the carnivale just got a delivery of tribal masks

MOS DEF - THE ECSTATIC

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm insane. But did Mos Def just leap through my head, take every beloved chunk of hip hop and work it into The Ecstatic (which I am clearly ecstatic about)? In my first squizz of this album, my instantaneous thoughts were 'I can't understand a word this guy says.' And then a very cool sample of some politician made a speech about wanting change. Actually, I think Mos was speaking some different language, heh. The guitar line comes in, and the amazing chaotic nature of this album marches down through my ear canals. The many layers of sound ring through my house, and my head is inclined to nod.

This album is exactly how I like my hip-hop served: contemporary, without any 'hardcore beats' or 'motherfucking bitches and hoes', or at least when Mos does it there's a xyliophone in the background. Having never really listened to Mos Def (well, except when he cameos a few times in Kanye West's music, hilariously in the song Drunk and Hot Girls), I'm surprised I haven't noticed him before. His sampling is sublime, and he has a distinct flavour to his style that can't really be compared to much else. For instance, the chorus for the song Priority is both funky and appropriate for the time. Another song to mention is The Embassy, in particular its introduction, which sent shivers up my spine.

Many of those who are not fans of rap claim that these men are not smart. Mos Def, and other popular rappers like Eminem, Jay Z and Kanye West, are the closest society has to a fresh poetry movement of the last thirty years; these are some of the smartest men who walk the earth. And amongst all this, Mos Def is a Muslim man and it is wonderful to see two conflicting cultures mingle, the result is shown in this album.

Favourite Song: Roses

Favourite Line: "...I'm down with the cool like Mussilini in Italy..."

Oh, and I was so close to forgetting to tell you about my other favourite song. Worker's Comp. has to be one of my favourite hip hop songs ever. The idea of mixing love and economy is ice-age awesome.