Mos Def discography
The discography of Yasiin Bey / Mos Def, an American rapper, consists of four solo albums, two compilation albums, and several singles. Mos Def began his hip hop career in 1994 in the underground rap group UTD (Urban Thermo Dynamics) alongside his sibling group members DCQ and Ces, after which he pursued a solo career.[1] In 1998, he made his mainstream debut on Rawkus Records in the trio Black Star with rapper Talib Kweli and producer Hi-Tek. "Definition", the single from Black Star's self-titled debut album, reached No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Hot Rap Singles chart.
Yasiin Bey / Mos Def discography | |
---|---|
Studio albums | 4 |
Compilation albums | 3 |
Music videos | 6 |
Collaboration albums | 2 |
Features singles | 6 |
In 1999, Mos Def released his solo debut album Black on Both Sides, which was certified Gold in the US and featured the singles "Ms. Fat Booty", which reached No. 20 on the US Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart, and "Umi Says", which reached No. 60 on the UK Singles Chart. Mos Def performed on several compilations from Rawkus Records and other independent compilation albums. Among them was the single "Oh No" with Pharaohe Monch and Nate Dogg which reached No. 83 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Hot Rap Singles. In 2001, his single "Jam on It" from Underground Airplay Version 1.0 reached No. 23 on the Hot Rap Tracks. In 2002, he appeared on the track "Brown Sugar (Extra Sweet)" on the soundtrack to the film Brown Sugar. Featuring Faith Evans, "Brown Sugar (Extra Sweet)" reached No. 95 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
In 2004, Mos Def released his second solo album The New Danger, in which he experimented with other genres such as rock and R&B.[2] The single "Sex, Love & Money" reached No. 90 on the R&B chart. Later the same year saw the release of UTD album Manifest Destiny under the independent label Illsion Media, run by Mos Def's brother and fellow group member DCQ. The album featured a compilation of previously unreleased and re-released tracks recorded during the original UTD run.[3] Mos Def's third solo album, Tru3 Magic, was released in 2006 to very little hype. Its single "Undeniable" charted only on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart but was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 2007. Mos Def's fourth solo album The Ecstatic was released in 2009 on Downtown Records with distribution by Universal Records.[4]
Albums
Studio albums
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [5] |
US R&B [6] |
US Rap [7] |
AUS [8] |
CAN [9] |
FRA [10] |
SWI [11] |
UK [12] | ||||||
Black on Both Sides |
|
25 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 110 |
|
|||
The New Danger |
|
5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 103 | 50 | 56 |
|
| ||
True Magic |
|
77 | 25 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
|
|||
The Ecstatic |
|
9 | 5 | 2 | 91 | 24 | 172 | 90 | 167 |
|
|||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Collaborative albums
Title | Details | Chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
US [5] |
US R&B [6] | ||
Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (with Talib Kweli as Black Star) |
|
53 | 13 |
Manifest Destiny (with UTD) |
|
— | — |
December 99th (with Ferrari Sheppard, as Dec 99th) |
|
— | — |
Compilation albums
Title | Details |
---|---|
We Are Hip-Hop: Me, You, Everybody |
|
Mos Definite |
|
We Are Hip-Hop: Me, You, Everybody, Pt. 2 |
|
Audio 3 |
|
Singles
Solo
Title | Year | Chart positions | Album | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Bub. [16] |
US R&B [17] |
US Rap [18] |
UK [12] | |||
"Universal Magnetic" | 1997 | — | —[A] | — | — | Soundbombing |
"Body Rock" (featuring Q-Tip and Tash) | 1998 | 15 | 65 | 21 | — | Lyricist Lounge, Volume One |
"Next Universe" | 1999 | — | — | — | — | Soundbombing II |
"Ms. Fat Booty"/"Mathematics" | — | 54 | 20 | — | Black on Both Sides | |
"Umi Says" | — | — | — | 60 | ||
"Another World (Remix)" (featuring Talib Kweli) | — | — | — | — | We Are Hip-Hop: Me, You, Everybody | |
"Ms. Fat Booty 2" (with Ghostface Killah) | 2000 | — | 98 | 15 | 64 | Lyricist Lounge 2 |
"Jam on It" | 2001 | — | 42[B] | 23 | — | Underground Airplay Version 1.0 |
"Brown Sugar (Extra Sweet)" (featuring Faith Evans) | 2002 | — | 95 | — | — | Brown Sugar soundtrack |
"Sex, Love & Money" | 2004 | — | 90 | — | — | The New Danger |
"Close Edge" | — | 44[B] | — | — | ||
"Ghetto Rock" | — | — | — | — | ||
"Sunshine" | 2005 | — | — | — | — | |
"Undeniable" | 2006 | — | 31[B] | — | — | True Magic |
"Life in Marvelous Times" | 2008 | — | — | — | — | The Ecstatic |
"Quiet Dog" | 2009 | — | — | — | — | |
"Casa Bey" | — | — | — | — | ||
"Supermagic" | — | — | — | — | ||
"History" (featuring Talib Kweli) | — | — | — | — |
Collaborative singles
Title | Year | Chart positions | Album | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [19] |
US R&B [17] |
US Rap [18] |
UK [12] | |||
"Definition" (with Talib Kweli) | 1998 | 60 | 31 | 3 | — | Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star |
"Respiration" (with Talib Kweli featuring Common) | 1999 | — | 54 | 6 | — | |
"Oh No" (with Pharoahe Monch featuring Nate Dogg) | 2000 | 83 | 22 | 1 | 24 | Lyricist Lounge 2 |
"Wylin' Out" (with Diverse and Prefuse 73) | 2002 | — | 65[A] | — | — | Urban Renewal Program |
"Sensei on the Block" (with Ski Beatz) | 2015 | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
- A. ^ Charted only on the Hot Singles Sales or Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales charts.
As featured artist
Title | Year | Chart positions | Album | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Bub. [16] |
US R&B [17] |
US Rap [18] |
US Alt | |||
"The Love Song" (Da Bush Babees featuring Mos Def) |
1996 | 17 | 66 | 15 | — | Gravity |
"Bullshittin' (B.S.'n...)" (N'Dea Davenport featuring Mos Def) |
1998 | — | 101 | — | — | N'Dea Davenport |
"B-Boy Document" (The High & Mighty featuring Mos Def and Skillz) |
1999 | — | 63 | 7 | — | Home Field Advantage |
"Travellin' Man" (DJ Honda featuring Mos Def) |
13 | 76 | 17 | — | h II | |
"A Brighter Day" (Ronny Jordan featuring Mos Def) |
2000 | — | 54[A] | 20 | — | A Brighter Day |
"Six Days" (DJ Shadow featuring Mos Def) |
2002 | — | 38[A] | — | — | The Private Press |
"Wanna B Where U R (Thisizzaluvsong)" (Floetry featuring Mos Def) |
2003 | — | 116 | — | — | Barbershop 2: Back in Business soundtrack and Floacism "Live" |
"Get By" (Remix)[20] (Talib Kweli featuring Jay-Z, Mos Def, Kanye West and Busta Rhymes) |
— | — | — | — | I'm Good (mixtape) | |
"Bin Laden" (Immortal Technique featuring Mos Def) |
2004 | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
"Magnetic Arts" (DJ Honda featuring Mos Def) |
2009 | — | — | — | — | DJ Honda IV |
"Stylo" (Gorillaz featuring Mos Def and Bobby Womack) |
2010 | 3 | — | — | 24 | Plastic Beach |
"Just Begun" (Reflection Eternal featuring Jay Electronica, J. Cole and Mos Def) |
— | — | — | — | Revolutions Per Minute | |
"It Ain't My Fault" (Gulf Aid All-Stars featuring Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Mos Def, Lenny Kravitz, and Trombone Shorty) |
— | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
"Pride N Joy" (Fat Joe featuring Kanye West, Miguel, Jadakiss, Mos Def, DJ Khaled, Roscoe Dash and Busta Rhymes) |
2012 | — | 81 | — | — |
- A. ^ Charted only on the Hot Singles Sales or Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales charts.
Other appearances
Year | Song | Artist(s) | Album |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | "Intro" | Da Bush Babees | Gravity |
"S.O.S." | |||
"Big Brother Beat" | De La Soul | "Stakes Is High" | |
"Stakes Is High (Remix)" (also featuring Truth Enola) | "Itzsoweezee (HOT)" single | ||
1997 | "From Mos Def" | DJ Krush | MiLight |
"Shinjiro" | |||
"BMT" (also featuring Biz Markie) | Towa Tei | Sound Museum | |
"Fortified Live" (Performed by Reflection Eternal also featuring Mr. Man) | Rawkus Records | Soundbombing | |
"Freestyle" (Performed with Talib Kweli as Black Star) | |||
"If You Can Huh..." | |||
1998 | "Body Rock" (Performed with Q-Tip & Tash) | Rawkus Records | Lyricist Lounge, Volume One |
"Crying at Airports (Shawn J. Period Remix)" | Whale | "Four Big Speakers" single | |
"Fruits of Labor" | Wizdom Life, Matt Fingatip & Shawn J. Period | Hip Hop Independents Vol. 1 | |
"Rock Rock Y'all" (also featuring Punchline, Jane Doe and Wordsworth) | A Tribe Called Quest | The Love Movement | |
"World Famous" | Funkmaster Flex | The Mixtape Volume 3: 60 Minutes of Funk, The Final Chapter | |
1999 | "Double Trouble" | The Roots | Things Fall Apart |
"Back in the Ghetto" (Performed with Eminem & Sadat X) | Various Artists | New York Undercover | |
"Beautiful (Black Star Remix)" (Performed with Talib Kweli as Black Star) | Mary J. Blige | "All That I Can Say" single | |
"B-Boy Document '99" (also featuring Skillz) | High & Mighty | Home Field Advantage & Soundbombing II | |
Rawkus Records | Soundbombing II | ||
"A Message From Mos Def & The Beat Junkies" | |||
"Next Universe" | |||
"If It's Alright Y'all" | Brixx | Superrappin: The Album | |
"Tinseltown to the Boogiedown" | Scritti Politti | Anomie & Bonhomie | |
"All Praises Due" | A.D.L.I.B. | Urban Renewal: Word on the Street | |
"The Hard Margin" (Performed with Talib Kweli as Black Star) | The Creators | "The Hard Margin" single | |
2000 | Bad Magic Presents: The Precedent | ||
"Foundation" | DJ Honda | 2000 | |
"You (Feel Good Remix)" | Samuel Christian | Black and White soundtrack | |
"Black Iz Back" (Performed as member of Mau Maus) | Mau Maus | Bamboozled soundtrack | |
"On My Own" (also featuring Les Nubians) | The Black Eyed Peas | Bridging the Gap | |
"Saturday Nite" | Brand New Heavies | Delicious Vinyl Presents... Prime Cuts Vol. 1 | |
"Lyrical Fluctuation 2000 (Spinna Mix)" (Performed with Talib Kweli as Black Star also featuring Mr. Complex, Pharaohe Monch & Shabaam Sahdeeq) | Jigmastas | DJ Spinna: The Beat Suite | |
"Eve" | Spacek | "Eve" single | |
"One Four Love Pt. 1" (Performed with Talib Kweli as Black Star also featuring Common, Kool G. Rap, Posdnuos, Rah Digga, Sporty Thievz, Pharaohe Monch & Shabaam Sahdeeq) | Rawkus Records | Hip Hop for Respect | |
"A Tree Never Grown" (also featuring A.L., Fre, Grafh, Invincible, J-Live, Jane Doe, Kofi Taha, Rubix, Tame One & Wordsworth) | |||
"One Four Love Pt. 2" (also featuring Cappadonna, Channel Live, Crunch Lo, Rock, Shyheim & Wise Intelligent) | |||
"The Questions" | Common | Like Water for Chocolate | |
"Oh No" (Performed with Pharoahe Monch featuring Nate Dogg) | Rawkus Records | Lyricist Lounge 2 | |
"I've Committed Murder (Gang Starr Remix)" (Performed by Macy Gray also featuring Guru) | |||
"Ms. Fat Booty 2" (featuring Ghostface Killah) | |||
"This Means You" | Reflection Eternal | Train of Thought | |
"Love Rain (Remix)" | Jill Scott | Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds, Vol. 1 | |
"Hurricane" (also featuring Common, Black Thought, Dice Raw, Flo Brown, Jazzyfatnastees & The Roots) | Various Artists | The Hurricane soundtrack | |
"What's That? (¿Que Eso?)" (also featuring De La Soul) | Tony Touch | The Piece Maker | |
"Can U C the Pride in the Panther" (Male Version) | 2Pac | The Rose That Grew from Concrete | |
"Can U C the Pride in the Panther" (Female Version) | |||
"(Another) Another World" (Performed with Talib Kweli as Black Star) | The Creators | The Weight | |
2001 | "Reminisce" (also featuring Common) | Bilal | 1st Born Second |
"Do Your Best" | Femi Kuti | Fight to Win | |
"Jam On It" | DJ Spinbad | Underground Airplay Version 1.0 | |
"If Looks Could Kill (You Would Be Dead)" (Performed with Beyoncé Knowles & Sam Sarpong) | MTV | Carmen: A Hip Hopera | |
"Black & Blue" (Performed with Mekhi Phifer) | |||
"Bounce" | DJ Hasebe | Hey World | |
"Get Ta Steppin'" (also featuring Vinia Mojica) | Hi-Tek | Hi-Teknology | |
"Street Sounds" | Charlie Hunter Quartet | Songs from the Analog Playground | |
"Creole" | |||
"My Nutmeg Phantasy" (also featuring Angie Stone) | Macy Gray | The Id | |
2002 | "I Against I" (Performed with Massive Attack) | Various Artists | Blade II soundtrack |
"My Nutmeg Phantasy (Tom Morrello Remix)" (Performed with Macy Gray and Angie Stone) | Various Artists | Spider-Man | |
"Joy" | Talib Kweli | Quality | |
"Freak Daddy" | Rawkus Records | Soundbombing III | |
"Seven Days (DJ Premier Remix)" (also featuring Nate Dogg) | Craig David | "Seven Days"single | |
"Guess You Didn't Love Me" | Terri Walker | Untitled | |
"Wylin Out" (Performed with Diverse) | Ninja Tune | Urban Renewal Program | |
2003 | "On the Run" (also featuring M.O.P.) | Mark Ronson | Here Comes the Fuzz |
"Stakes Is High (Remix)" | De La Soul | The Best Of | |
"Guess You Didn't Love Me" | Terri Walker | Untitled | |
2004 | "Wanna B Where U R (Thisizzaluvsong)" | Floetry | Barbershop 2: Back in Business soundtrack |
"Beauty in the Dark (Groove with You)" | The Isley Brothers | Taken to the Next Phase (Reconstructions) | |
"Supreme, Supreme" | Talib Kweli | The Beautiful Struggle | |
"She Wants to Move (Native Tongues Remix)" (also featuring Common, De La Soul & Q-Tip) | N*E*R*D | "Maybe" single | |
"Two Words" (also featuring Freeway & The Harlem Boys Choir) | Kanye West | The College Dropout | |
2005 | "T.I.M.E." (also featuring Black Thought & Stephanie McKay) | Scratch Perverts | Fabric Big Issue CD |
"The Corner (Remix)" (also featuring Common) | Scarface | "My Homies Part 2" | |
"Victory" (Performed with Sizzla) | K-Salaam | The World Is Ours | |
"Love It or Leave It Alone" (also featuring Common) | Alicia Keys | Unplugged | |
"Yo-Yo-Yo (Street)" | Medina Green | "Yo-Yo-Yo (Street)" single | |
2006 | "Superstar" | Ge-ology | Facets |
"Wylin Out (Kut Masta Kurt Remix)" | Various artists | Chocolate Swim | |
"Where We At" | Jurassic 5 | Feedback | |
"Here Comes the Champ" (Performed with Anwar Superstar) | Dan the Automator | Dan the Automator Presents 2K7 | |
"We Get Down" (also featuring Bootsy Collins & Raphael Saadiq) | Hi-Tek | Hi-Teknology²: The Chip | |
"Let It Go" | Little Brother & DJ Drama | Separate But Equal | |
2007 | "Hey Baby" | Stephen Marley | Mind Control |
"Drunk and Hot Girls" | Kanye West | Graduation | |
"The Glory" (background vocals) | |||
"Good Night" (also featuring Al Be Back) | |||
"Brooklyn in My Mind" (also featuring Jean Grae & Memphis Bleek) | 9th Wonder | The Dream Merchant Vol. 2 | |
"Light (Can You See It?) (also featuring Ken "Duro" Ifill) | DJ Krush | Suimou Tsunenimasu | |
"Love Rain (Head Nod Remix)" | Jill Scott | Collaborations | |
"Love Rain (Coffee Shop Mix)" | |||
"D.A.N.C.E. (Benny Blanco Remix)" (also featuring Spank Rock) | Justice | † | |
2008 | "Rising Down" (also featuring Dice Raw & Styles P) | The Roots | Rising Down |
2009 | "America" (also featuring Chali 2na) | K'naan | Troubadour |
"Mountain Sunlight" | Jazz Liberatorz | Fruit of the Past | |
"On the Vista" | BlakRoc | BlakRoc | |
"Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)" (also featuring Jim Jones) | |||
2010 | "Party Done" | Medina Green | Save the Children |
"Sweepstakes" (also featuring Hypnotic Brass Ensemble) | Gorillaz | Plastic Beach | |
"New York Is Killing Me (Remix)" | Gil Scott-Heron | ||
"Priority (Acapella)" | Various Artists | Raise Hope for Congo | |
"Sweetest Fruit" | Baraka Blue | SoundHeart | |
"Breakfast" | Curren$y | Pilot Talk | |
"The Day" (also featuring Jay Electronica) | |||
"Prowler 2" (also featuring Jean Grae, Jay Electronica & Joell Ortiz) | Ski Beatz | N/A | |
"Arials" (also featuring Curren$y, Whosane, Terri Walker & Stalley) | |||
"Cream of the Planet" | |||
"Taxi" (also featuring Whosane) | |||
"Lord Lord Lord" (also featuring Swizz Beatz, Raekwon & Charlie Wilson) | Kanye West | G.O.O.D. Fridays | |
"Don't Look Down" (also featuring Lupe Fiasco & Big Sean) | |||
2012 | "The Very Best" (also featuring Mannie Fresh) | Dee-1 | Save the Children |
2015 | "Back Home" (also featuring Acyde & ASAP Yams) | ASAP Rocky | At. Long. Last. ASAP |
2016 | "R.E.D." (as Yasiin Bey, also featuring Narcy and Black Bear ) | A Tribe Called Red | We Are the Halluci Nation |
2017 | "Buy My App" | Denmark Vessey & Azarias | Buy My Drugs |
2018 | "Kids See Ghosts" | Kids See Ghosts | Kids See Ghosts |
2019 | "Education" (also featuring Black Thought) | MadGibbs | Bandana |
Videos
- 1994: Manifest Destiny (Urban Thermo Dynamics)
- 1996: The Love Song (Da Bush Babees featuring Mos Def)
- 1998: Travellin' Man (DJ Honda featuring Mos Def)
- 1998: Body Rock (Mos Def, Q-Tip & Tash)
- 1998: Definition (Black Star)
- 1999: Respiration (Black Star featuring Common)
- 1999: Tinseltown To The Boogiedown (Scritti Politti featuring Mos Def & Lee Majors)
- 1999: B-Boy Document '99 (The High & Mighty featuring Mos Def & Skillz)
- 1999: Ms. Fat Booty (Mos Def)
- 1999: Umi Says (Mos Def)
- 2000: One Four Love (Part 1) (Common, Kool G Rap, Posdnuos, Rah Digga, Sporty Thievz, Black Star, Pharaohe Monch & Shabaam Sahdeeq)
- 2000: Blak Iz Blak (Mos Def, Canibus, Charli Baltimore, MC Serch, Mums, DJ Scratch & Gano Grills)
- 2000: Oh No (Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch & Nate Dogg)
- 2002: Brown Sugar (Extra Sweet) (Mos Def featuring Faith Evans)
- 2004: Two Words (Kanye West featuring Mos Def, Freeway & The Harlem Boys Choir)
- 2004: Ghetto Rock (Mos Def)
- 2004: Sex, Love & Money (Mos Def)
- 2005: Yo-Yo-Yo (Medina Green featuring Mos Def)
- 2005: Dollar Day (Mos Def)
- 2009: Casa Bey (Mos Def)
- 2009: Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo) (The Black Keys featuring Mos Def & Jim Jones)
- 2009: Taxi (Snippet) (Ski featuring Mos Def)
- 2009: Supermagic (Mos Def)
- 2010: History (Mos Def featuring Talib Kweli)
- 2010: White Drapes (Snippet) (Mos Def)
- 2010: Stylo (Gorillaz featuring Mos Def & Bobby Womack)
- 2010: It Ain't My Fault (Gulf Aid All-Stars featuring Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Mos Def, Lenny Kravitz & Trombone Shorty)
- 2010: Cream of the Planet (Ski Beatz featuring Mos Def)
- 2016: Rude Boy Remix (Angel featuring JME, Wretch 32, Tally)
See also
- Black Star discography
References
- "About Mos Def". MTV.com. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
- Kellman, Andy (October 19, 2004). "The New Danger review". allmusic. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
- "Manifest Destiny [2004]". AllMusic.com. 2004. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
- Birchmeier, Jason (2009). "Mos Def > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
- "Mos Def Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- "Mos Def Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- "Mos Def Chart History: Rap Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 29th June 2009" (PDF) (1009). Australian Recording Industry Association. June 29, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2020 – via Pandora Archive. Cite journal requires
|journal=
(help) - "Mos Def Chart History: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- "Discographie Mos Def". lescharts.com (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
- "Discographie Mos Def". hitparade.ch (in German). Hindu Medien. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
- Peak chart positions for albums in the United Kingdom:
- All except noted: "Mos Def". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- Black on Both Sides and The Ecstatic: Zywietz, Tobias (February 6, 1997). "Chart Log UK: M – My Vitriol". Zobbel.de. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-06-16. Retrieved 2014-03-08.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Gold & Platinum: Mos Def". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
- "Certified Awards Search" (enter "Mos Def" into the "Search BPI Awards" box). British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
- "Mos Def Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- "Mos Def Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- "Mos Def Chart History: Rap Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- "Mos Def Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- Get By (track listing). Talib Kweli. Roc-A-Fella Records. 2003. ROC-20140.CS1 maint: others (link)