Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith (born December 11, 1973)[4] is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor known by the stage name Mos Def. Mos Def started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. He formed the duo Black Star with Talib Kweli and they released the well-received album Black Star in 1998. He was a major force in the late 1990s underground hip hop explosion spearheaded by Rawkus Records. As a solo artist he has released three albums Black on Both Sides (1999) The New Danger (2004), and True Magic (2006).[4]
| Mos Def | |
|---|---|
 Def performing at the 2012 Ilosaarirock festival | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Dante Terrell Smith |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | December 11, 1973 New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | |
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | The Hard Way | Dead Romeos Gang Member | |
| 1997 | Ghosts | Townsperson | |
| 1998 | Where's Marlowe? | Wilt Crawley | |
| 2000 | Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme | Himself | |
| Bamboozled | Big Blak Afrika | Also recorded a song for the movie's soundtrack with other members of the Mau Maus | |
| Island of the Dead | Robbie J | ||
| 2001 | Carmen: A Hip Hopera | Lieutenant Miller | |
| Monster's Ball | Ryrus Cooper | ||
| 2002 | Showtime | Lazy Boy | |
| Civil Brand | Michael Meadows | ||
| Brown Sugar | Chris Anton Vichon | ||
| My Wife and Kids | Tommy | 1 episode: Chair Man of the Board | |
| 2003 | The Italian Job | Left Ear | |
| 2004 | The Woodsman | Detective Lucas | |
| Something the Lord Made | Vivien Thomas | Nominated - Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated - Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television Nominated - Image Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Mini-Series or Television Movie | |
| 2005 | Lackawanna Blues | The Bandleader | |
| The Boondocks (2005-2008) | Voice Of Gangstalicious | ||
| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | Ford Prefect | ||
| 2006 | Dave Chappelle's Block Party | Himself | |
| 16 Blocks | Eddie Bunker | ||
| Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby | Himself | Cameo | |
| Journey to the End of the Night | Wemba | ||
| 2007 | Prince Among Slaves | Narrator | |
| 2008 | Be Kind Rewind | Mike | |
| Cadillac Records | Chuck Berry | ||
| 2009 | Next Day Air | Eric | |
| House | Lee | Season 5, Episode 19, Locked In | |
| 2010 | I'm Still Here | Himself | |
| Bouncing Cats | Himself | ||
| Yo Gabba Gabba! | Super Mr. Superhero | Season 3, Episode 44, Superhero | |
| 2011 | Dexter | Brother Sam | Season 6, recurring, (credited as "Mos" in 2 episodes, "yasiin bey" in 3 episodes) |
| 2014 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Baxter Stockman | |
| Life of Crime | Ordell Robbie |
References
- ↑ Reese, Eric (2018). "Rise of Hip-Hop in the 2000's". The History of Hip Hop: Volume 1. Barnes & Noble Press. ISBN 9781538076798.
- ↑ Johnson, Josh (May 27, 2014). Steal This Track from Courier GT. https://theknow.denverpost.com/2014/05/27/steal-track-courier-gt/89706/. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ↑ O'Connor, Christopher (March 29, 2000). "Common Moves Toward a Progressive Hip-Hop". MTV News. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 allmusic Biography
Other websites
- Mos Def's Official Website.
- Mos Def / Dante Smith discographies at Discogs.
- Mos Def Archived 2008-05-17 at the Wayback Machine at Geffen Records.
- Mos Def on IMDb
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