Mos Def
Downtown Records
(2009)
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Fans of Mos Def have anticipated the Brooklyn MC’s return to form ever since his acting foray and genre explorations in the past decade. The late nineties are often considered to be his prime. He had a strong debut with Black on Both Sides and a near-legendary collaboration with fellow Brooklynite Talib Kweli as the Black Star duo. While Mos has never exactly fallen off or failed to interest his listeners, it’s certainly clear from the past decade that he’s interested in transformations, some which have not always sat well with his purist fans. Mos Def has played his film roles with characteristic cool and swagger, never quite shedding his image as the creative swingman on the intellectual tip. 2004′s The New Danger and 2007′s True Magic, although nowhere near as critically or commercially successful as his previous works, only confirmed the MC’s concerted attempts to further develop his style and pomp. The former’s blues/rock experimentations and the latter’s largely neglected but underrated tracks express an artist and aesthete’s need to stay fresh. On that note, The Ecstatic delivers on both the lyrical and production end, mixing Madlib‘s Beat Konducta exoticisms, Oh No‘s old-school nineties Primo/Pete Rock throwback rhythms and topical examinations of Iraq, romance, gunfighting and signature MC braggadocio.

On “Auditorium,” Slick Rick spits his witticisms in the perspective of an Iraqi-based soldier, parodying the occupation with grace and humor. Madlib’s production and Mos’ reference to Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep (from which the album cover is derived) reminded me of Gillo Pontecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers—a blend of realism, noir and radical chic.

“Priority” takes a marching rhythm as verses roll off his tongue in rapid-fire succession. Mos’ vocals is a blend of soulful crooning, improvisatory beat-riding and stylistic shifts in inflection and tempo. In “Roses,” he channels a bit of Gil Scott-Heron with a singing duet with singer/musician Georgia Anne Muldrow while in “Workers Comp” Mos does a bit of cod-Rastafarian rapping that works to mixed effect. Across 17 tracks, the record runs at a lean 50 minutes, but with the exception of a few filler tracks, The Ecstatic is a return to form. A form that does not slavishly lean towardthe late-nineties conscious-rapper narrative Mos and Talib Kweli perfected but one that is responsive and immediate to the times. Oh No’s “Pistola” features some of the most stylish and crafty production work since 88-Keys laced the track for “Miss Fat Booty” (think sci-fi Afrofuturist shoot-’em-up) while the Dilla-produced “History” gives a sneak preview of the upcoming Black Star reunion. Mos Def reinvents himself again, this time with a crew of capable guests and producers who deliver on the Mos Def record his fans have eagerly awaited.

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http://www.myspace.com/mosdef