Running up against the grain can be exhausting. Going against the flow can be so hard, even salmon only do it once in life - and that's for the sake of their children, and species. So what's my excuse? Well, if you wanna kick it astrological - I'm an Aquarius. An air sign known for it's futurist tendencies and what may at first seem to be a contrary nature. I was born in Brooklyn, in the 70's, which automatically throws me on cultural high horse. You know what's up. Few people take greater pleasure in cultivating a 'lovable asshole' persona than a Brooklynite....Henry Miller, Woody Allen, Hova, me, and this guy Mos Def.
While I don't know Mos well enough to call him an actual asshole, I recognize his ability to confound, to zig when everyone wants you to zag, to experiment as an artist when the best thing you could for business is repeat what worked the first time. That first time being 1999's Black On Both Sides. ( Not his first recording, but the one that would probably define his style, after the original string of singles, quest spots, indie groups and the mighty BlackStar. )
His latest release is called the Ecstatic, and wow....it's good music. I'm not gonna get into the whole hip-hop thing, whether or not it will save East Coast rap, or what category you can find it in on fucking Itunes, cause' to me - that's the actual problem. The forest fire in days past, is now the catalyst for new growth, aiiight? Dude is all over the place on this record, but it's the right place man, trust me. This record does for Islam what the Bad Brains did for Rastas back in the day. Totally supercharging a concept by presenting it on contrasting platter. Opener Supermagic sets it all up with a telling El Hajj Malik El Shabazz sample, trebly guitars cutting the path, and Mos repeating a raw statement of intent like a mantra.
Although the production credits various folks, the album stays sonically consistent, a murky kind of 90's RZAesque thing, made brand new by manic flows that sound straight alien in the current
high shine and autotune environment. This is the kind of experimenting that new MC's should be doing, instead of imitating their cornier elders. " Life in Marvelous Times " is such an authentic slice of the olde Brooklyn life that I could smell piss on my own staircase! Things being what they are, not too hard to imagine perhaps.
I'm anxious to get back to listening, so I'll just congratulate Dante on making his Kid A , a hard left turn record, a declaration of freedom record. Check out 'Auditorium' below ( featuring Slick Rick the Ruler!!! ) and get at me up river.
