:''Disambiguation: "Electronica" is also a Herman and Henry short featured in Season 4, Episode 41 of The Harveytoons Show.''

Name	Electronica
Bgcolor	silver
Color	black
Stylistic origins	Electronic dance music
Cultural origins	Late 1970s to 1980s, Europe, India, Japan, United States
Instruments	Synthesizer, drum machine, sequencer, keyboard, sampler (traditional instrumentation such as bass, drums often featured more regularly than other electronic genres)
Popularity	Large since mid-1990s
Subgenrelist	List of electronic music genres
Subgenres	Bitpop - Chip - Downtempo - Glitch - IDM - Nu jazz - Plinkerpop - Trip hop
Fusiongenres	Dubtronica - Folktronica - Funktronica - Livetronica - Post-rock - Eurodisco - Electronicore - Deep
Other topics	Electronic musical instrument – Computer music – Record labels }}

Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing. The term was first used in the United States in the early 1990s with regards to post-rave global-influenced electronic dance music. Genres such as techno, drum and bass, downtempo, and ambient are among those encompassed by the umbrella term, entering the American mainstream from "alternative" or "underground" venues during the late 1990s. Prior to the adoption of ''electronica'' for this purpose, terms such as ''electronic listening music'', and ''intelligent dance music (IDM)'' were used.

''Allmusic'' categorises electronica as a top-level genre on their main page, where they state that electronica includes danceable grooves to music for headphones and chillout areas.

Electronica has grown to influence mainstream crossover recordings. Electronic sounds began to form the basis of a wide array of popular music in the late 1970s, and became key to the mainstream pop and rock sounds of the 1980s. Since the adoption of "electronica" in the 1990s to describe more underground music with an electronic aesthetic, elements of modern electronica have been adopted by many popular artists in mainstream music.

Electronic Dance Music Culture, a contemporary subculture centered on raves, is a global phenomenon that has been attracting the interest of scholars across the globe. Originating from "Acid House" parties in Ibiza, Spain, and "Psychedelic Trance" dance parties in Goa, India (Goa trance), raves became the most dynamic digital counterculture of the 1990s. First in Europe and Goa, then in the US, and then all over the world, raves have become associated with peace-and-love idealism, community, an embrace of technology, and psychedelic consciousness, though they have been criticized for their acceptance of drug usage and sexual practices that are of questionable safety.

A wave of diverse acts

Electronica took benefit from advancements in music technology, especially electronic musical instruments, synthesizers, music sequencers, drum machines, and digital audio workstations. Early forms of electronic music required large amounts of complex equipment and multiple operators for live performances, and multiple engineers to record the music at high quality. As the technology developed, it became possible for individuals or smaller groups to produce electronic songs and recordings in smaller studios, even in project studios. At the same time, computers facilitated the use of music "samples" and "loops" as construction kits for sonic compositions. This led to a period of creative experimentation and the development of new forms, some of which became known as ''electronica''.

In the mid-1990s, ''electronica'' began to be used by MTV and major record labels to describe mainstream electronic dance music made by such artists as Orbital (who had previously been described as techno) and The Prodigy. It is currently used to describe a wide variety of musical acts and styles, linked by a penchant for overtly electronic production; a range which includes more popular acts such as Björk, Goldfrapp and IDM artists such as Autechre, and Aphex Twin to dub-oriented downtempo, downbeat, and trip-hop. Madonna and Björk are said to be responsible for electronica's thrust into mainstream culture, with their albums ''Ray of Light'' (Madonna), ''Post'' and ''Homogenic'' (Björk). Electronica artists that would later become commercially successful began to record in the early 1990s, before the term had come into common usage, including for example Fatboy Slim, Daft Punk, The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, Moby, Electro Arcade, Underworld and Faithless. A focus on "songs", a fusion of styles and a combination of traditional and electronic instruments often sets apart musicians working in electronic-styles over more straight-ahead styles of house, techno and trance. Electronica composers often create alternate versions of their compositions, known as "remixes"; this practice also occurs in related musical forms such as ambient, jungle, and electronic dance music. Wide ranges of influences, both sonic and compositional, are combined in electronica recordings. Hits from this period include instrumental pieces like ''Children'' by Robert Miles (1995).

The more abstract Autechre and Aphex Twin around this time were releasing early records in the "intelligent techno" or so-called intelligent dance music (IDM) style, while other Bristol-based musicians such as Tricky, Leftfield, Massive Attack and Portishead were experimenting with the fusion of electronic textures with hip-hop, R&B; rhythms to form what became known as trip-hop. Later extensions to the trip hop aesthetic around 1997 came from the highly influential Vienna-based duo of Kruder & Dorfmeister, whose blunted, dubbed-out, slowed beats became the blueprint for the new style of downtempo. Roni Size, Goldie and Omni Trio commanded attention in the UK as exemplars of the drum and bass genre.

It could be noted that older bands such as New Order and Depeche Mode had built on the new wave music of the 1980s and added more dance and electronic instrumentation and alternative rock influences to become early pioneers of "electronica" music. These two groups are very commonly cited as being hugely influential to the first generations of underground and later, alternative electronica artists.

Global patterns of popularity

By the late 1990s, artists like Moby had become internationally famous, releasing albums and performing regularly in major venues. In the United States and other countries like Australia, electronica (and the other attendant dance music genres) remained popular, although largely underground, while in Europe it had become one of the most dominant forms of popular music.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Electronica's maturing sound embraced multi-cultural influences both through the increasing commercial availability of audio sample libraries of musical instruments from around the globe, as well as cross-pollination with DJs, performers and recording artists from many nations. New York City became one center of experimentation and growth for the electronica sound, with DJs and music producers from areas as diverse as Southeast Asia and Brazil brought their creative work to the nightclubs of that city.

The Norwegian dance duo Röyksopp reached unexpected stardom in 2001 when its debut album ''Melody AM'' became an international bestseller. By 2002 the style had a harder edge and in the UK tracks like “Loneliness” by Tomcraft hit number One and the following year an electro dance scene emerged in the UK. The release of albums like “New Wave Electro” on Orange Sync Records and Electrotech Ministry of Sound introduced this style to the clubs with post punk beats, mono Synth breaks which became the formula for the current electro dance scene in the UK.

Effect on mainstream popular music

Around the mid-1990s, with the success of the big beat-sound exemplified by The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy in the UK, and spurred by the attention from mainstream artists, including Madonna in her collaboration with William Orbit on her album ''Ray of Light'' and Australian singer Dannii Minogue with her 1997 album ''Girl'', music of this period began to be produced with a higher budget, increased technical quality, and with more layers than most other forms of dance music, since it was backed by major record labels and MTV as the "next big thing".

According to a 1997 ''Billboard'' article, "[t]he union of the club community and independent labels" provided the experimental and trend-setting environment in which electronica acts developed and eventually reached the mainstream. It cites American labels such as Astralwerks (The Future Sound of London, Fluke), Moonshine (DJ Keoki), Sims, and City of Angels (The Crystal Method) for playing a significant role in discovering and marketing artists who became popularized in the electronica scene.

The adoption of elements of electronica by several of the world's most popular rock bands was also seen beginning in the mid 1990s, for example U2's ''Achtung Baby'' (1991), ''Zooropa'' (1993) and ''Pop'' (1997) albums, Radiohead's ''OK Computer'' (1997), R.E.M.'s ''Up'' (1998), The Smashing Pumpkins' ''Adore'' (1998), Blur's ''13'' (1999) and Oasis's ''Standing on the Shoulder of Giants'' (2000) albums. Several of these albums were produced with electronic dance producers, such as William Orbit who produced both Madonna's ''Ray of Light.'' and Blur's ''13''. Radiohead's 2000 follow-up to ''OK Computer'', ''Kid A'', found one of the most polarised critical receptions for an adoption of electronic sounds by a rock group, but the album also received wide acclaim, and the band cited their debts to a large number of electronic musicians, such as Autechre and Boards of Canada, in a recording which reached #1 on the US album charts. The word "electronica" was commonly applied to such releases despite large differences in style. Indeed, by the late 1990s, the word was mostly used by rock fans to describe rock and pop artists' adoption of electronic music textures (such as samples, synthesizers and drum machines) with which they were otherwise unfamiliar, as well as to label a few dance-oriented acts that achieved popularity. This was particularly true in the US where the electronic dance subculture was less prominent.

In the early 2000s, electronica-inspired post punk experienced a revival, with rock bands such as Interpol and The Killers specifically drawing on the 1980s sound of New Order and The Cure.

With newly prominent music styles such as reggaeton, and subgenres such as electroclash, and favela funk, electronic music styles in the current decade are seen to permeate nearly all genres of the mainstream and indie landscape such that a distinct "electronica" genre of pop music is rarely noted. However, the word continues to be more common in the U.S. music industry for synthesized, techno-inspired pop music, as specific genres such as drum and bass and IDM never achieved mainstream attention.

Hip hop fusion

Hip hop DJs and producers had been mining electronic sounds to create beats since Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash pioneered the use of drum machines and synthesizers in the early 1980s, and the hip hop genre shared with other forms of electronic music an emphasis on sampling. Beginning with the success of Dr. Dre and G-funk rap in the mid 1990s, many hip hop producers began turning to a more synthesized sound, resulting in the rise of "superproducers" such as The Neptunes, who cultivated a science fiction image with sleek, overtly electronic beats, and Timbaland, who did likewise and also was known for creative sampling, rising to fame for his work with Aaliyah and Missy Elliott and producing a variety of pop and R&B; records for artists such as Justin Timberlake. Timberlake's 2006 hit songs "SexyBack" and "My Love", both produced by Timbaland, were particularly notable for their electronic aesthetic, while The Neptunes worked with a range of acts from Britney Spears to Jay-Z.

A variety of other hip hop performers used electronica-influenced sounds as hooks in their songs. Outkast, a popular and acclaimed hip hop duo, adopted sounds in their 2003 hit single "Hey Ya" and member/producer Andre Benjamin praised the music of Squarepusher. In 2007 Kanye West, initially known for more natural sounding hip hop productions influenced by classic R&B; music, released his third album ''Graduation'', which featured some songs with a sharp electronic aesthetic, a sound which greatly expanded on West's latest album, where he emphasized synthesizer and vocal manipulations prominently and cited major influences from 1980s synth pop music, as well as from T-Pain, a hip-hop performer known for manipulating his voice by using the electronic effect processor Autotune. However, West's 2007 single "Stronger" used a prominent sample from a song by the French dance-oriented electronic act Daft Punk, whose work in the 1990s and early 2000s was also becoming highly sampled and influential on the musical aesthetic of acts in other genres such as indie rock and indie dance.

Electronica in 2009 gained global recognition as an essential part of most hip hop becoming the core sound on a range of tracks by artists like The Black Eyed Peas and new emerging artists like Tinie Tempah. Orange Sync Records now called New Head Records found new success in 2010 with a new audience re-visiting artists The Synth DJs "the Saviours of Electronica" & "Human Design" albums and Daft Punk with the release of the soundtrack for ''Tron: Legacy''.

Included in popular media

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, electronica music was increasingly used as background scores for television advertisements, initially for automobiles. It was also used for various video games, specifically the ''Wipeout'' series, for which the soundtrack was composed of many popular and highly-appropriate electronica tracks that helped create more interest in this type of music -- and later for other technological and business products such as computers and financial services.

See also

List of electronic music genres

References

Literature

Cummins, James. 2008. ''Ambrosia: About a Culture - An Investigation of Electronica Music and Party Culture.'' Toronto, ON: Clark-Nova Books. ISBN 978-0-978489-21-2

* Category:Radio formats

ar:إلكترونيكا br:Elektronika cs:Electronica da:Electronica de:Electronica (Musik) fr:Electronica ko:일렉트로니카 id:Musik electronica lv:Elektronika (mūzikas žanrs) lmo:Electronica nah:Electronica ja:エレクトロニカ no:Electronica pl:Electronica pt:Electronica ro:Electronica (gen muzical) sq:Electronica sk:Electronica sr:Електроника (музика) fi:Electronica sv:Electronica th:อิเล็กทรอนิกา

Name	Jay Electronica
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Timothy Elpadaro Thedford
Born	September 19, 1976 (age 34)
Origin	Magnolia Projects, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Genre	Hip hop
Label	The Dogon Society, Roc Nation
Associated acts	J Dilla, Erykah Badu, Just Blaze, Jay-Z, Mos Def, Curren$y, Nas, Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli, Lil B
Years active	2004 - Present }}

Jay Electronica (real name: Timothy Elpadaro Thedford) is an American hip-hop artist. He was perhaps best known for the piece of music ''Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge)'', until the release of the Just Blaze produced track "Exhibit C" in late 2009 . Announced on November 12, 2010, Jay is an official member of Jay-Z's Roc Nation.

Early career

Thedford was born on September 19, 1976, in the Magnolia Projects of New Orleans, a place where the crime rate was infamous throughout the country before 2005, when the projects were flooded during Hurricane Katrina. Thedford began rapping after hearing with his nephew Akeem Pryor and by the age of 19, Jay Electronica left New Orleans to pursue his musical career. Living a mostly nomadic lifestyle, this vagabond had found refuge in cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, Detroit, New York, and Atlanta. From club to club, and stage to stage, Electronica had gotten booed off and denied because of his Southern accent and slang. “In my earlier years from when I first left home, I was embarrassed from being from the South,” Thedford stated. “Not in general, but as a rapper because all of the negative things that people in the States put on the South.” Electronica’s career really took form in the city of Detroit when he linked up with Detroit native Johnnie Last, a friend he had spent a lot of time with at Darp Studios in Atlanta, GA. Electronica really started to gain a little notoriety at this time because of his work with late producer/emcee J. Dilla. Before signing to Roc Nation in 2010, Jay Electronica was a prospective signee of Bad Boy Records, a label owned by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Music and reception

Jay Electronica has yet to release a full-length album, but he has released two official singles to date, "Exhibit A" and "Exhibit C", which won a Sucker Free Summit Award for Instant Classic. His music so far has been made available through the internet, either through being leaked to what ''URB'' magazine describes as "obscure web forums", or through an appearing and disappearing Myspace page (currently two seem to be in existence, at /jayelect and at /jayelectronica). Erykah Badu has questioned whether he ever will release, in her words, "actual albums". From New Orleans, LA he has lived in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Denver, and Detroit, where he recorded his ''Style Wars''-era music with several J Dilla beats, meeting the producer subsequently to ask for permission to use the recordings as a demo. Detroit is where Electronica met producer/engineer Mike "Chav" Chavarria, who introduced him to both J Dilla and Mr. Porter, and who is now a regular collaborator.

Jay Electronica first gained significant attention through ''Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge)'', made available on a MySpace page in 2007. It is 9:13 continuous minutes of music, without drums, built from Jon Brion's soundtrack to the film ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind''. There are five segments or movements marked by changes in music and mood, raps by Electronica, and occasional snippets of sampled dialogue including scenes from ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory''. The first segment is a spoken word piece by Just Blaze and Erykah Badu describing Electronica over piano music.

The nature of the piece of music, along with the nature of its appearance, led to a slow build-up of interest in Electronica as an enigmatic figure. Songs circulating online as the ''Style Wars'' EP gained wider circulation, and other songs, such as the dream-inspired "Dimethyltryptamine", soon appeared. In January 2008, Giles Peterson's 90-minute ''Gilles Peterson Worldwide'' was devoted to the rapper. Hiphopdx.com in 2008 called him "arguably...the most talked about new emcee last year ... at times...more like a myth or urban legend than an actual rapper", and ''URB'' ran a cover story on the artist under the banner "Jay Electronica: A Spotless Mind :: An MC’s mystery revealed", which referred to his wanderings as his being "like some sort of hip-hop Jack Kerouac".

Jeff Weiss' piece for the ''L.A. Weekly'', "Jay Electronica: Much Better Than His Name Would Suggest", acknowledged that the rapper could be fairly described as "one of the most buzzed about rappers of 2008", but attempted to temper the hype somewhat, describing ''Act 1...'' as "ambitious, wildly original, if not slightly pretentious", while endorsing only to an extent the comparisons ''URB'' had made (referencing an "abstract rhyming style") to rappers like Nas and Pharoahe Monch.

According to ''URB'', ''Act II: Patents of Nobility'' will feature Nas, and will be the second of a putative trilogy. ''URB'' also reported that digital EPs with both Guilty Simpson and producer 9th Wonder were planned. His most recent music as of November 2008 is the Just Blaze-produced track "Exhibit A (Transformations)".

According to a Filter TV interview, Jay Electronica has partnered with Decon to release his debut project. It is being described as a multi-media release and footage from the project which was partially shot in Nepal and Dubai has begun to surface online. The first clip to leak is titled "Dear Moleskine" and can be found on YouTube, the track was produced by Just Blaze and the clip was directed by Jason Goldwatch from Decon. In June 2009, Decon and Jay's "The Dogon Society" released "Exhibit A" digitally. "Exhibit C" was released on iTunes December 16, 2009 and quickly shot to the top 10 of the iTunes Hip-Hop charts. The following week it was chosen by Hot 97's Dj Enuff as the Heavy Hitter pick of the week.

On February 9, 2010, it was announced Jay Electronica will appear at the 2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival.

Jay Electronica continued his scattered release practice, releasing "A Million In The Morning" on April 4, 2010. The song features a weary Electronica trying to keep himself awake to escape his nightmares.

On April 30, Jay Electronica debuted "The Ghost of Christopher Wallace" via his Twitter. The song features P Diddy and is produced by London beatsmith Quincey Tones, who is known for producing such acts as Young Jeezy and Royce da 5'9".

Couple of days before his signing to Roc Nation, his track "The Announcement" was released.

On 12 November 2010, Jay-Z announced that Jay Electronica was officially the newest member of his own 'Roc Nation' record label/management company, which boasts such acts as J. Cole, and Willow Smith.

In late 2010, he and Lucy Liu featured on The Bullitts track "Close Your Eyes". It was BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe's record of the week and will feature on The Bullits upcoming album set for release in 2011. Then in July 2011, he was featured on the track "Run & Hide", which will be on the same album.

In July 2011, Jay Electronica posted via his twitter that his debut album, "Act II: Patents Of Nobility (the turn)," was complete.

Personal life

Jay Electronica and Erykah Badu have one child together, Mars Merkaba Thedford, born on February 1, 2009. He is a member of the Five Percent Nation.

Endorsements

In December, 2010, Jay Electronica starred in a Mountain Dew commercial endorsing the brand’s cherry-flavored soft drink “Code Red.” The commercial is set in a theater located in New Orleans, Louisiana, where Jay performs a small segment of his song “The Announcement” in front of an energetic crowd. The advertisement features the tagline “Hip hop is different on the mountain.” Jay Electronica ends the commercial with the following quote: “I’m Jay Electronica. When I rhyme, the whole world disappears. Hip hop is different on my mountain.”

Discography

LPs

''Act II: Patents of Nobility (The Turn)'' (TBA)

EPs

''Style Wars EP'' (2007)

Mixtapes

''Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge)'' (2007)

Singles {|class="wikitable" |- !rowspan="2"|Year !rowspan="2"|Song !colspan="3"|Chart positions !rowspan="2"|Album |- !width="40"|U.S. !width="40"|U.S. R&B; !width="40"|U.S. Rap |- | style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"|2009 |"Exhibit A" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |- |"Exhibit C" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|86 | style="text-align:center;"|— |- | style="text-align:center;"|2010 |"Shiny Suit Theory" (featuring Jay-Z & The-Dream) | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|''Act II: Patents Of Nobility'' |}

Guest appearances

"Just Begun" from Reflection Eternal's "Revolutions per Minute"

"The Day" from Curren$y's "Pilot Talk"

"Live It" from Paul Wall's "Heart of a Champion"

"Prowler 2" from Ski Beatz "24 Hour Karate School"

"Higher" from Game's "The R.E.D. Album"

External links

:::::::Magnetik7::::::: (come on in, the water's fine.) - Official web site (inactive since 2005)

Jay Electronica Official News Source

Jay Electronica Fan Website(domain expired)

Jay Electronica (JayElectronica) on Twitter

''URB'' Jay Electronica cover (left) (.gif)

Giles Peterson Worldwide (.mp3, 80MB) - Lengthy interview and music

Jay Electronica video interview on redbullmusicacademy.com

Just Blaze, Jay Electronica, & Mike "Chav" Chavarria - An Interview with Jay, Chav, & Just Blaze

Exclaim! magazine interview with Jay Electronica-Exclaim!

(19®, APDTA™, Nation19) 19® is a clothing line that is worn by J-Electronica

Sources

Category:African American rappers Category:Rappers from New Orleans, Louisiana Category:Living people Category:1976 births Category:Members of the Nation of Gods and Earths

de:Jay Electronica fr:Jay Electronica

name	Mos Def
background	solo_singer
birth name	Dante Terrell Smith
born	December 11, 1973Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
origin	Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City
genre	Hip hop
occupation	Rapper, actor, singer, activist
years active	1994–present
label	Rawkus, Priority, Geffen, Downtown, GOOD Music
associated acts	Soulquarians, Black Star, Talib Kweli, Native Tongues Posse, Kanye West, Gorillaz
notable instruments	}}

Dante Terrell Smith (born December 11, 1973) is an American actor and MC known by the stage name Mos Def (). Mos Def started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which released the album ''Black Star'' in 1998. He was a major force in the late 1990s underground hip hop explosion spearheaded by Rawkus Records. As a solo artist he has released the albums ''Black on Both Sides'' in 1999, ''The New Danger'' in 2004, ''True Magic'' in 2006, and ''The Ecstatic'' in 2009.

Although he was initially recognized for his musical output, since the early 2000s, Mos Def's screen work has established him as one of only a handful of rappers who have garnered critical approval for their acting work. Mos Def has also been active in several social and political issues.

Early life

Mos Def grew up during the golden age of hip-hop and has rapped and acted since he was six. He attended Philippa Schuyler Middle School in Bushwick, Brooklyn. He majored in Musical Theater at Talent Unlimited High School of the Performing Arts in Manhattan. He studied at New York University in the Gallatin School of Individualized Study.

He has two younger brothers, Abdul Rahman (a.k.a. "Gold Medal Man"), who is Mos Def's full-time DJ, and Anwar Superstar. He also has a younger sister, Ces "Casey" Smith, and a younger half-brother, Jermone Victor Moulton, who resides in Brooklyn and shares the same mother, Sheron.

Mos Def converted to Islam. While his father was initially a member of the Nation of Islam and later an active member in the community of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, who merged into mainstream Islam from the Nation, Mos Def was not exposed to Islam until the age of 13. At 19, he took his ''shahada'', the Muslim declaration of faith. He is friends with fellow Muslim rappers Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Q-Tip.

Career

Music career

Mos Def began his music career in 1994 in the short-lived group Urban Thermo Dynamics with his younger brother D.c.Q and younger sister Ces. Despite their contract with Payday Records, the group only had two singles, and their debut album ''Manifest Destiny'' was not released until 2004, when it was distributed by Illson Media. In 1996, he emerged as a solo artist and worked with De La Soul and Da Bush Babees, before he released his own first single, "Universal Magnetic", which was a huge underground hit.

Mos Def signed with Rawkus Records and formed the group Black Star with Talib Kweli. They released an album, ''Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star'', in 1998. Mostly produced by Hi-Tek, the album featured the hit singles, "Respiration" and "Definition", which would go on to be featured in VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip-Hop. Mos Def released his solo debut album ''Black on Both Sides'' in 1999, also through Rawkus. Around this time he also contributed to the Scritti Politti album ''Anomie & Bonhomie'' and Rawkus compilations ''Lyricist Lounge'' and ''Soundbombing''.

After the collapse of Rawkus, he signed to Interscope/Geffen Records, which released his second solo album ''The New Danger'' in 2004. ''The New Danger'' contained a mix of several musical genres, including soul, blues, and rock and roll, performed with his rock band Black Jack Johnson, which contained members of the bands Bad Brains and Living Colour. The singles included "Sex, Love & Money" and the B-side "Ghetto Rock"; the latter went on to receive several Grammy Award nominations in 2004.

Mos Def's final solo album for Geffen Records, ''True Magic'', was quietly released on December 29, 2006. ''True Magic'' features production from The Neptunes, Rich Harrison and Minnesota, among others. The album was released in a clear-case with no cover art. Neither Geffen nor Mos Def himself promoted the album at all, which is the main reason the album was received under the radar.

The song "Crime & Medicine" is essentially a cover of GZA's 1995 single "Liquid Swords", though it contains different verses. Also, the track "Undeniable" samples a version of the Barrett Strong/Norman Whitfield composition "Message from a Black Man". The song "Dollar Day" uses the same beat as Juvenile's "Nolia Clap".

MTV reported that this album isn't a full version, but a teaser/promotional debut. A new version of the album would be released spring 2007, with updated songs and cover art. However, on October 17, 2007, Okayplayer reported, through discussions with Mos Def's management, that these rumors were unsubstantiated. The CD was intended to be released without promotion or cover art, as per Mos Def's request. There would be no future re-release.

On November 7, 2007, Mos Def performed live in San Francisco at a venue called The Mezzanine. This performance was recorded for an upcoming "Live in Concert" DVD. During this performance Mos Def announced that he would be releasing a new album to be called ''The Ecstatic''. He sang a number of new tracks; in later shows, Def previewed tracks produced by Madlib and was rumored to be going to Kanye West for new material. Producer and fellow Def Poet Al Be Back stated that he would be producing as well. The album was released on June 9, 2009; upon its release, only Madlib's production had made the cut, along with tracks by Preservation, The Neptunes, Mr. Flash, Madlib's brother Oh No, a song by J. Dilla, and Georgia Anne Muldrow.

Mos Def appears alongside Kanye West on the track "Two Words" from The College Dropout album, the track "Drunk And Hot Girls" and the bonus track "Good Night" off West's third major album, Graduation. In 2002, he released the 12" single Fine, which was featured in the ''Brown Sugar'' Motion Picture Soundtrack.

Mos Def also appears on the debut album from fellow New Yorkers Apollo Heights on a track titled, "Concern." In October, he signed a deal with Downtown Records and appeared on a remix to the song "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice. Mos Def appeared on Stephen Marley's album ''Mind Control'' on the song "Hey Baby." In 2009, Mos Def worked together with Somali rapper K'naan to produce the track "America" for K'naan's album Troubadour.

In April 2008 he appeared on the title track for a new album by The Roots entitled ''Rising Down''. The new single, Life In Marvelous Times, was made officially available through iTunes on November 4, 2008, and is available for stream on the Roots' website Okayplayer.

April 2009 saw him traveling to South Africa for the first time where he performed accompanied by The Robert Glasper Experiment at the renowned Cape Town International Jazz Festival. He enticed his bemused African following with an encore introduced by his own rendition of John Coltrane's "Love Supreme" followed by a sneak preview of the track "M.D. (Doctor)", much to the delight of the fans.

Mos Def also designed two pairs of limited edition Converse shoes. The shoes were released to Foot Locker stores on August 1, 2009 in very limited amounts.

In late 2009, Mos Def created a brand of clothing line with UNDRCRWN called the "Mos Def Cut & Sew Collection." All clothing items will be sold in select stores located around the U.S. and almost exclusively on the UNDRCRWN website. 2009 also found Mos Def among the MCs collaborating with the Black Keys on the first Blakroc album, a project headed by the Black Keys and Damon Dash. Mos Def appeared with Jim Jones and the Black Keys on the Late Show with David Letterman to perform the Blakroc track "Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)".

In March 2010, Mos Def's song Quiet Dog Bite Hard was featured in Palm's "Life moves fast. Don't miss a thing." campaign.

Mos Def features on the first single, "Stylo", from the third Gorillaz album, ''Plastic Beach'', alongside soul legend Bobby Womack. He also appears on the track titled "Sweepstakes".

In September 2010, after appearing on Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Friday track "Lord Lord Lord", Mos Def confirmed his signing with GOOD Music.

Mos Def has been an active contributor to the recovery of the oil spill in the Gulf, performing concerts and raising money towards the repair of the damages. In June 2010, he recorded a cover of the classic New Orleans song originally by Smokey Johnson, "It Ain't My Fault" with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Lenny Kravitz and Trombone Shorty.

Acting career

He began his professional acting career at the age of fourteen, appearing in the TV movie ''God Bless the Child'', starring Mare Winningham. He then played the oldest child in the short-lived family sitcom, ''You Take the Kids'', starring Nell Carter and Roger E. Mosley. His most notable acting role before his music career was that of Bill Cosby's sidekick on the short-lived detective show, ''The Cosby Mysteries''. He also starred in a 1996 Visa check card commercial featuring Deion Sanders. In 1997 he had a small role alongside Michael Jackson in his short film and music video "Ghosts".

After brief appearances in ''Bamboozled'' and ''Monster's Ball'', Mos re-invigorated his acting career with his performance as a talented rapper who is reluctant to sign to a major label in ''Brown Sugar''. He was nominated for an Image Award and a Teen Choice Award.

In 2001, he took a supporting role to Beyoncé Knowles and Mehki Phifer in the MTV movie Carmen: A Hip Hopera as Lt. Miller, a crooked cop.

In 2002, he played the role of Booth in Suzan-Lori Parks' ''Topdog/Underdog'', a Tony-nominated and Pulitzer-winning Broadway play. He and co-star Jeffrey Wright won a Special Award from the Outer Critics Circle Award for their joint performance. He also received positive notices as the quirky Left Ear in the blockbuster hit, ''The Italian Job'' in 2003. He also appeared in 2003 in the music video ''You Don't Know My Name'' of the song by Alicia Keys.

In television, Mos Def has appeared on Comedy Central's ''Chappelle's Show'', and has hosted the award-winning HBO spoken word show, ''Def Poetry'' since its inception. The show's sixth season aired in 2007. He also appeared on the sitcom ''My Wife And Kids'' as the disabled friend of Michael Kyle (Damon Wayans).

Mos Def won Best Actor, Independent Movie at the 2005 Black Reel Awards for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Lucas in ''The Woodsman''. For his portrayal of Vivien Thomas in HBO's film ''Something the Lord Made'', he was nominated for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe, and won the Image Award. He also played a bandleader in HBO's ''Lackawanna Blues''. He then landed the role of Ford Prefect in the 2005 movie adaptation of ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''.

In 2006, Mos Def appeared in ''Dave Chappelle's Block Party'' alongside fellow Black Star companion Talib Kweli, while also contributing to the film's soundtrack. Also, Mos Def was featured as the black banjo player in the infamous "Pixie Sketch" from ''Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes''. He was later edited out of it on the DVD. Additionally, Mos Def starred in the action film ''16 Blocks'' alongside Bruce Willis and David Morse. He has a recurring guest role on ''Boondocks'', starring as "Gangstalicious". He is also set to be in ''Toussaint'', a film about Haitian revolutionary Toussaint Louverture, opposite Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes. He made a cameo appearance — playing himself — in the movie ''Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby''.

In 2008, Mos Def starred in the Michel Gondry movie ''Be Kind Rewind'', playing a video rental store employee whose best friend is played by co-star Jack Black. He also portrayed Chuck Berry in the film ''Cadillac Records'', for which he was nominated for a Black Reel Award and an Image Award.

In 2009, he appeared in the ''House'' episode entitled "Locked In" as a patient suffering from locked-in syndrome. His performance was well-received, with E! saying that Mos Def "delivers an Emmy-worthy performance." He was also in the 2009 film ''Next Day Air''.

In 2010, he appeared on the children's show Yo Gabba Gabba! as Super Mr. Superhero. He also appeared in ''A Free Man of Color'', John Guare's play at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre.

In 2011, it was announced he would appear on the Showtime television series ''Dexter''. He will play Brother Sam, an ex-con who has supposedly found religion despite finding himself in violent situations.

Social and political views

By the early 1990s, a brand of socially conscious hip hop that had been pioneered and popularized by Public Enemy, KRS-One, and De La Soul, among others, had been eclipsed in popularity by gangsta rap. Mos Def, as well as Talib Kweli, The Roots, Common, and others, helped socially aware rap music experience something of a comeback in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Mos Def's collaboration with Talib Kweli, ''Black Star'', was released during the aftermath of the deaths of 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. and focused on violence and negativity in hip-hop, in collaboration with other acts that did the same. His music has also made reference to his Islamic faith, and his contention that black artists receive little credit for their role in the birth of rock and roll.

On Mos Def's 2004 album ''The New Danger'', he took his penchant for experimentation to a new level. Most of the songs were more hip-hop flavored stylings of blues and rock, with fewer raps thrown in. This threw off fans who were expecting another full-blown rap album. ''The New Danger'' also featured the controversial song, "The Rape Over," a parody of Jay-Z's ''The Blueprint'' hit "Takeover". His label made him take the song off releases of the album, citing clearance issues with Jay-Z and The Doors, a band which the song samples. The song has garnered controversy over its veiled reference to Israeli-American record executive Lyor Cohen (the "tall Israeli" who then was head of The Island Def Jam Music Group).

Mos Def and Immortal Technique released a similarly controversial song, "Bin Laden" in 2004, which blamed the Reagan Doctrine and President George W. Bush for the September 11, 2001 attacks. A club remix song, featuring Eminem, was released the following year, in 2005.

In September 2005, Mos Def released the single "Katrina Clap," renamed "Dollar Day" for ''True Magic'', (utilizing the instrumental for New Orleans rappers UTP's "Nolia Clap"). The song is a criticism of the Bush administration's response to Hurricane Katrina. On the night of the MTV Video Music Awards, Mos Def pulled up in front of Radio City Music Hall on a flatbed truck and began performing the "Katrina Clap" single in front of a crowd that quickly gathered around him. He was subsequently arrested despite having a public performance permit in his possession.

On September 7, 2007, Mos Def appeared on ''Real Time with Bill Maher'' where he spoke about racism against African Americans, citing the government response to Hurricane Katrina, the Jena Six and the murder conviction of Mumia Abu-Jamal. Mos Def also claimed that Al-Qaeda was not responsible for 9/11, and that Al-Qaeda is not responsible for as much terrorism as they are portrayed to be. He appeared on ''Real Time'' again on March 27, 2009, and spoke about the risk of nuclear weapons. Mos Def said that he did not listen to any of Osama Bin Laden's messages because he did not trust the translations.

In 2000, Mos Def performed a benefit concert for death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Personal life

In 1996, Def married Maria Yepes. After having two daughters, Chandani and Jauhara Smith, he filed for divorce in 2005. The divorce became final in 2006. Two years later, Def's divorce lawyers Blank Rome sued Def for more than $60,000 in unpaid legal bills.

In October, 2006 Mos Def appeared on ''4Real'', a documentary television series. Appearing in the episode "City of God," he and the 4Real crew traveled to City of God, a slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to meet Brazilian MC MV Bill and discover the crime and social problems of the community.

He has recently taken up skateboarding and said he's looking to host a skateboarding event in the United Arab Emirates.

Nominations

Black Movie Awards

* 2006 Source Awards

Black Reel Awards

* 2008, Best Supporting Actor: ''Cadillac Records''

* 2003, Best Actor- Independent: ''Civil Brand''

* 2004, Best Supporting Actor: ''The Italian Job''

* 2005, Best Actor TV Movie/Mini-Series: ''Something the Lord Made''

* 2005, Best Indie Actor: ''The Woodsman'' (won)

Emmy Award

* 2004, Best Actor in a Television Movie or Mini-Series: ''Something the Lord Made''

Golden Globes

* 2005, Best Actor in a Television Movie or Mini-Series: ''Something the Lord Made''

Grammy Awards

* 2005, Best Urban/Alternative Performance: "Sex, Love & Money"

* 2006, Best Urban/Alternative Performance: "Ghetto Rock"

* 2007, Best Rap Solo Performance: "Undeniable"

* 2010, Best Rap Solo Performance: "Casa Bey"

* 2010, Best Rap Album: "The Ecstatic"

* 2011, Best Short Form Music Video: "Stylo" (with Bobby Womack and Gorillaz)

* 2009, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: ''Cadillac Records''

* 2003, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: ''Brown Sugar''

* 2005, Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie or Mini-Series: ''Something the Lord Made''

Discography

''Black on Both Sides'' (1999)

''The New Danger'' (2004)

''True Magic'' (2006)

''The Ecstatic'' (2009)

Filmography

''Ghosts (Michael Jackson film) ''Where's Marlowe?'' ''Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme'' ''Carmen: A Hip Hopera'' ''Showtime (film) ''The Italian Job (2003 film) ''The Woodsman'' Vivien Thomas ''Lackawanna Blues'' ''Dave Chappelle's Block Party'' ''Prince Among Slaves (film) ''Be Kind Rewind'' ''Next Day Air'' ''I'm Still Here (film) ''Yo Gabba Gabba

Year !! Film !! Role !! Notes
1991	The Hard Way (1991 film)>The Hard Way''	Dead Romeos Gang Member
1997	Ghosts'' ||	Townsperson
1998	|	Wilt Crawley
rowspan="3"	2000	|	Himself
''Bamboozled''	Big Blak Afrika
''Island of the Dead (2000 film)	Island of the Dead''	Robbie J
rowspan="2"	2001	|	Lieutenant Miller
''Monster's Ball''	Ryrus Cooper
rowspan="4"	2002	Showtime'' ||	Lazy Boy
''Civil Brand''	Michael Meadows
''Brown Sugar (2002 film)	Brown Sugar''	Chris 'Cav' Anton Vichon
''My Wife and Kids''
2003	The Italian Job'' ||	Left Ear
rowspan="2"	2004	|	Detective Lucas
''Something the Lord Made''	| Nominated - Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated - Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for TelevisionNominated - Image Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Mini-Series or Television Movie
rowspan="3"	2005	|	The Bandleader
''The Boondocks (TV series)	The Boondocks (2005-2008)	Voice Of Gangstalicious
''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (film)	The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''	Ford Prefect (character)>Ford Prefect
rowspan="4"	2006	|	Himself
''16 Blocks''	Eddie Bunker
''Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby''	Himself
''Journey to the End of the Night (2006 film)	Journey to the End of the Night''	Wemba
2007	Prince Among Slaves'' ||	Narrator
rowspan="2"	2008	|	Mike
''Cadillac Records''	Chuck Berry
rowspan="2"	2009	|	Eric
''House (TV series)	House''	Lee
2010	I'm Still Here'' ||	Himself
2010	(TV series)	Yo Gabba Gabba!''	Super Mr. Superhero

References

External links

Mos Def / Dante Smith discographies at Discogs.

Mos Def at Geffen Records.

Mos Def Fan Message Board

Category:1973 births Category:Actors from New York City Category:African American actors Category:African American Muslims Category:Converts to Islam Category:African American Muslims Category:African American rappers Category:American vegetarians Category:Living people Category:People from Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Slam poets

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