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With his Solo Debut, "Black on Both Sides," rapper Mos Def – half of the Brooklyn hip-hop purist duo Black Star – manages the oxymoronic feat of being a humble MC. For one thing, he's attuned to his elders, whether acknowledging the connection between bebop and hip-hop on the anthemic "Hip Hop" ("Remind me of Thelonious and Dizzy/But now it's the B-boys gettin' busy") or making historical points about his cultural forebears on "Rock N Roll" ("You may dig all the Rolling Stones/But everything they did, they stole"). Mos Def also hosts present-day heroes like Busta Rhymes ("Do It Now") and Q-Tip ("Mr. Nigga"). His often nationalistic rhymes are complemented by jazzy, mostly sample-free tracks from producers DJ Premier, 88 Keys and Diamond; the Roots-like "Fear Not of Man" features live percussion and organ, while "UMI Says" sports an ethereal groove. Who says that modesty and reverence don't have a place on hip-hop hits?
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Track List
- Fear Not Of Man
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Hip Hop (track not available in Rhapsody)
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Love (track not available in Rhapsody)
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Ms. Fat Booty (track not available in Rhapsody)
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Speed Law (track not available in Rhapsody)
- Do It Now - (featuring Busta Rhymes)
- Got
- Umi Says
- New World Water
- Rock 'N' Roll
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Know That - (featuring Talib Kweli) (track not available in Rhapsody)
- Climb - (featuring Vinia Mojica)
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Brooklyn (track not available in Rhapsody)
- Habitat
- Mr. N*gg* - (featuring Q-Tip)
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Mathematics (track not available in Rhapsody)
- May-December
 |
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©Copyright 2009 Rolling Stone; Jann S. Wenner, editor and publisher
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.
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