Mos Def was born Dante Terrell Smith in 1973, in Brooklyn. He's used a number of other stage names in the past, including Black Dante and Flaco Bey.

His debut, 1998's Black Star, was a collaboration with Talib Kweli. Its follow-up, 1999's Black On Both Sides, was a commercial success: it reached number 25 on the Billboard chart and spawned a number of singles.

2004's The New Danger reached number five on the same chart, and has sold close to half a million copies. That year he presented the MOBO Awards.

Mos Def's talents are no restricted to the music world: an accomplished actor, he has appeared on both stage and screen. Among his movie credits are Monster's Ball, The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, and 16 Blocks.

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Releases

• True Magic - album, out 29/12/2006 on Geffen. (post review)
• Penny & Me - single, out 24/01/2005 on Island. (post review)
• Urban Renewal Program - ep, out 11/11/2002 on Ninja Tune. (post review)

Past events

• Sun 25 Nov at London Islington Academy. 1 review (read/post)
• Fri 23 Nov at London Shepherds Bush Empire. (post review)

News

• 21/11/2007: This week: live double-header from Mos Def
• 18/12/2006: Mos Def's Dynamite rap: listen here
• 22/08/2006: Mos Def: more acting, third album news
• 29/01/2004: Mos Def: An Out-of-Work Actor From Guildford
• 17/11/2002: Massive Attack: 100 Unbroken Windows

Features

• 06/07/2007: The Weekly DiScussion: An Open Letter To Muse

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