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Rapper, poet, activist, actor Mos Def is a respected member of the hip-hop community despite having recorded a small volume of work. He began his recording career as a member of Black Star along with kindred of spirit Talib Kweli. He then released a critically acclaimed (but very underground) cd “Black On Both Sides” in 1999. That record seamlessly fused hip-hop with neo-soul resulting in a very positve and innovative hybrid. Since that release he has furthered his acting career also receiving critical success.
With the release of “New Danger,” Mos Def has once again broken the mold of what hip-hop is expected to be. After listening to this release, it is pretty clear that Mos Def is an artist who cannot be pigeon holed. For you to appreciate artists like this, you have to be into their persona and what they are about. If you are into Prince, you will generally like whatever he puts out in whatever genre he chooses cuz you are feeling him as a creative artist. The same applies to Mos Def.
“New Danger,” is a bold badass rock/hip-hop record. Ever since Outkast’s Andre 3000 put out his disc “The Love Below,” any hip-hop cd that is not in sync with the mainstream is compared to that. While “New Danger” is not a typical hip-hop record, any comparisons to Outkast are not valid. “New Danger” is a flat out rock/hip-hop record. A better comparison would be to a Beastie Boys or N*E*R*D record.
The cd begins innocently enough with “The Boogie Man Song,” (produced and performed by Raphael Saadiq) a laid back mysterious sounding track with a slight Middle East sound lurking underneath. All that mellowness is blown away with the next track “Freaky Black Greetings,” which features some hard-hitting guitars, one slashing the chords and the other on the wah-wah peddle. Since this album is rock, it would have probably been better if he started the cd with this track. On the other hand you would not have been so jolted if he had.
“Ghetto Rock,” is a perfect example of fusing rock and hip-hop sensibilities. The track has a booming drum and an electric guitar sounding more like a sitar, which plays the chorus. Mos freestyles on the track. He does this on the majority of the record.
Mos Def has been quoted as saying that he wanted to release a rock cd with his group Black Johnson, but this never materialized. I would assume that a lot of tracks that was planned for that project are on here. “Zimzallabim” features the group in all their Jimi Hendrix glory. The guitars going backwards and other distortions are used to great effect here. At the end of the track they let loose in the best bang your head Living Colour mode.
Just in case you didn’t get the message that this is a rock/hip-hop record, Mos raps over The Doors “Five To One” (from their “Waiting For The Sun” record) on “The Rape Is Over,” I think you get the message. Jim Morrison free styled a lot himself so rapping over him is very appropriate. Super producer Kanye West did this song.
One of the best tracks on this cd has got to be “Blue Black Jack,” a blues laced gem where the band cuts it loose as well as Mos on the vocals. Once again he sounds like he improvising and that makes it more “real” sounding. This is some down home nasty blues type stuff that they used to play at the juke joints. The organ is in here too grinding it out. You jus gotta nod your head while hearing this.
“Bedsty Parade & Funeral March” sounds more like something that would have been on “Black On Both Sides,” similar to “Umi.” It has a free wheeling beat with the drummer ridding those cymbals. It has a vague blues feel to it sounds like something Steve Miller might have done back in the day.
“Sex, Love and Money” is a more traditional hip-hop freestyle joint with a menacing horn sample and a flute, giving it that Gil Scott-Heron feel.
If there is one song that I am not feeling, it’s the Kanye West produced “Sunshine.” The damn speeded up chipmunk style sample is there in full effect…again. The sample is “Let The Sunshine” from the Broadway musical “Hair. I think this is from the original cast album. It is not The Fifth Dimension version. The rap is good on this joint; it’s the sample that is annoying as hell. “Close Edge,” which follows, is another traditional hip-hop joint that has Mos quoting “The Message.”
On “The Panties,” Marvin Gaye makes his first of three appearances. Sampling the strings and some of the vocals from “I Want You,” Mos sings/raps his song of seduction guaranteed to get the honey’s in da mood. As an added bonus, at the end he quotes from The Moments “Sexy Mama.”
“War” is a song with a schizophrenic feel to it. The beginning starts off as traditional hip-hop and then after inserting a sample from a movie, in case you forgot this is a rock album, the guitars come back with full force.
Two more traditional, mundane songs “Grown Man Business,” sampling Barry White “I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More,” for no particular reason and “Life Is Real” are pretty much forgettable.
Marvin Gaye makes his next appearance on “Modern Marvel,” a nine-minute free form masterpiece. Mos starts speaking/singing over Marvin’s “Flying High In The Friendly Sky,” sometimes sounding like Pharrell on the N*E*R*D track “Bobby James.” He also quotes Curtis Mayfield’s opening monologue to “If There’s Hell Below We All Gotta Go.” After some more free styling the song shifts and samples Marvin’s “What’s Going On." Mos unleashes a rant asking,
If Marvin was alive now
Wow
What would I say to him?
Where could I start?
How could I explain to him?
I know the world would probably look strange to him
Would he feel like the day had a place for him?
Global imprisonment,
Sickness indifference
When he said “save the babies” who’s listening?
When he said “mercy mercy” did he really know
That decades later we’d still be killing folks?
Or did he hope that we would realize
That we the first, the sun the earth, the moon, the stars, the great beyond
We Black and proud
We brave and strong
We raise it up
We quiet storm
Forever fresh and keeping on
The record could have ended there but there it continues with “The Easy Spell,” another rocker. “The Beggar” is a beautiful mesmerizing love song with hypnotic drums beating that keeps the song from slipping into the mush zone. It has distant echoes of Donny Hathaway’s “More Than You Ever Know,” in its sentiment.
“Champion Requiem” closes this brilliant cd with a guitar sample hook that sounds like it’s from The Supremes song “Keep Me Hanging On. The song pays homage to those entertainers and average folk who have passed soldiers locked down in the cell.
For those who want more traditional hip-hop, there is always Masta Ace (on the underground tip) LL and Big Boi (on the commercial/pop tip). For those who want to have their musical palate expanded and titillated, this is your release. The five year wait was worth it for this record. Mos Def is back and he has come correct!
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