A throwback to Mos Def’s 1999 debut album ‘Black on Both Sides’ – 25 years later

There are a couple of songs that I remember vividly the primary time I heard them (or saw them, if the video was my introduction). Outkast’s “Elevators (Me & U)” and Juvenile’s “Ha” immediately come to mind – each songs have had such an impact on my life that I even remember where I used to be when these songs became a component of my life. Black Star “Definition” that is one other one in all those records. The video aired on “Rap City” the summer before my sophomore yr of school in 1998, and as I sat on the couch, I immediately knew two things: 1) I used to be going to buy any album by these two rappers, Mos Def (now Yasiin Bey) and Talib Kweli released; and a couple of) Mos Def was

Some artists just have that something, that elusive quality that makes you are feeling like you are looking at a star. Mos Def was one in all those cats. From the opening bars: “From the first to the last, the message is passionate, the whole, not the half, the vocabulary, not the math…” I felt that he was a rapper I needed to know more about and wanted to hear more from. Black Star’s debut album “Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star” released on September 29, 1998 (the most important release date in hip-hop history) didn’t disappoint. Both songwriters and producer Hi-Tek created an album that received critical acclaim. While I liked it, I didn’t prefer it, but it surely kept me waiting for what I (and everybody else) knew on the time. There was no way Mos Def would not release an album soon. The streets were asking for it.

And then, within the late summer of 1999, the primary single was released, “SM. Fat ass. Wait, did Mos Def, a rapper who could do almost anything lyrically, make a record that was flawless for each men and ladies? Yes. Yes, he did it. Have you ever heard a record that managed to tick all the best boxes instantly? He had rhythm, rhyme, life, ease of reference and the flexibility to work on the dance floor. Mos released the one, which became an fast classic and stays so to at the present time.

In 1999, it was the Mos Def experience. When Black on Both Sides was released in October 1999 – on October 12, to be precise – Mos had someway managed to release an album that was overly black, political, entertaining, rooted in real experiences, conspiratorial, respectful, offended, optimistic and prophetic. .

(*25*)Lifestyle

introductory disc, “Don’t be afraid of man” which borrows each its title and beat from Fela Kuti’s 1977 song and album of the identical name, opens with Mos’s statement and warning concerning the state of hip-hop, with Mos simply stating that whatever happens to people that is what what is going on to occur with hip-hop. These words ring more true in 2024 than I believe even Mos expected 25 years ago. Music reflects community and environment much more today with the appearance of social media than it ever did in 1999.

Black on Both Sides is an album filled with such moments. Many provisions are still valid in 2024. “I have” talks about how easy it’s to get robbed on the road if you happen to’re not being attentive, and unfortunately that is a lesson that many rappers have yet to learn. “Mr. Nigger” is a reminder that irrespective of what you achieve in life, society still prefers to see Black people as lower than ever possible. “Water of the New World” is made for the conspiracy theorist in all of us and you recognize what, the Internet has made conspiracy theories a component of on a regular basis life, the difference is that many conspiracy theories haven’t got that much reach.

The point is that Mos Def’s album, a classic by any definition of the word, can also be incredibly timely because Mos selected to focus on the human experience of being a black man in America and, in some cases, use real-life examples to make it work. It deals with the appropriation of black culture through music, specifically rock ‘n’ roll, and it is a conversation we’re still having and one which shows no signs of ending. Pop culture has borrowed and outright stolen black culture for profit, and it has been going on for so long as black art has been able to be commodified. Certainly, the material of the album shouldn’t be modern, but the whole lot in a single place and with such a transparent way of conveying the actual production – well, Mos Def is one in all the few who created an inventive work that has a lot power in a single package.

Surprisingly, thanks to the samples and production decisions made, the album doesn’t feel dated either. Sure, there are signs that the album is not recent, but there’s not a single mention of social media on the album. But someway that does not detract from the album’s impact. Just like most classic love songs omit words and phrases that might indicate their date, “Black on Both Sides” does this and I feel like I could introduce this album to someone in 2024 they usually might think it’s something recent. That’s a feat in itself. All while being Black on each side, a nod to the phrase “give me five on the side of the Black hand.”

“Black on Both Sides” is timeless hip-hop. It’s math.