Review of Black on Both Sides
By Danielle Rufo
Mos Def’s Black on Both Sides
(October 1999) is one of the first buzzworthy albums released since the deaths
of hip-hop icons Tupac Shakur and Christopher “Biggie” Wallace in September
1996 and March 1997, respectively. Though Mos lacks the rage that fueled
2Pac’s finest works and the stage presence that made Biggie a star, his
passion for creating meaningful music that could positively influence the world
around us is unparalleled by other artists today. And from this passion emerges
a 72-minute masterpiece.
The talents needed to create this wonderfully distinct sound were not bred
overnight, however. Mos, born Dante Beze, began cultivating his talents years
before adolescence while in his first group, Urban Thermo Dynamics, along with
his brother and sister. Before his debut solo album, he appeared on the fourth
De La Soul album, “Stakes Is High” after being asked to join the Native
Tongues family founded by Afrika Bambaataa with members including De La, and on
tracks by A Tribe Called Quest and the Roots, who are among his own musical
influences. He also collaborated with Talib Kweli on the 1998 release “Mos Def
and Talib Kweli are Black Star,” which was a critically acclaimed success.
Though the eclectic blend of jazz, rap, rock, and reggae beats and instrumentals
is similar to that of Black Star, I would venture to say that this album
surpasses anything produced in tandem with the highly talented Kweli.
“Ms. Fat Booty,” the album’s first single, displays slicker skills than
Rick’s story-telling classic, “Children’s Story.” An amusing tale of cat
and mouse accompanied by a sample from Aretha Franklin’s “One Step,” it
stands out as the most radio-friendly track on the album without losing any of
the edge of cuts like “Umi Says,” which contain more socially conscious
subject matter.
“Speed Law,” the track that follows “Ms. Fat Booty” is amazing. With
lines like: “I'm permanent like tattoos and birthmarks/ Third degree burn
marks/ Driving on tracks like Dale Earnheart,” he tells us what we already
know: Mos is miles ahead of the competition, leaving artists like DMX choking on
his dust. (That would explain the cause for all that damn barking.) Busta Rhymes
injects further energy with his guest appearance on the lively cut “Do It
Now.” Don’t get too excited, mainstream mongers—it’s not quite a dance
track. Though Mos Def is all about making true rap heads bop, he is too cool for
party anthems. Danceable rap was what made hip-hop accessible outside of black
urban America, but now that mainstream America is willing to lend rappers its
ears, I appreciate artists who try to keep that attention with lyrics more
prophetic than “Y'all gon' make me lose my mind/ up in here, up in here.”
Verses like: “Yo, me and the Mighty Mos shine like a light post/ Live n*gga sh*t
be straight f*ckin up the white folks/ That's why they with it now, because n*ggaz
like me and you/ We did it now, brought it to that level so they get it now”
demonstrate that quality performers can convey a sense of consciousness that rap
is about more than gun-toting and weed-toking.
Mos Def is deeply committed to the messages embedded in his music. In fact, he
has been an outspoken supporter of the campaign to free Mumia Abu Jamal, a death
row inmate who was convicted for allegedly killing a poilce officer after a
scuffle between the officer and his brother in December of 1981. So much
speculation about Jamal’s involvement in the murder exists that many feel that
there was not enough evidence to convict. Mos Def has been a major contributor
to the “Hip Hop for Respect” maxi-single, a tribute to Amadou Diallo and
Tyesha Miller and a protest to end police brutality. Featured artists include
Mos, Talib Kweli, Common, Pras (of the Fugees), De La Soul’s Pos, the Rza and
Cappadonna of Wu-Tang Clan, and others. Mos also wrote a statement to fans and
other artists in the industry. In his plea to fellow musicians to take a stance
against brutality, he writes:
“We are the Senators and the Congressmen of our
communities. We come from communities that don't have nobody to speak for
them. That's why they love us. Because we talk about what nobody else will
talk about. We represent them. And they need to know that we really represent
them… When something happens to them it matters to us, because when
something happens to them it's happening to us.”
It is with the intention to represent as well as to inspire people that Mos Def
created “Black on Both Sides.” His statement as well as his lyrics are part
of what he calls a “personal revolution” to effect change. The state of the
world around him is of profound importance to him because he recognizes that if
he were not a rapper, or, “if the clock was turned backwards, we'd be [the
people who suffer the injustices we’re trying to combat.]” Thus, his notion
that when something happens to others, it happens to him is a sincere one.
Though
Black on Both Sides may never gain the popularity of an album like
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, it is as important to hip-hop as the
latter is to R&B, in terms of both its message and the quality of the music
itself. Without hitting the listener over the head with appeals for peace, he
advocates for self-respect as a way to achieve unity with words like: “People
get better when they start to understand that they are valuable and they’re
not because they’ve got a whole lot of money or because somebody thinks
they’re sexy, but they’re valuable because they’ve been created by God.”
Whether you agree or not, Mos poses his ideas so thoughtfully and eloquently
that it is hard not to be moved by this album based on that alone.
This album is a phenomenal piece of work in all facets. If you enjoy the music
of Tribe, De La Soul, the Roots, Jurassic 5, or Black Eyed Peas, or if you
generally enjoy a sound that fuses all kinds of music, I guarantee you’ll like
(if not love)
Black on Both Sides.
Mood:
Chillin'
Hear it?:
Buy two copies
