Why did Mos Def change his name to Yasiin?
During the interview (photo by Steven Pan/GQ), the rapper explained why he decided to switch his name and how it stemmed from materialistic pressures. “I began to fear that Mos Def was being treated as a product, not a person, so I’ve been going by Yasiin since ’99,” he said.
Why did Mos Def and Talib Kweli name their group Black Star?
Black Star is an American hip hop duo formed in 1997, from Brooklyn, New York City. The duo is composed of rappers Mos Def and Talib Kweli. The duo is named after The Black Star Line, a shipping company founded by Marcus Garvey.
Who produced Black Star Mos Def?
Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (often called simply Black Star) is the debut studio album by Black Star, a hip hop duo consisting of emcees Talib Kweli and Mos Def (the latter of whom now goes by Yasiin Bey)….Track listing.
| No. | 4. |
|---|---|
| Title | “Re: Definition” |
| Producer(s) | Hi-Tek |
| Length | 3:02 |
When did Mos Def start rapping?
The discography of Yasiin Bey / Mos Def, an American rapper, consists of four solo albums, two compilation albums, and several singles. Mos Def began his hip hop career in 1994 in the underground rap group UTD (Urban Thermo Dynamics) alongside his sibling group members DCQ and Ces, after which he pursued a solo career.
Where is Talib Kweli from?
New York, NY
Talib Kweli/Place of birth
Born in Brooklyn, New York City, Kweli grew up in a household in Park Slope. His mother, Brenda Greene, is an English professor at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York, and his father is an administrator at Adelphi University.
Who is Talib Kweli wife?
DJ Equem. 2009
Talib Kweli/Wife
Talib Kweli broke his silence on Sunday (Feb. 21) after TMZ reported two day earlier that his wife, DJ Eque, filed for divorce. “Eque and I have been separated since 2015. We haven’t lived in the same house or even seen each other since 2015,” he says in a statement, according to Vlad TV.
Why did Mos Def create hip hop for respect?
In 2000, paired with Talib Kweli, Mos Def organized the Hip Hop for Respect project to speak out against police brutality. The project was created in response to the 1999 police shooting of Amadu Diallo, and sought to accumulate 41 artists to the roster, one to match each of the 41 gunshots fired on Diallo.
How old was Mos Def when he got hit by a car?
In a particularly traumatic childhood experience, Mos Def witnessed his then five-year old younger brother Ilias Bey (b. Denard Smith) get hit by a car. He later adopted the alias DCQ, was described by Mos Def as “my first partner in hip hop”. This section is in list format, but may read better as prose.
When did Mos Def retire from the music industry?
On January 19, 2016, Mos Def announced his retirement from both the music and film industries on Kanye West’s website: “I’m retiring from the music recording industry as it is currently assembled today, and also Hollywood, effective immediately.
When did Mos Def change his name to Yasiin Bey?
In July 2013, Mos Def, under the new name Yasiin Bey, appeared in a short film released by the human rights organization Reprieve, depicting the forced-feeding methods used at the Guantanamo Bay detention camps.
