The discography of Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, an American rapper, consists of four solo albums, two compilation albums, and several singles. Bey 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 duo Black Star with rapper Talib Kweli. "Definition", the lead 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, Yasiin Bey 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. Bey 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, Yasiin Bey 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 Bey'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] Bey'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.
Yasiin Bey's fourth solo album The Ecstatic was released in 2009 on Downtown Records with distribution by Universal Records.[4] His fifth album Negus was exclusively premiered during Art Basel in Hong Kong on March 29, 2019; and according to a press release, it will never receive a physical or digital release but will be displayed at sound installations around the world.[5]
Albums
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [6] |
US R&B [7] |
US Rap [8] |
AUS [9] |
CAN [10] |
FRA [11] |
SWI [12] |
UK [13] | ||||||
| Black on Both Sides | 25 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 110 |
|
||||
| The New Danger |
|
5 | 2 | 1 | — | 12 | 103 | 50 | 56 |
|
| ||
| True Magic |
|
77 | 25 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
|
|||
| The Ecstatic |
|
9 | 5 | 2 | 91 | 24 | 172 | 90 | 167 |
|
|||
| Negus[A] |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Collaborative albums
edit| Title | Details | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US [6] |
US R&B [7] | ||
| 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) |
|
— | — |
| No Fear of Time (with Talib Kweli as Black Star) |
— | — | |
Compilation albums
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| We Are Hip-Hop: Me, You, Everybody |
|
| Mos Definite |
|
| We Are Hip-Hop: Me, You, Everybody, Pt. 2 |
|
| Audio 3 |
|
Singles
editSolo
edit| Title | Year | Chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Bub. [18] |
US R&B [19] |
US Rap [20] |
UK [13] | ||||
| "Universal Magnetic" | 1997 | — | —[A] | — | — | Soundbombing | |
| "Ms. Fat Booty" / "Mathematics" | 1999 | — | 54 | 20 | 85 | Black on Both Sides | |
| "Umi Says" | — | — | — | 60 | |||
| "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 Bite Hard" | 2009 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Casa Bey" | — | — | — | — | |||
- A. ^ Charted only on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart, a 25-song extensions of the original Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
- B. ^ Charted only on the Hot Singles Sales or Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales charts.
Collaborative singles
edit| Title | Year | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [21] |
US R&B [19] |
US Rap [20] |
UK [13] | |||
| "Body Rock" (with Tash & Q-Tip) | 1998 | — | 65 | 21 | — | Lyricist Lounge, Volume One |
| "Definition" (with Talib Kweli) | 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 |
| "Black Iz Back" (with Mau Maus) | Bamboozled (soundtrack) | |||||
| "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
edit| Title | Year | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Bub. [18] |
US R&B [19] |
US Rap [20] |
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 |
| "Travellin' Man" (DJ Honda featuring Mos Def) |
13 | 76 | 17 | — | h II | |
| "B-Boy Document" (The High & Mighty featuring Mos Def and Skillz) |
1999 | — | 63 | 7 | — | Home Field Advantage / Soundbombing II |
| "A Brighter Day" (Ronny Jordan featuring Mos Def) |
— | 54[A] | 20 | — | A Brighter Day | |
| "Six Days (Remix)" (DJ Shadow featuring Mos Def) |
2002 | — | 38[A] | — | — | Six Days 12" |
| "Wylin' Out" (with Diverse and Prefuse 73) | — | 65 | — | — | Urban Renewal Program | |
| "Wanna B Where U R (Thisizzaluvsong)" (Floetry featuring Mos Def) |
2003 | — | 116 | — | — | Barbershop 2: Back in Business (soundtrack) / Floacism "Live" |
| "Bin Laden" (Immortal Technique featuring Mos Def) |
2005 | — | — | — | — | 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 |
- A. ^ Charted only on the Hot Singles Sales or Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales charts.
Other appearances
edit| 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)" | ||
| "Shinjiro" | DJ Krush | MiLight | |
| 1997 | "Light (Can You See It?)" | Holonic-The Self Megamix | |
| "BMT" | Towa Tei, Biz Markie | Sound Museum | |
| "If You Can Huh..." | — | Soundbombing | |
| 1998 | "Crying at Airports (Shawn J. Period Remix)" | Whale | "Four Big Speakers" |
| "World Famous" | Funkmaster Flex | The Mixtape Volume 3: 60 Minutes of Funk, The Final Chapter | |
| "Rock Rock Y'all" | A Tribe Called Quest, Punchline, Wordsworth and Jane Doe | The Love Movement | |
| 1999 | "Double Trouble" | The Roots | Things Fall Apart |
| "Next Universe" | — | Soundbombing II | |
| "Cross Town Beef" | Medina Green, DCQ | ||
| "Tinseltown to the Boogiedown" | Scritti Politti | Anomie & Bonhomie | |
| "If It's Alright Y'all" | Brixx | Superrappin: The Album | |
| "Foundation" | DJ Honda | h 2000 | |
| "All Praises Due" | A.D.L.I.B. | Urban Renewal: Word on the Street | |
| 2000 | "Saturday Nite" (J Dilla Remix) | Brand New Heavies | Delicious Vinyl Presents... Prime Cuts Vol. 1 |
| "Hurricane" | Common, Black Thought, Dice Raw, Flo Brown, Jazzyfatnastees | The Hurricane (soundtrack) | |
| "Eve" | Spacek | "Eve" | |
| "You (Feel Good Remix)" | Samuel Christian | Black and White (soundtrack) | |
| "On My Own" | The Black Eyed Peas, Les Nubians | Bridging the Gap | |
| "A Tree Never Grown" | A.L., Fre, Grafh, Invincible, J-Live, Jane Doe, Kofi Taha, Rubix, Tame One & Wordsworth | Hip Hop for Respect | |
| "One Four Love Pt. 2" | Cappadonna, Channel Live, Crunch Lo, Rock, Shyheim & Wise Intelligent | ||
| "What's That? (¿Que Eso?)" | Tony Touch, De La Soul | The Piece Maker | |
| "The Questions" | Common | Like Water for Chocolate | |
| "I've Committed Murder (Gang Starr Remix)" | Macy Gray, Gang Starr | Lyricist Lounge 2 | |
| "Ms. Fat Booty 2" | Ghostface Killah | ||
| "Can U C the Pride in the Panther" (Male/Female Version) | 2Pac | The Rose That Grew from Concrete | |
| "Love Rain (Remix)" | Jill Scott | Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds, Vol. 1 | |
| 2001 | "Do Your Best" | Femi Kuti | Fight to Win |
| "Jam on It" | DJ Spinbad | Underground Airplay Version 1.0 | |
| "Bounce" | DJ Hasebe | Hey World | |
| "Reminisce" | Bilal, Common | 1st Born Second | |
| "Get Ta Steppin'" | Hi-Tek, Vina Mojica | Hi-Teknology | |
| "Street Sounds" | Charlie Hunter Quartet | Songs from the Analog Playground | |
| "Creole" | |||
| "My Nutmeg Phantasy" | Macy Gray, Angie Stone | The Id | |
| 2002 | "Seven Days (DJ Premier Remix)" | Craig David | "Seven Days" |
| "Breakdown" | — | Brown Sugar (soundtrack) | |
| "Brown Sugar (Fine)" | Adaritha | ||
| "I Against I" | Massive Attack | Blade II (soundtrack) | |
| "Freak Daddy" | — | Soundbombing III | |
| "Mujuo" | Toshinobu Kubota | United Flow | |
| 2003 | "On the Run" | Mark Ronson, M.O.P. | Here Comes the Fuzz |
| "Guess You Didn't Love Me" | Terri Walker | Untitled | |
| 2004 | "Two Words" | Kanye West, Freeway, Harlem Boys Choir | The College Dropout |
| "Living for Today" | Toshinobu Kubota | Time to Share | |
| "She Wants to Move (Native Tongues Remix)" | N*E*R*D, Common, De La Soul, Q-Tip | "Maybe" | |
| "Beauty in the Dark (Groove with You)" | The Isley Brothers | Taken to the Next Phase (Reconstructions) | |
| 2005 | "T.I.M.E." | Scratch Perverts, Black Thought, Stephanie McKay | Fabric Big Issue CD |
| "Victory" | K-Salaam, Sizzla | The World Is Ours | |
| "Love It or Leave It Alone" | Alicia Keys, Common | Unplugged | |
| "Yo-Yo-Yo (Street)" | Medina Green | "Yo-Yo-Yo (Street)" | |
| 2006 | "The Corner (Remix)" | Scarface, Common | My Homies Part 2 |
| "Superstar" | Ge-ology | Facets | |
| "Where We At" | Jurassic 5 | Feedback | |
| "Here Comes the Champ" | Dan the Automator, Anwar Superstar | Dan the Automator Presents 2K7 | |
| "We Get Down" | Hi-Tek, Bootsy Collins, Raphael Saadiq | 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 | |
| "Good Night" | |||
| "Brooklyn in My Mind" | 9th Wonder, Jean Grae, Memphis Bleek | The Dream Merchant Vol. 2 | |
| "D.A.N.C.E. (Benny Blanco Remix)" | Justice, Spank Rock | † | |
| 2008 | "No Particular Place to Go" | — | Cadillac Records: Music from the Motion Picture |
| "Rising Down" | The Roots, Styles P, Dice Raw | Rising Down | |
| 2009 | "America" | K'naan, Chali 2na | Troubadour |
| "Mountain Sunlight" | Jazz Liberatorz | Fruit of the Past | |
| "On the Vista" | BlakRoc | BlakRoc | |
| "Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)" | |||
| 2010 | "Sweepstakes" | Gorillaz, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble | Plastic Beach |
| "New York Is Killing Me (Remix)" | Gil Scott-Heron | ? | |
| "Sweetest Fruit" | Baraka Blue | SoundHeart | |
| "Breakfast" | Curren$y | Pilot Talk | |
| "The Day" (also featuring Jay Electronica) | |||
| "Prowler 2" (also featuring Jean Grae, Jay Electronica & Joell Ortiz) | Ski Beatz | — | |
| "Arials" (also featuring Curren$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 | "Black Radio" | Robert Glasper | Black Radio |
| "The Very Best" | Dee-1, Mannie Fresh | Save the Children | |
| 2013 | "Freedom Is Everyone's Job" | Preservation | Old Numbers |
| "They Die By Dawn and Other Short Stories" | The Bullitts, Lucy Liu, Jay Electronica | They Die By Dawn (And Other Short Stories) | |
| 2015 | "Back Home" | ASAP Rocky, ASAP Yams, Acid | At. Long. Last. ASAP |
| "Never Die" | Golden Rules | Golden Ticket | |
| 2016 | "R.E.D." | 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" | MadGibbs, Black Thought | Bandana |
| "Treal" | Robert Glasper | Fuc Yo Feelings | |
| 2020 | "Breathe" | Navy Blue | Song of Sage: Post Panic! |
| 2022 | ”Stars” | J.I.D | The Forever Story |
| 2024 | "Space" | Hypnotic Brass Ensemble | Hypnotic Joints, Vol. 2 |
Videos
edit- 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)
- 2022: Peppa (Westside Gunn featuring Black Star)
- 2022: So Be It (Black Star)
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Negus is Yasiin Bey’s fifth studio album, entirely produced by Lord Tusk, Steven Julien, and ACyde and was recorded in London in 2015. Negus was exclusively premiered during Art Basel in Hong Kong on March 29, 2019. According to a press release, the album will never receive a physical or digital release but will be displayed at sound installations around the world.[17]
References
edit- ^ "About Mos Def". MTV.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. 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.
- ^ "Yasiin Bey released his newest album and all I got was a Polaroid of myself". 29 March 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ a b "Mos Def Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- ^ a b "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). Australian Recording Industry Association. June 29, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-09-02. Retrieved June 28, 2020 – via Pandora Archive.
- ^ Peak positions in Canada:
- "The New Danger": "Albums : Top 100". Jam!. November 11, 2004. Archived from the original on December 10, 2004. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- "The Ecstatic": "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.
- ^ a b c 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.
- ^ a b c d "| HipHopDX". Archived from the original on 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
- ^ a b "Gold & Platinum: Mos Def". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
- ^ "British certifications – Mos Def". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 15, 2022. Type Mos Def in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "Yasiin Bey released his newest album and all I got was a Polaroid of myself". 29 March 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ a b "Mos Def Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Mos Def Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Mos Def Chart History: Rap Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- ^ "Mos Def Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.