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Yasiin Bey
open-in-new
<p>Yasiin Bey , formerly known as Mos Def (/ˌmoʊs ˈdɛf/ MOHSS DEF), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A prominent figure in <a href="/facts/Political_hip-hop/zjplzkgr">conscious hip hop</a>, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social and political issues, such as <a href="/facts/Police_brutality_in_the_United_States/vG04q9MY">police brutality</a>, <a href="/facts/American_exceptionalism/tcu0Idno">American exceptionalism</a>, and the status of <a href="/facts/African_Americans/pTgcAdo8">African Americans in the United States</a>. </p><p>After embarking on his career in 1994, he joined his siblings in the short-lived <a href="/facts/Rap_group/0lsHpwAD">rap group</a> Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD) and guest appeared on albums by <a href="/facts/Da_Bush_Babees/SEAfoqNs">Da Bush Babees</a> and <a href="/facts/De_La_Soul/XHm9Jqep">De La Soul</a>. In 1996, he and fellow <a href="/facts/Brooklyn/UnUzxCFe">Brooklyn</a>-based rapper <a href="/facts/Talib_Kweli/YGXXKS2h">Talib Kweli</a> formed the duo <a href="/facts/Black_Star_(rap_duo)/bga4grXV">Black Star</a>, whose debut album <i><a href="/facts/Mos_Def_%2526_Talib_Kweli_Are_Black_Star/u4zLPc6d">Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star</a></i> (1998) spawned the singles "<a href="/facts/Definition_(song)/ndxcHJMd">Definition</a>" and "<a href="/facts/Respiration_(song)/gtRjG60h">Respiration</a>" (featuring <a href="/facts/Common_(rapper)/tNnKIDWl">Common</a>). His debut solo album, <i><a href="/facts/Black_on_Both_Sides/7RCGPlnj">Black on Both Sides</a></i> (1999) was met with critical acclaim, along with his fourth album <i><a href="/facts/The_Ecstatic/mtCsjeGL">The Ecstatic</a></i> (2009). Bey's 2000 single, "<a href="/facts/Oh_No_(Mos_Def_and_Pharoahe_Monch_song)/m01HvlY2">Oh No</a>" (with <a href="/facts/Pharoahe_Monch/SNyUE6Lj">Pharoahe Monch</a> featuring <a href="/facts/Nate_Dogg/8dzSQl1Q">Nate Dogg</a>) remains his sole entry on the <a href="/facts/Billboard_Hot_100/gwKl8VL9"><i>Billboard</i> Hot 100</a> as a solo act. In 2014, <a href="/facts/About.com/Fgc1JCqI">About.com</a> listed him 14th on its "50 Greatest Rappers of All Time". </p><p>A former child actor in television films, sitcoms, and theater, Bey has appeared in the films <i><a href="/facts/Something_the_Lord_Made/SsYGLWXa">Something the Lord Made</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/Next_Day_Air/nvyGp0v9">Next Day Air</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/The_Hitchhiker%2527s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_(film)/X7yR2Sds">The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/16_Blocks/vzxyKcIg">16 Blocks</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/Be_Kind_Rewind/D8FLqfRr">Be Kind Rewind</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/The_Italian_Job_(2003_film)/N4pbKfKE">The Italian Job</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/The_Woodsman_(2004_film)/rrzYjlwL">The Woodsman</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/Bamboozled/4T0fnQFu">Bamboozled</a></i>, and <i><a href="/facts/Brown_Sugar_(2002_film)/TuUW046V">Brown Sugar</a></i> and in television series such as <i><a href="/facts/Dexter_(TV_series)/GWxHn2bw">Dexter</a></i> and <i><a href="/facts/House_(TV_series)/BBuQRdQ8">House</a></i>. He hosted <i><a href="/facts/Def_Poetry_Jam/Un7w8tc9">Def Poetry Jam</a></i> from 2002 to 2007. </p>