reaching far beyond his original scope in the late 1990s, Mos has become a relatively household name with a strong musical and acting career in films like The Italian Job among others. For having a decently long career, Mos has a considerably small discography: 1998's celebrated Blackstar with Talib Kweli; Black on Both Sides in 1999; The New Danger in 2003; True Magic in 2006; and finally The Ecstatic in 2009. Sprinkled throughout his career are guest verses with the likes of Kanye West, Curren$y, and Jay Electronica.
For me, The Ecstatic stands out in Mos's discography. Yes, BoBS is soulful and lyrically masterful, as is Blackstar. However, the jazzy but modern and incredible smooth feel to The Ecstatic makes it an amazing album from one of hip-hop's greats and a truly underrated record when considering the monstrous amount of releases in the 2000s.
The album begins, ends, and is filled to the brim with production from greats like Oh No, Chad Hugo of the Neptunes, Madlib, and even the late J Dilla on "History." On the surface, it seems like the beats on "Life in Marvelous Times" versus "Pistola" should come nowhere near each other let alone appear on the same album; but somehow, The Ecstatic blends booming modern production with eccentric, finely-aged loops from Madlib into an experience that flows perfectly from beginning to end.
The styles come from all angles: an entirely-Spanish ballad is found in "No Hay Nada Mas," while "Twilite Speedball" features hard raps over an intimidating horn loop. Mos uses verse and hook structures loosely on most of the songs if it all, resulting in a sprawling landscape of sound that causes the songs to meld into each other beautifully.
The guest features take an amazing album and make it even stronger, though there are only a few. Slick Rick delivers a perfect storytelling verse about being a soldier in the Middle East on "Auditorium," his wry humor contrasting with a more serious Mos verse about surviving in the modern world. Vocals from Georgia Anne Muldrow on "Roses" and a guest spot from Talib Kweli on "History" round out the diversity.
I could type in circles all day about how great this album is, but you'll really just have to find out for yourself. Get your hands on this record, sit back, and listen to this soulful gem. And then, like me, start hoping that another Mos project will come out sometime soon.
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