Black star may refer to:

In astronomy

Dark star (Newtonian mechanics), a theoretical star that has a surface escape velocity that equals or exceeds the speed of light

Dark star (dark matter), a theoretical star heated by dark matter annihilation in the early universe

Dark energy star, a hypothetical alternative to black holes

Black star (semiclassical gravity), a theoretical star built using ''semiclassical gravity'' as an alternative to a ''black hole''

Black hole, any region of space time where escape to the outside universe is impossible

Black dwarf, a type of degenerate dwarf star, specifically, a cold white dwarf

In astrology

Saturn, referred to as "Black Star" in ancient Judaeic beliefs

In entertainment

''Blackstar'' (TV series), a 1981 fantasy/sci-fi cartoon by Filmation

Black Star (''Babylon 5''), a ship in the ''Babylon 5'' science fiction universe

Sendit.com, a UK-based online DVD and video sales company whose former name is "Blackstar"

Black Star (Soul Eater), a Meister ninja of the Star Clan in the manga/anime Soul Eater

''Black Stars'', a set of characters from the anime "Keroro Gunso", see List of Sgt. Frog characters

''Black Star'', working title of the 1960 western ''Flaming Star'', and also a song recorded by Elvis Presley for the film

Blackstar, a character from Erin Hunter's Warriors series

''The Black Star'', a fantasy novel by Lin Carter

Blackstarr, a DC Comics supervillainess and an enemy of Supergirl

In music

Blackstar (band), a heavy metal band formed by former members of Carcass

Black Star, the initial name of Bahraini thrash metal band Motör Militia

Black Star (group), a hip hop group formed by rappers Mos Def and Talib Kweli

*''Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star'', a 1998 album by the above group

''Black Star'' (Timati album), 2006

''Blackstar'' (Yahzarah album), 2003

"Black Star", a song from Radiohead's album ''The Bends''

"Black Star", a song from Avril Lavigne's album ''''Goodbye Lullaby''"

"Black Star", a song from Carcass' album ''Swansong''

"Black Star", an instrumental track from Yngwie Malmsteen's album ''Rising Force''

''Strange Attractor/Black Star'', an album by dark ambient giant Lustmord

Black Star Deceiver, song from Soilwork's ''Natural Born Chaos'' album

Blackstar Amplification, a UK-based manufacturer of guitar amplification and effects pedals

In military

The Chinese Type 54 pistol, also known as the "Black Star pistol"

Blackstar (spacecraft), a rumoured United States Air Force spaceplane

Other

Black Star Line, a shipping line created by Marcus Garvey to repatriate African-Americans to Africa

Black Star (photo agency), a New York-based photo agency founded in 1935

Black Star (anarchist group), a Greek direct action group, also known as Mavro Asteri

Black Star Canyon, an area in Orange County California

Ghana national football team, whose nickname is "The Black Stars"

Black Sex Link, a breed of poultry also known as "Black Star"

Black Star (fragrance), the new perfume by Avril Lavigne

Blackstar, a character in the ''Warriors'' novel series

See also

Black Sun (disambiguation)

Dark Star (disambiguation)

Dark Sun (disambiguation)

fr:Étoile noire it:Black Star nl:Black Star ja:ブラックスター pl:Black Star ru:Black Star sv:Black Star

Coordinates	40°42′15.0″N73°55′4.0″N
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

ar:موس ديف bg:Мос Деф cs:Mos Def da:Mos Def de:Mos Def es:Mos Def fr:Mos Def fy:Mos Def ko:모스 데프 id:Mos Def it:Mos Def he:מוס דף nl:Mos Def ja:モス・デフ no:Mos Def pl:Mos Def pt:Mos Def sq:Mos Def simple:Mos Def fi:Mos Def sv:Mos Def uk:Мос Деф

Coordinates	40°42′15.0″N73°55′4.0″N
Name	Kevin Prince
School	UCLA Bruins
Currentnumber	4
Currentposition	Quarterback
Class	Junior
Major	Sociology
Birth date	11/28/1989
Birth place	Los Angeles,CA
Heightft	6
Heightin	2
Weight	230
Highschool	Crespi Carmelite High SchoolEncino, California
Pastschools	UCLA (2009–present)
Bowlgames	2009 EagleBank Bowl
Highlights	2009 EagleBank Bowl Champion
Rivals	52128 }}

Kevin Prince is an American football player, a quarterback who played at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, California. He is a redshirt Sophomore at UCLA, the starting quarterback for the team. Prince won the starter spot in the 2009 spring practices in a battle with junior Kevin Craft and freshman Richard Brehaut.

Prince was selected by Head Coach Rick Neuheisel to start the season opener in the Rose Bowl against San Diego State and won the game 33-14. In that game, he completed 18 of 29 passes for 176 yards and threw 1 int.

College career

;2010 On September 25, 2010, Prince led the Bruins to an upset victory over then-No. 7 ranked Texas Longhorns 34-12 in front of more than 101,430 fans in Austin, Texas. Previous week, the Bruins were victorious over then-No. 23 Houston Cougars 31-13 at home.

Personal

His father is a dentist, who graduated from UCLA.

At the Tennessee game, Prince's right jaw was broken in the final minutes of the game. It took four weeks for it to heal, and he missed two games. He also injured his shoulder in the USC game, which was aggravated late in the 2009 EagleBank Bowl verses Temple.

References

External links

UCLABruins.com bio page

Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from California Category:American football quarterbacks Category:UCLA Bruins football players Category:1989 births

Coordinates	40°42′15.0″N73°55′4.0″N
fullname	Asamoah Gyan
dateofbirth	November 22, 1985
cityofbirth	Accra
countryofbirth	Ghana
height
currentclub	Sunderland AFC | clubnumber 3
position	Striker
years1	2003
years2	2003–2008
years3	2004–2006
years4	2008–2010
years5	2010–
clubs1	Liberty Professionals
clubs2	Udinese
clubs3	→ Modena (loan)
clubs4	Rennes
clubs5	Sunderland
caps1	16
goals1	10
caps2	39
goals2	11
caps3	53
goals3	15
caps4	47
goals4	14
caps5	33
goals5	10
nationalyears1	2003–
nationalteam1	Ghana
nationalcaps1	51
nationalgoals1	25
club-update	19:30, 13 May 2011 (UTC)
nationalteam-update	14:00, 7 June 2011 (UTC) }}

Asamoah Gyan (born 22 November 1985 in Accra, Ghana) is a Ghanian footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Sunderland and the Ghana national team. He shot to prominence at the 2010 FIFA World Cup after scoring 3 goals during the tournament, and missing a penalty in the last minute of extra time in Ghana's quarter-final with Uruguay. He has an obsession with the Number '3', which he believes brings him good fortune (when joining his current club Sunderland he took squad number '33', as '3' was already taken by Kieran Richardson, however Gyan has been given '3' for the 2011/12 season). Gyan has also featured in music videos and songs under the alias of 'Baby Jet'.

Club career

Udinese

Having signed for Udinese in 2003 from Ghanaian club Liberty Professionals located in his hometown of Accra, Gyan spent two years on loan at Serie B club Modena to gain match experience. Following some excellent displays during the 2006 World Cup, he attracted interest from Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow. Gyan returned to Udinese at the start of 2006, but on 17 February 2007, Udinese pulled out of a deal to sell him in the January transfer window. The striker was on the verge of signing a 3-year deal with Russian Club Lokomotiv Moscow for US$10.5m, the fourth largest transfer fee in Russian football history. "The striker Udinese targeted to replace me did not sign for them," Gyan told BBC Sport. "I've been told I will now have to stay in Italy for the rest of the season."

On 10 August 2007, along with Fabio Quagliarella, Gyan signed an improved 5-year contract extension to stay at Udinese until 30 June 2012 as a reward for his fine form in the 2007–08 pre-season. "I have decided to stay here because it is one of the top leagues in the world," Asamoah said, "There is the possibility of me playing regular football here to make me a better player. "I am comfortable with the new deal and I know I can help Udinese achieve great things for the future". Asamoah and Quagliarella marked their contract extensions with a brace each in Udinese's 7–0 friendly win later that evening.

Gyan was also linked with moves to Manchester United, Arsenal and AC Milan. On 29 July 2007 following his impressive pre-season form, including a hat-trick in a friendly against Serie B outfit Spezia on 25 July, before Udinese sealed the long term deal. Gyan scored 10 goals in 2006–07 to help the Stadio Friuli club finish in 10th place in Serie A.

Gyan was dogged by injury during the 2007–08 season and never appeared for Udinese again after January 2008, having played only 13 Serie A matches and scored 4 times that season.

Rennes

On 11 July 2008, Asamoah was signed by French Ligue 1 Club Stade Rennais for 4 years on an €8 million transfer fee. Gyan played 48 times for Rennes, scoring 14 goals. By the end of his stay at Rennes, he became a well known goal scoring figure, scoring 13 league goals in the 2009-10 season. However, Asamoah Gyan only played two games in Ligue 1 the following season, taking his total appearances to 50, before he departed for Sunderland.

Sunderland

On 31 August 2010, Gyan signed for Premier League club Sunderland on a four-year deal. The fee was approximately £13 million, breaking the club's previous transfer fee record, which was paid to Tottenham Hotspur for striker Darren Bent. Gyan was later given the number 33 shirt at Sunderland. He scored on his Sunderland debut against Wigan Athletic on 11 September after coming on as a substitute for Danny Welbeck. The match ended in a 1–1 draw with Antolín Alcaraz scoring Wigan's equaliser. He marked his first start for Sunderland by netting their only goal in their League Cup exit at the hands of West Ham United. Gyan scored twice on his first Premier League start for the club in a 2–0 win against Stoke City on 6 November. His first goal came in the 9th minute when a Nedum Onuoha shot was parried by goalkeeper Asmir Begović, with Gyan on hand to tap home the rebound and his second came in the 86th minute, to secure a 2–0 victory for the ''Black Cats''. Three days later, he followed this up by scoring the equaliser against Tottenham at White Hart Lane in a 1–1 draw as Sunderland moved up to seventh in the table. He also scored a goal in Sunderland's 3–0 victory at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. Gyan scored Sunderland's third goal in their 3–0 victory over Blackburn Rovers on 1 January 2011. On 16 January 2011, he started against local rivals Newcastle United, scoring a 94th minute equaliser, preventing Newcastle gaining their second win of the season against Sunderland. Gyan added to his impressive goalscoring tally with a goal away at Stoke City on 5 February 2011. He scored an 11th minute goal against Tottenham on 12 February 2011. Gyan's next goal came on April 23 as Sunderland beat Wigan Athletic 4-2, a match which ended prematurely for the forward as he was substituted following a hamstring injury which is expected to see him miss the remainder of the season. Gyan did recover in time to feature in Sunderland's last game of the season at West Ham but didn't add to his tally finishing his first season in English football with 10 league goals. Gyan took the number 3 shirt for the 2011/12 season, the same number he wears for Ghana.

International career

Asamoah Gyan made his international debut at the age of 17. Gyan scored on his senior International debut for Ghana against Somalia on 19 November 2003 in the 90th minute, he came on for Isaac Boakye in the 62nd minute in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier, three days before he turned 18 years; helping Ghana to win that game, and making him the youngest ever player to score for Ghana. He scored four times in seven matches during that successful World Cup qualifying campaign.

He was part of the 2004 Ghana Olympic squad, who exited in the first round, having finished in third place in Group B.

He also scored the fastest goal of the 2006 World Cup after 68 seconds. The strike was also Ghana's first ever goal in the World Cup, coming in the game against the Czech Republic on 17 June at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, Germany, which set the ''Black Stars'' on their way to a 2–0 victory. He missed a penalty later in the game, and received a yellow card ruling him out of the final group game for trying to take the penalty too early. In Ghana's defeat to Brazil in the Round of 16, he was sent off in the 81st minute after collecting his second booking of the match (for diving).

On 24 January 2008 during the Africa Cup of Nations Gyan and his brother Baffour decided to walk out on the Black Stars following criticism after their unconvincing 1–0 win over Namibia. The media learnt the brothers had packed their bags and were ready to leave the team hotel but were persuaded to stay by team-mates. In the 2010 African Cup of Nations, Asamoah Gyan helped a Ghana team, ravaged by injuries to the finals. Gyan scored three out of the four Ghana goals during the tournament.

Gyan scored with a penalty in the 85th minute of Ghana's first match of the 2010 World Cup against Serbia, in a 1–0 win. He hit the post in the 92nd minute before being substituted to a standing ovation just before the final whistle. In Ghana's second game, he scored a penalty in the 26th minute to level the scores and earn his team a 1–1 draw against Australia.

In the round of 16 match against the USA, he scored a goal in extra time allowing Ghana to win by a score of 2 to 1 and hence become the third African team in history to qualify to the tournament's quarter final, after Cameroon and Senegal. In the quarter final tie against Uruguay, following Luis Suárez's handling of the ball on the goal-line, he missed a penalty kick with no time remaining at end of extra time, hitting the crossbar and necessitating a penalty shootout to decide the game. He converted his penalty in the subsequent penalty shootout, but Uruguay went on to win the shootout 4–2. Gyan scored Ghana's equaliser against England at Wembley in the international friendly on 29 March 2011.

In total, Gyan has scored 26 times in 48 appearances for Ghana.

International goals

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible collapsed" border="1" style="float:center; border:1px; font-size:90%; margin-left:1em;" ! Goal !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition |- | 1. || 19 November 2003 || Ohene Djan Stadium, Ghana || || 2–0 || 2–0 || 2006 World Cup qualification |- | 2. || 25 June 2004 || Maputo, Mozambique || || 1–0 || 1–0 || Friendly |- | 3. || 3 July 2004 || National Stadium, Uganda || || 1–1 || 1–1 || 2006 World Cup qualification |- | 4. || 23 March 2005 || Nairobi, Kenya || || 1–0 || 2–2 || Friendly |- | 5. || 27 March 2005 || Stade des Martyrs, Democratic Republic of the Congo || || 1–0 || 1–1 || 2006 World Cup qualification |- | 6. || 8 October 2005 || Estádio da Várzea, Cape Verde Islands || || 3–0 || 4–0 || 2006 World Cup qualification |- | 7. ||rowspan="2"| 14 November 2005 ||rowspan="2"| King Fahd International Stadium, Saudi Arabia ||rowspan="2"| || 2–1 ||rowspan="2"| 3–1 ||rowspan="2"| Friendly |- | 8. || 3–1 |- | 9. || 4 June 2006 || Easter Road Stadium, Scotland || || 1–0 || 3–1 || Friendly |- | 10. || 17 June 2006 || RheinEnergieStadion, Germany || || 1–0 || 2–0 || 2006 World Cup |- | 11. ||rowspan="2"| 8 October 2006 ||rowspan="2"| Seoul World Cup Stadium, South Korea ||rowspan="2"| || 1–0 ||rowspan="2"| 3–1 ||rowspan="2"| Friendly |- | 12. || 3–1 |- | 13. || 21 August 2007 || London, England || || 1–0 || 1–1 || Friendly |- | 14. || 20 January 2008 || Ohene Djan Stadium, Ghana || || 1–0 || 2–1 || 2008 Africa Cup of Nations |- | 15. ||rowspan="2"| 9 September 2009 ||rowspan="2"| Stadion Galgenwaard, Netherlands ||rowspan="2"| || 1–0 ||rowspan="2"| 3–4 ||rowspan="2"| Friendly |- | 16. || 2–0 |- | 17. || 15 January 2010 || |Estádio Nacional do Chiazi, Angola || || 1–3 || 1–3 || 2010 Africa Cup of Nations |- | 18. || 24 January 2010 || Estádio 11 de Novembro, Angola || || 1–0 || 1–0 || 2010 Africa Cup of Nations |- | 19. || 28 January 2010 || Estádio 11 de Novembro, Angola || || 1–0 || 1–0 || 2010 Africa Cup of Nations |- | 20. || 1 June 2010 || De Kuip, Netherlands || || 1–2 || 1–4 || Friendly |- | 21. || 13 June 2010 || Loftus Versfeld Stadium, South Africa || || 1–0 || 1–0 || 2010 World Cup |- | 22. || 19 June 2010 || Royal Bafokeng Stadium, South Africa || || 1–1 || 1–1 || 2010 World Cup |- | 23. || 26 June 2010 || Royal Bafokeng Stadium, South Africa || || 2–1 || 2–1 || 2010 World Cup |- | 24. || 29 March 2011 || Wembley Stadium, London || || 1–1 || 1–1 || Friendly |- | 25. || 7 June 2011 || Jeonju World Cup Stadium, South Korea || || 1–1 || 1–2 || Friendly |- | colspan="12"|''Correct as of 7 June 2011'' |}

Career statistics

10

Club	Season	League	FA Cup	League Cup	Europe	Other	Total
!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
rowspan="1" valign="center"	Sunderland		31	|	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	33	10

Personal life

Gyan's brother, Baffour Gyan, currently plays in Ghana for Asante Kotoko.

He is the best player in Ghana, aside from Michael Essien. Gyan had a tragic past. In summer 2010, Gyan recorded and released a Ghanaian Hiplife song with Castro The Destroyer, where he features under the alias 'Baby Jet'. The song is entitled "African Girls" and was launched unto the ghanaian screens despite the fact that Gyan's music was interfereing with his soccer carreer. The video shows his famous 'Asamoah Gyan Dance' celebration which he demonstrated at the 2010 World Cup and at Sunderland. The song won an award at the Ghana Music awards in 2011.

Titles and honours

Ghana

Africa Cup of Nations Silver medal: 2010

Africa Cup of Nations Bronze medal: 2008

Individual

2010 Africa Cup of Nations Best XI

Man of the Match in 2010 World Cup (2): vs. Australia, vs. Serbia

FIFA Ballon d'Or: Shortlist Nominee (Top 23 players in the World)

BBC African Footballer of the Year:2010 He latest song also with Castro has also become a hit, the song is called 'Do da Dance'

References

External links

Asamoah Gyan career stats Soccerbase

Serie A 2006/07 – Gyan ASAMOAH Gazzetta dello Sport

Asamoah Gyan profile ESPN Soccernet

Premier League profile

Category:1985 births Category:People from Accra Category:Living people Category:Ghanaian footballers Category:Ghana international footballers Category:Association football forwards Category:Olympic footballers of Ghana Category:Footballers at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:2008 Africa Cup of Nations players Category:2010 Africa Cup of Nations players Category:Udinese Calcio players Category:Modena F.C. players Category:Stade Rennais F.C. players Category:Sunderland A.F.C. players Category:Serie A footballers Category:Ghanaian expatriates in Italy Category:Ligue 1 players Category:Premier League players Category:Expatriate footballers in Italy Category:Ghanaian expatriates in France Category:Expatriate footballers in France Category:Ghanaian expatriate footballers Category:Liberty Professionals F.C. players

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