Mos Def — The Ecstatic

A decade and some change on from his classic debut, Black On Both Sides, Mos Def has become known more for his acting chops than his ability to drop rhymes. Chalk that up to a pair of dodgy-at-best follow ups and uninspired guest verses on tracks like "Drunk And Hot Girls" from Kanye West's Graduation.

But The Ecstatic should reinvigorate all the good will the Brooklyn, N.Y. MC engendered following the one-two punch of his Black Star collaboration with Talib Kweli and his solo debut. It's a surprisingly unified record of lyrical rap with only a trio of guest MCs, including Slick Rick and Kweli.

Most impressive is the production (courtesy of Madlib, J Dilla among others) that both sounds retro while still looking forward. References to black history coupled with positive rhymes have become the rapper's MO, but they never come off as tired here.

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