Black on Both Sides is the debut album of American rapper Mos Def, now known as Yasiin Bey, released October 12, 1999 on Rawkus Records. Prior to the album's recording, Mos Def had collaborated with rapper Talib Kweli for the duo's studio album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998), which raised high expectations for a solo effort. Black on Both Sides features an emphasis on live instrumentation and socially conscious lyrics. On February 2, 2000, the album was certified Gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), following sales in excess of 500,000 copies. Black on Both Sides is the debut album of American rapper Mos Def, now known as Yasiin Bey, released October 12, 1999 on Rawkus Records. Prior to the album's recording, Mos Def had collaborated with rapper Talib Kweli for the duo's studio album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998), which raised high expectations for a solo effort. Black on Both Sides features an emphasis on live instrumentation and socially conscious lyrics. On February 2, 2000, the album was certified Gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), following sales in excess of 500,000 copies. false 2021-06-04 11:38:14 Black on Both Sides 8.5 2002 2002-07-30 2002-07-30 72 Hip Hop 117368 2148627 b33ddceb-2c7e-4fc5-a17a-42f0dc332ba9 f5c4c27e-5902-4fc0-adfb-7775da3d5363 d6658b47-463a-390e-9417-99c818aea004 /media/data/media4/Music/Mos Def/Black on Both Sides/folder.JPG Mos Def Mos Def feat. Busta Rhymes Mos Def feat. Q‐Tip Mos Def feat. Talib Kweli Mos Def feat. Vinia Mojica Mos Def 1 1 Fear Not of Man 04:29 1 2 Hip Hop 03:15 1 3 Love 04:23 1 4 Ms. Fat Booty 03:43 1 5 Speed Law 04:16 1 6 Do It Now 03:49 1 7 Got 03:27 1 8 Umi Says 05:10 1 9 New World Water 03:11 1 10 Rock n Roll 05:02 1 11 Know That 04:03 1 12 Climb 04:02 1 13 Brooklyn 05:09 1 14 Habitat 04:39 1 15 Mr. Nigga 05:12 1 16 Mathematics 04:06 1 17 May‐December 03:31 Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He began his hip hop career in 1994, alongside his siblings in the short-lived rap group Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD), after which they appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. He subsequently formed the duo Black Star, alongside fellow Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli, and in 1998 they released their eponymous debut album, featuring the singles "Definition" and "Respiration". He was featured on the roster of Rawkus Records and in 1999 released his solo debut, Black on Both Sides. His debut was followed by The New Danger (2004), True Magic (2006), and The Ecstatic (2009). The editors of About.com listed him as the 14th greatest rapper on their "50 Greatest Rappers of All Time" list. Some of his top hits include "Oh No", "Ms. Fat Booty" and "Mathematics".Prior to his career in music, Mos Def entered public life as a child actor with roles in television films, sitcoms, and theater. Since the early 2000s, he has appeared in the films Something the Lord Made, Next Day Air, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 16 Blocks, Be Kind Rewind, The Italian Job, The Woodsman, Bamboozled, and Brown Sugar and in television series such as Dexter and House. He is also known as the host of Def Poetry Jam, which aired on HBO between 2002 and 2007. Mos Def has been vocal on several social and political causes, including police brutality, the idea of American exceptionalism and the status of African Americans.