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The Pharcyde, Nas, Tribe, Mos Def head up Rock the Bells
Rock the Bells is sort of an anomaly. It’s rare to find successful hip-hop arena tours, and in 2007, Rock the Bells was the top-grossing hip-hop event in the country. Following last year’s performances by a reunited Rage Against The Machine, this summer’s Rock the Bells tour will feature performances by A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Mos Def, De La Soul, Rakim, Method Man & Redman, Dead Prez and a reunion of the group Pharcyde, amongst others. Also billed to perform are a handful of emergent artists including Washington D.C.’s Wale, Flosstradamus and others from the electro-hip hop scene. “This... read more
Found in: Music, NewsMos Def cast as Chuck Berry in Cadillac Records
Whatever they’re paying Mos Def’s agent, it’s not enough. Fresh off his high-profile performance in Be Kind, Rewind, the mighty Mos has recently been cast as Chuck Berry in Cadillac Records, the upcoming film on the rise and fall of the influential Chicago label Chess Records. Alongside him, Adrien Brody will play label founder Leonard Chess, Cedric The Entertainer will portray session musician Willie Dixon, Eamonn Walker will play Howlin’ Wolf, and, as previously reported, Beyoncé Knowles will do her best Etta James. Knowles will also contribute four songs to the soundtrack, though there's no word on whether they’ll be... read more
Found in: Movies, NewsMos 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... read more
Found in: Music, NewsMos Def dumps Geffen for Downtown Recordings
It's no secret that Mos Def's last two solo releases have been disappointing and troubled outings. Much of that unpleasant material stems (if you believe Internet rumors) from Mos's uneasy relationship with Geffen Records, which absorbed the Rawkus imprint in 2002. His last record, the tragically bungled True Magic, fulfilled his contract with Geffen. Now it appears that Mighty Mos is moving on to (hopefully) greener pastures. He's signed, sealed and delivered himself to Downtown Recordings, where he'll join a stable of artists that includes Gnarls Barkley, Art Brut and Cold War Kids. Meanwhile, Mos Def and Spank Rock recently... read more
Found in: Music, NewsNew Mos Def LP Out, But Not Out
In a move usually reserved for faulty car parts and inadvertently-ingestible children’s toys, all copies of Mos Def’s recent release have been recalled by Geffen Records. According to a Pitchfork news item posted January 9th and MTV and VH1 bits posted January 8th, Geffen made the decision to pull True Magic from the shelves of retailers across the country after the album was lost in the post-holiday shopping shuffle in the wake of its release on December 29th, 2006. True Magic’s hasty drop-- and unorthodox Friday release date-- apparently resulted from the album being leaked in early December. But, reports... read more
Found in: Music, NewsMos Def - The New Danger
Now, more than ever, hip-hop seems to be on a divergent path: Half its practitioners are thugging and mugging,while others—led by The Roots and OutKast... read more
Found in: Music, Reviews
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