After going on a haitus that lasted a little too long, one of Brooklyn's most super lyrical MCs, known to many as Mos Def, is finally back in action. And although he's selling himself short by most likely only releasing his album exclusively on iTunes, it's fair to say that any material from Mos is much needed. At least in the eyes of his fans.
Check out the snippet of the "lead" single for Mos' digital album The Ecstatic, which is slated for iTunes release on Election Day, November 4th:
Mos Def "Life in Marvelous Times"
http://www.zshare.net/audio/50111418a2818c74/
This snippet could have been a little longer. But it was enough to showcase his strength in rhyme skill and delivery. However, it's too bad I don't ever buy anything from iTunes, like many people who have iPods. This is what happens when you limit yourself to the internet. Why a lot of these MCs, such as Joe Budden, think that going strictly digital is the best form of adaption, I haven't a clue. Because it's not. If you're a good rapper with a strong following, then you should still make available a certain amount of hard copies so that people like myself who don't really dig the digital download thing can access your work. Even if it's only available on places like Amazon. But this attitude that frustrated rappers are beginning to take is just further fueling the extinction of hard copy sales and is encouraging the idea of "download only."
Whatever. It's their careers not mine, so I can't really call it.
One thing I can call, however, is Mos' ability to rock the mic. And with all this generic music being put out nowadays, I'm gonna have to figure out a way to cop that album. The two releases (three including his compilation album) that came after his 1999 hit Black on Both Sides may not have been as well received-- or well put together-- but it doesn't matter because Black on Both Sides is what seems to most heavily define Mos as a rap artist.
Not that I think The Ecstatic will be another Black on Both Sides. But ... you know.
November 4th. Cop that single if you're a legal downloader. Another album coming in December, stay tuned for details on that.
