Mos Def: Black On Both Sides

Many talents, one color

Black On Both Sides, Mos Def's first solo album, arrives with expectations attached—especially from those who picked up his full-length debut in Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star—but it exceeds them from the first quick glance at its liner notes. Mos Def produces? Mos Def plays bass, keyboards, percussion, and vibraphone? Mos Def sings? Mos Def's sweet, easy lyrical flow has been known for quite some time, from his underground work with Medina Green, the Black Star album, and his collaborations with De La Soul and the Roots, but it seems that he's been saving some other talents all along.

More than just a good rap album, Black on Both Sides is innovative, intelligent, and diverse like no other hip-hop album since Wyclef Jean's The Carnival. There are more than enough thumping tracks, like "Know That" and its ridiculously big beat, "Do It Now" with an energized Busta Rhymes, and "Mathematics," yet another headbanger from renowned producer DJ Premier.

When Mos Def has something to say, the results are even more amazing. Examples include "Got," a warning against materialism with a sweet bass line and airy keyboard track, and "Mr. Nigga," with Mos talking about worldwide racism over a combination of steel drums, bass, and congas. With lines like "London Heathrow/me and my people/they think that illegal's/a synonym for Negro," Mos Def shows himself to be one of today's best "conscious" rappers—he sounds good while talking about more than his money and skills.

"May/December," on the other hand, doesn't have any lyrics on it, but it isn't the standard skit, interlude, or throwaway instrumental so common to rap albums, either. Mos Def's hands are behind the bass and vibraphone, as well as the mixing board, and the results are amazing. Its three minutes are way too short, and an album of songs like this would have acid jazz fans salivating.

Mos Def can sing too, better than any rapper save for Lauryn Hill. "Umi Says" and the heavenly "Climb" have Mos pouring his soul out over free-flowing jazzy tracks, sounding like a resurrected Fishbone on the appropriately titled "Rock N Roll."

Black on Both Sides is an album that shows where music can be taken, instead of following the present course. Now it's up to the rest of hip-hop to tag along. (Rawkus)

—Josh Drimmer

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