GeoReview: Mos Def, The Ecstatic

GeoReview: Mos Def, The Ecstatic

By Clayton Ruley

There has been talk of the man know as Mos Def falling of the cliff when it comes to the rap. Many said he forgot how to make an album of quality since he blew up as an actor. Well if he was falling off the cliff he had a parachute or a grapple because his latest work is his best since his solo debutBlack on Both Sides. The Ecstatic is a 16 track LP with different sounds and a brevity of hot lyrics to match. The album cover is taken from Charles Burnett’s 1977 film, Killer of Sheep.

“History” makes you yearn for BlackStar as Talib Kweli joins Mos on a track (done by the late J Dilla) talking about where they’ve been and where they are going.

Horns and electric sounds appear on “Casa Bey”, a funky cut that shows Mos at his most diverse musically.

“Revelations” sounds like a poem put to music and Mos talks about slamming the system and eliminating the disparities in this world.

Some people don’t like Mos singing but “No Hay Nada Mas” not only has Mos singing but rapping in Spanish which is a treat.

“Supermagic” starts the album with a Malcolm X talking about changing the miserable conditions facing the world and being willing to join anyone willing to bring the current system down. It’s amazing that Malcolm can speak in the 1960s and it is still so relevant but then again that’s what the great ones do. The song itself has a Middle East sound to it and Mos talks about the troubles of the world in a detailed manner.

“Twilite Speedball” is produced by Chad Hugo (of Neptunes fame) tells of the traps of the street and how we need to deal with it.

“Auditiorium” is a classic track because of the beat (Madlib) and the collaboration of Mos and the legendary Slick Rick. Rick talks Iraq and more and Mos talks about how hard it is for his people everywhere.

A hard beat by Madlib gives you a template for the cut “Wahid” in which Mos Def talks about there being only one god.

“Quiet Hard” uses words from Fela Kuti then jumps in on a fast paced beat you’d hear back in the motherland of Africa. “Priority” is a short simple sounding track where Mos speaks on people being a top priority and peace and love with it.

“Life In Marvelous Times” (produced by Mr. Flash) is science fiction sounding track and Mos gives the people a map of how to survive America and the life in general when things seem to be taken away from the people.

“Pistola” starts off sounding like a 1950s happy time track and gets decidedly darker as it goes on. Mos talks about love and lost with a familiarity that seems too close for comfort.

“The Embassy” lets you feel the drum beat and snare after a very interesting airplane hi-jacking scene to start. The song gets into a Middle Eastern sound that takes you on a trip to another time or another place at least.

“Roses” has a soul feel to it and Georgia Anne Muldrow (who also produced it) sings on the track as Mos talks about love. “Workers Comp has a island feel to it and Mos talks about a girl being laid off if she thinks she will play him among other things.

This a high quality work and one that withstood the expectations. I’ll give it 4.5 GeoGlobes.