He has been warning us all year that 2016 was to be his last in the music industry, but now Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) has officially called time, announcing the dates for his last live shows.
It has been a strange year for Bey, and Bey fans. In January, he was charged with “producing an unrecognised ‘world passport’ which was declined by immigration officials” when attempting to travel from Cape Town in South Africa. Apparently a “world passport” is a real thing, but is not generally accepted by, well, anyone.
The 42-year-old then posted a message/freestyle via Kanye West’s website which sounded as if it was recorded on a Motorola RAZR V3 outlining his plans to hang up the boots.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/242843592″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=’450′ iframe=”true” /]
Although the bizarre message did proclaim that his retirement was “effective immediately,” the Brooklyn born legend has played numerous gigs throughout the year after he apologised to officials and the charges were dropped.
His farewell US performances will be in New York and Washington on both sides of the new year with his last ever gig in the ‘States to be at The Kennedy Centre in D.C. on the 2nd of January, 2017. As reported on Billboard the events will be a celebratory party for one of hip-hop greats and will feature a host of surprise special guests.
He is also playing two shows at the 02 Forum in London on the 26th and 27th of January.
Image: Redferns via Getty Images
It seems like the run of another legend is coming to a close. Following his statement on Kanye West’s website back in January, the acclaimed emcee Yasiin Bey, who you may know better as his former self Mos Def, has confirmed that he is in fact still retiring this year.
Bey has spent most of 2016 in South Africa after he was charged with using a false travel document (the world passport) to leave the country. Despite being out on bail, a new Facebook Live video has seen Bey cancel his upcoming performances, explaining that he is unable to go abroad “due to circumstances beyond [his] control.”
He didn’t end it there though, going on to say that he is in fact “retiring for real this year”, yet still maintained his appreciation to his fans. “I’m grateful to have had the career that I’ve been able to enjoy. As I say to many people… my brother and sisters, thank you for spending your money and more importantly your time.”
He’s not entirely done just yet. He still has two film “commitments” to complete, and musically he explained that some “exclusive new material” will be released for Jay Z’s TIDAL streaming platform, and that his final show will be live streamed from Cape Town.
Fear not, this won’t be the last you ever hear of him. “Apart from that, I’m moving onto other things, still being creative,” he said. “Definitely fashion, textiles and just art. Whatever I can create that’s beautiful and useful, that’s what I wanna do.”
Unfortunately this Facebook Live video was later deleted. So while Brooklyn’s acclaimed ‘Travellin’ Man’ may be moving through places, he’s not going to completely disappear just yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0exdCRkBniI
Image: RODGER BOSCH/AFP/Getty Images
Yasiin Bey (Mos Def in most of our hearts) has released another song as Dec. 99th with Chicago-based producer Ferrari Sheppard.
The track, Hymn was released with the following statement from Bey, “Condolences to the families of the slain. Never stop pursuing freedom.” The song features Bey reciting a spoken word poem about life and death (This is what death can’t kill / This is what death can’t kill: life) over a groovy bass line.
Bey touches on how society has become numb to the violence in the world from watching too many violent videos on social media. “How many views when the blood ooze?” he asks. Hymn was released via TIDAL and is Dec. 99th’s first official single on the music streaming service. Complex notes, HYMN comes to us via the label AWGE which, is A$AP Rocky’s “small but secretive internal art direction team.” Dec. 99th have released a steady stream of tracks including: N.A.W., Tall Sleeves, and Local Time.
It seems that Bey still has a whole lot to say to follow through on his retirement from the music industry. Unless, Dec. 99th is his final album that he promised.
Check out Hymn on TIDAL.
Image: OKPLAYER
Mos Def has gone mad. Mos Def has gone completely mad.
The mighty Yasiin Bey (FKA Mos Def) has announced his retirement from music. In an audio message released via Kanye West’s website, the New York rapper stated: “I am retiring from the music recording industry as it is currently assembled today, and also from Hollywood, effective immediately. I’ll be releasing my final album this year.”
Yasiin says his retirement is “related but not directly related” to his recent arrest in South Africa over an allegedly false passport, which he says isn’t false and claims has been accepted by South African officials in the past. Which is what he mainly speaks about for the other 9 minutes and 50 seconds of the 10 minute audio message.
Oh, wait. There was also that awkward spoken word freestyle, with the recurring line “no more parties in SA” – a reference to West’s new song, No More Parties In L.A.. “I’ve committed no crime,” he adds. The only crime I’d say he’s committed is this freestyle, so hopefully it’s not an appetiser for his just announced 2016 album.
The message was recorded in Cape Town, South Africa, where Yasiin is currently being prevented from leaving. He says that his ‘World Passport’ (a document issued by the World Service Authority, a non-profit organization) is real and “is not meant to deceive.” A representative for Yasiin has previously told Pitchfork that he doesn’t use his US passport for “social and political” reasons.
“I have reason to believe or suspect there are political motivations behind the way I’m being treated, because this is following no reasonable train of logic, and it’s also curious,” he says. “I haven’t broken any law, and I’m being treated like a criminal.”
Whatever the case, I hope it is sorted out soon so Yasiin can get busy in the studio working on his final album. I won’t hold my breath for fire, it will still be interesting to see what he does next.
To hear his ramblings and the seriously questionable freestyle for yourself, you can check out the full message below.
https://youtu.be/mtAe–O6Iog
Mos Def, now known as Yasiin Bey, has been arrested for violating local immigration laws while trying to leave South Africa.
According to the spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs, Mayinlome Tshwete, the rapper has appeared in front of a South African court after he was arrested in Cape Town International Airport this Thursday.
Mos Def last entered the country in 2013 using his very much legal American passport. By 2014, he had overstayed his visitor’s visa. According to the spokesperson, Mos Def attempted to produce a “world passport,” something which is not legally recognised as a traveling document in South Africa or anywhere else for that matter, apart from perhaps Burning Man.
After fronting court, the rapper and his family (who also failed to produce valid documents) were given a court order to leave the country, which essentially means that Mos Def has just 14 days to vacate the country, and may potentially be facing a five-year ban from stepping foot in South Africa.
The rapper moved to Cape Town in 2009 and was scheduled to go on an American tour in 2014, but ultimately had to cancel the shows, citing immigration and legal issues.
The rapper has returned to the spotlight somewhat in 2015, penning a powerful rap in the wake of the Paris attacks, joining Kendrick Lamar onstage for Alright, and challenging everyone to a rap battle. He very nearly visited our own shores last year to perform as Black Star with Talib Kweli at Soulfest, but the event was cancelled due to poor sales.
Apart from having a solid rap career, Mos Def is also fairly well known for his acting chops, appearing alongside Jack Black and Danny Glover in Be Kind Rewind and playing the eccentric Ford Prefect in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy alongside the late, great Alan Rickman, who voiced Marvin, the Paranoid Android.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Z8X_bgEpw]
UPDATE: Never mind. In a new interview, Bey ‘cancelled’ his challenge. “I’d rather be filing paperwork,” he says. Listen here. Laaaaaaame.
Yasiin Bey, also known as Mos Def, has just raised above hip hop beefs, and presented his own challenge – to any and all rappers out there.
In a new video, he claims that he, along with Black Thought and King Los, can beat anyone and everyone in a rap battle. Here’s what he had to say (thanks AFH for the transcript):
“Me, Black Thought, [and] King Los [versus] anybody—everybody! [We will] battle anybody; I don’t care who you tell. Red Bull Music Academy, put up a [million dollars] on that. We’ll give our winnings to charity and take your money too. I’m tired of these dudes pretendin’ like they’re dope. You’re alright, but relax! Dope niggas that think they dope—you ain’t as dope as you think. You cool, but you ain’t that deal. We don’t have to make no back-and-forth corny records about it, we can put it on its feet for the world to see.” Despite his smirk, Yasiin alluded that this is a continuation of something he said in 2010, at New Orleans, Louisiana’s Superdome—not at all a joke. “And I’m dead-ass serious—I know n*ggas be thinkin’ I’m crazy or whateva, I ain’t playin’.” Yasiin urged anybody that takes the message as a threat to put up their best work. “[This proposition] go for any set, any time—champion sound, for real. So let’s go. The word is out.”
The challenge obviously takes aim at the ridiculous Drake x Meek Mill beef that has inexplicably dominated even the most revered and well-opined music websites over the past few weeks. As someone who has never been a big Drizzy fan and genuinely cannot fathom the appeal of Mill, I can only hope that this challenge will take up more of that spotlight in coming weeks.
The best part about it is that it’s not a beef, it’s a challenge. It’s about hip hop, not about disses. I wonder if it’ll actually materialise.
The first rapper to respond to Bey’s challenge is none other than Lupe Fiasco, who made a triumphant return to the forefront of hip hop earlier this year, with the potent Tetsuo & Youth.
Taking to Instagram, the 33-year-old posted one meme and took aim at Drake (referencing Quentin Miller, whom Drake has been accused of using as a ghost writer):
King Los has also replied:
Bey will be in town later this year, where he will be performing as Black Star at Soulfest, alongside Talib Kweli (read our interview with Kweli here).
As Kendrick Lamar continues his global domination since the release of To Pimp A Butterfly (read our review here), patience is wearing thin for the chance to see his new tracks performed live. He has already shown that his new live show packs more than a few punches at the Hot 97 Summer Jam recently, but it seems K Dot has gone and outdone himself during his set at Osheaga Music Festival in Montreal over the weekend.
During the performance of one of his newest tracks, Alright (which was released alongside some astounding visuals recently), Lamar brought out veteran rapper Mos Def for a rare duet of sorts. The headline set was apparently one of the most packed out of the day, with the audience already chanting the track ahead of the show. It’s been reported Kendrick delivered a set packed with hits not only from TPAB but also his 2012 album good kid m.A.A.d city before delivering a mash up of TPAB favourites King Kunta and Alright.
However, this guest appearance wasn’t planned, and only happened after a bit of coaxing from Kendrick to get Mos Def onto the stage. Having spotted him on the side watching, Kendrick went onto to cite Mos Def (or Yasin Bey) as his inspiration for rapping. Mos Def, who was added to the festival bill at the last minute due to Action Bronson being cancelled for the second time at a Canadian festival, shook things up a bit when he jumped on the mic, and thankfully someone recorded the whole thing for the rest of the world to see. Check the video below courtesy of Pigeons and Planes.
https://www.facebook.com/PigsAndPlans/videos/10153484833714643/
A$AP Rocky delivered a riveting, thought-provoking lecture to Red Bull Music Academy participants in London this week, in which he spoke about recording his upcoming album, his previous projects and more.
Near the very beginning of the lecture, he pulls up none other than the legendary Mos Def, aka Yasiin Bey. As it turns out, he’s known A$AP since it all began for him. Mos Def sings his praise, speaks about how the pair first met, and A$AP talks about how cool it is that he can count Mos as a fan. Mos was introduced to the A$AP mob through Chace Infinite, and speaks about how he’s watched the group, and Rocky, develop and flourish into globally respected artists that they are today.
Mos also spent a little time talking about the artists he’s big on, while A$AP revealed that there’s a distinctly British influence on his upcoming album, largely due to the energy he absorbed while recording.
Excitingly, the pair also spoke about their upcoming collaboration, to be heard on A$AP’s highly anticipated A.L.L.A – something very cool to look forward to!
Watch the full lecture right here:
it’s not the first time the pair have been publicly connected. In fact only a couple weeks ago, A$AP pulled Mos up on stage at a gig at XOYO in London, where they played a bit of Ms Fat Booty and Universal Magnetic. Watch below – the footage isn’t great but the sound is solid.
Yesterday, Henry Rollins got us thinking about musicians who have also dabbled in acting. While we could just write an entire post about the muso guest stars who, alongside Rollins, appeared in Sons of Anarchy (Courtney Love, Dave Navarro and Marilyn Manson to name a few,) we thought we’d mix it up a little and present to you some of the other Slashies who have made the successful (or not to successful) transition onto screen.
Aaliyah
Before her death in 2001, Aaliyah had started filming scenes as Zee in The Matrix Reloaded (the role then went to Nona Gaye and was re-shot.) Prior to being approached by The Matrix franchise, the late R&B songstress starred in vampire flick Queen of the Damned, as well as Romeo Must Die. While the film was poorly received, Aaliyah’s acting chops were highly praised.
David Bowie
While he might be credited as himself in a number of movies including Zoolander and Disney abomination Bandslam, Bowie holds a special place in the hearts of many as Jareth The Goblin King in Jim Henson’s The Labyrinth. He’s cheeky, creepy, and dons a gravity-defying hairstyle.
Debbie Harry
Best known as the front-woman of Blondie, new-wave punk icon Debbie Harry has at least a dozen film and television titles to her name. As well as appearing in the pilot episode of Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, she played Velma Von Tussel in John Waters’ 1988 version of Hairspray.
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop has a pretty extensive filmography, including Blood Oranges, which is set to be realised this year, and the film adaptation of German horror short story, Der Sandmann, or The Sandman. One of his earlier (and stranger) roles saw him star in the John Waters-directed Cry Baby, alongside Johnny Depp.
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson won the Academy Award for best supporting actress in her role in Dreamgirls: the same film that earned Beyoncé some serious film cred and also featured Jamie Foxx. Two years later the former American Idol contestant played Carrie Bradshaw’s sassy as fuck assistant in the Sex And The City movie with the single best line of the entire film; “ain’t nothin’ in there for you.”
Meatloaf
In The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Meatloaf’s character Eddie pretty much rides in, sings Hot Patootie (Bless My Soul) and is murdered. In Fight Club, he still takes a bashing but gets the luxury of a little extra screen time as former body builder, steroids abuser and testicular-cancer survivor Bob.
Mos Def
He’s credited as playing “himself” in Talladega Nights and has appeared in a handful of documentaries, but Mos Def has also acted in a number a number of films. His roles span a versatile range of genres including Ford Perfect in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Monster’s Ball alongside Sean “P-Diddy/Puff-Daddy/Diddy” Combs, while Be Kind Rewind had him sharing the screen with Jack Black.
Rihanna
A movie about a board game. A pretty shitty board game at that. Unless you’re playing against someone who doesn’t realise their entire fleet of ships is displayed in the window reflection behind them, playing Battleship is the board-game equivalent of watching paint dry. Unfortunately, Rihanna’s mundane performance in Battleship does not rescue this snore fest.
Taylor Swift
Not the movies one might hope to find at taylorswift.porn, but T-Swizz did play a terrifying loved-up teenager in Valentine’s Day alongside her then-beau Taylor Lautner. She also appeared in an episode of New Girl and voiced Audrey in The Lorax.
Will Smith
Let’s just call it how it is: Will Smith might just be the most successful contemporary musician-turned-actor…Turned musician/actor. We still fondly remember the days when a Will Smith film would be accompanied by a cheesy Smith performed theme song (hello Wild Wild West and Men In Black)