Mos Def teams with Kanye West on new album

Last we reported on Mos Def, he had just extricated himself from his prickly relationship with Geffen Records, and was headed for the Downtown imprint to start work on new material. Well, guess what? Mr. Kanye West is onboard behind the boards for the new Mos album. As Billboard reports, West will produce some of the tracks on the as-yet untitled, release date-less record. The two hip-hop giants have collaborated before, both unofficially as well as formally on West's "Drunk and Hot Girls."

Mos Def has also scheduled a Jan. 21 performance dedicated to late producer and friend Jay Dee at Ann Arbor, Mich.'s Hill Auditorium. As for the rapper's burgeoning acting career, his IMDb page lists eight upcoming screen projects for Mr. Def. That includes a starring role in Michel Gondry's Be Kind Rewind alongside Jack Black, plus turns in William H. Macy's directorial debut Keep Coming Back, Danny Glover's historical drama Toussaint, and the recently announced sequel to The Italian Job. Expect to see plenty about the Mighty Mos in Paste's music and film sections next year.