RSS Feed
Newsletter
Mos Def Talks Fame, Bill Maher & Hip hop
May 26th, 2009
When Mos Def speaks, I suggest you LISTEN! Truthfully, when was the last time Mos Def spoke to the media (well at least as in-depth as his recent XXL interview in the July issue)? Don’t worry, I’ll wait. Yeah, exactly.
So when the big homey, Clover Hope (Twitter.com/Clovito) sat down with Mr. Def for the XXL feature, we knew several things would occur; A.) He’d take the time to inform his advocates why he’s not as accessible as his peers, B.) He’d issue an open hand slap to his cohorts about how they present their art, and C.) His political theories (a lane that some people may not agree with).
But Mos isn’t just talking to talk, he’s got an album to promote- “The Ecstatic.” (it hits stores June 30th). So clearly, he’s chit chatting for good reason. And since neither you or me can remember the last time we’ve seen Mos talk to the press, let’s dig into the current times- the July Issue of XXL Magazine. Check out Mos’ thoughts on being famous, hip hop, and Bill Maher, below.
Mos Def on being famous….
“I keep getting rudely reminded that I’m famous. Maybe I keep denying it. I’m talking right now because it’s the time to. There’s nothing wrong with taking a pretty picture or getting your face out there. But for a while in hip hop, it started to feel like that was part of the creative process. And if you wasn’t doing that, that there was some part of the creative process that you was just neglecting that was vital, and uhh, I just disagree with that.”
Mos Def on the content in hip hop today…
“They don’t care about the people. I don’t think they even care that much about themselves. Nobody has to be a holy roller. But you don’t have to put poison in the food ’cause it’s cost-efficient or ’cause it’s tasty. This is gonna hurt people. And these are critical times for people.”
Mos Def on Bill Maher’s view of poor people having the same gluttonous attitude as the rich….
“Of course the oppressed wanna be the oppressor. So they can just get some fuc*ing breathing room. ‘Sh*t if I was him, I wouldn’t be in this position. But that comes from somebody……You aint never been broke! You don’t know what it’s like to worry about how you gonna get food for the day.”
Mos Def on content in hip hop today pt.2…
“In the United States, it’s like a bloodless cultural war. It’s harder for real art to get through. They want people to dumb it down. I seen Lil Wayne at Spring Break. All these White girls is singing his songs. It reeks of something that don’t feel right. Not ’cause White kids are singing it. It’s like, the energy. Like, what is this supposed to be about? Thisaway, thataway? It looks……all about nothing.”
Yeah, it was one of those interviews. Oh but trust, it doesn’t stop there. Mos also visited the subjects of Kanye’s jagged relationship with the media, the success Flo-Rida’s “Round & Round” and his musical absence. Since it’s still May, I’m not sure if the July issue is available to the public just yet, so keep your eyes peeled.
Sincerely
Low “Mos Def is most definitely about to stir some sh*t up” Key
mos def is an hollywood actor and he doesn’t know that he’s famous?
that said: he’s dope.
oh, and FIRST
[...] Please click here to read the full story! TAGS: bet, lowkey, mos def, sound off, xxl magazine [...]
This cat has always been the illest, before he started acting ,he was a lyricist in the rap game. A lot of folks have slept on cats like Mos because he has always been humble and has never injected poison into the culture, I mean cats like Mos, J-Kiss and Dead-Prez never bought into the hype of the Opressor(the media, record sells and peers) as it pertains to the masses.
“I want Black people to be free! That’s all that matter to me.” – Mos Def, Umi Says
[...] This post was Twitted by altimet – Real-url.org [...]
Yo back in the day when this hip-hop thing started, cats had messages to put out. They even made it fun to listen to. The beats were hype and the lyrics had soul to them, now a days it’s all about having a gangsta image. Disrespect of others. It’s so funny how everytime a new rap album comes out it’s f*** this and S*** that and chicks ain’t about s***. Mos Def has truly been one that has keep it real with the true issues of life in the streets. There’s plenty more rappers such as Nas that will make a brotha truly think. It doesn’t matter if another brotha says to another would you like someone to talk about our sisters like this or that and everytime the answer is, THAT”S WHAT SELLS RECORDS!! So hats off to MOS DEF for speaking his mind because the art form that used to be rap/hip-hop is dying. Peace out.
Until hip hop requires melody with its beats, it’s nothing but poetry. It could be good poetry, it could be bad poetry, but music requires more than beats. It requires MELODY. Even the Last Poets did not pretend their poetry was music.
The worst thing to happen
The worst thing to happen to rap was that it got relabeled was hip hop; this caused a splinter of the true roots of what rap meant and stood for; it was a voice given to those who previously did not have one. It bought inner city people and their issues of survival to the fore front so American society could see what kind of lives these people really live. It reignited a flame that had been smoldering since the Harlem Renaissance.
it showed black kids from the north, south, eastern and western United States that they were more a like then they could have ever imagined. Rap did all these things and much more in its infancy.
The worst thing to happen to hip hop was for it to become a lucrative and viable committee on the open market. This shift from inner city neighborhoods to national exposure caused hip hop to be taken out of the hands of the people who planted, watered, and nurtured it and gave it to an industry that has no respect for the art form, its people or its future. The music industry is a hungry beast that devours all who inter into its ranks. It feeds on the highs of debut album sales and the lows of ended careers due to lack there of the previously mentioned. Artists seek to become famous, entertain and make money while simultaneously projecting a relevant message. The music industry has only one goal in mind (make money). With out the revenue generated by record & CD sales there would be no music industry. For this reason the industry pulls no punches and takes no prisoners. Unfortunately this will irrevocably and eventually lead to the end of every artist’s recording career. In order for entertainers to have more artistic license and control over the birth, life and death of their own musical existence they must do one thing. Stop selling out. The artists of today may have relevant issues that they wish to bring to the fore front of American society but these lyrics and melodies will never reach the ears of the masses as long as the music industry has a strong hold on what is marketed and vigorously promoted.
As for what is good and bad, smart and dumb ed down rap or hip hop; those distinctions can only be made by the listener. How dull would the world be if we only listened to one type or style of any form of music. I caution all to take a more objective perspective when listening to the music of today. The criticisms you have for today’s music are the same one’s your parents had of yours.
Mike P O.U.T .
buy wellbutrin,buy prednisone,buy ambien,buy prozac,buy accutane,buy cipro,buy amoxicillin,buy clomid,buy diflucan,buy paxil
order avodart – avodart buy valtrex – valtrex celexa online – celexa buy cipro – cipro buy lexapro – lexapro zithromax – zithromax order wellbutrin – wellbutrin buy doxycycline – doxycycline buy nexium – nexium celebrex – celebrex
buy zithromax online – zithromax order xenical – xenical levitra online – levitra ultram online – ultram fioricet – fioricet acomplia online – acomplia buy prozac – prozac ativan – ativan buy clomid buy prednisone
lexapro – lexapro buy cipro online – cipro order celebrex – celebrex buy nexium online – nexium order butalbital – butalbital buy doxycycline – doxycycline order codeine – codeine buy valtrex online – valtrex buy zoloft online – zoloft clomid online – clomid
buy ambien online – ambien buy diazepam – diazepam wellbutrin – wellbutrin alprazolam online – alprazolam buy prozac – prozac tamiflu online – tamiflu order lorazepam – lorazepam nexium online – nexium buy zoloft online – zoloft buy klonopin – klonopin