Alright, I'm back. The Mos Def album review is finally here. I wasn't slippin' ya'll. I was supposed to receive this in the mail weeks ago, but it got lost somewhere so I'm just not getting a chance to even listen to it. So, I won't talk anymore, here is the review. Enjoy!

Supermagic: If you're like me, you may have been hoping for Mos to come back with something comparable to Black On Both Sides after a few albums that didn't really show off the rapping skills everybody knows that he possesses. Well, the intro definitely doesn't lead you to believe that you will be getting the Mos Def that you may have been hoping for, but can't take away from the fact that Mos is in tune with the music. I have to give this a 3.

Twilite Speedball: This is another one of those songs that is really about Mos just having fun with the music and playing around with songs. Both this song and "Supermagic" can be compared to "Umi Says" (as can many of the other songs on the album), because he is not focused so much on rapping as he is just going with the mood of the music.

Auditorium: This is the first song you really hear Mos going back to MCing. As with many of his songs, what he raps is really complicated and takes much focus to understand what he is saying. Mos actually touches on this, saying "I spit it so clearly, sometime ya'll don't hear me". It was also really nice to hear Slick Rick on the track. This gets a 4.5.

Wahid: This is definitely another complex rhyme from the Mighty Mos. It'll probably take a few lessons to truly get the meaning behind the song. To be honest, I've only listened to it a couple times, so I'm still trying to understand it myself. You may even have to do some research on the name, but be prepared to do some digging as you may get a few results. Still, you can still pick out lines from the song that will make it enjoyable before you even fully comprehend it. This a 4.
 
Priority: On this song, we get to see Mos really start to show off his talent as an MC, but unfortunately, like many of the songs, it is way to short. Still, there is no denying that the little bit of what we are given is hot. For that reason, I will still give it a 5, even though I want to mark it down a little due to the fact that it was cut so short.

Quiet Dog Bite Hard: I love this song. With an African style beat with the drums and clapping in the back, it gives an amazing vibe to the track while Mos flows so easily over the track. This is probably my favorite song on the album. This is a 5 (even though, it is once again cut short).

Life In Marvelous Times: While the previous song may have been my favorite, this song is probably the best. The descripition Mos gives of the times we are living in is very abstract and original. The production is very hard hitting, blending perfectly with the message and tone of Mos Def's voice. This is definitley a 5.

The Embassy: It seems as if Mos is talking about the Embassay Suites on this one, but once again, it may take a few listens before you really understand exactly the point that he is trying to make. Is he hating on the hotel chain in some way or is there a different meaning altogether? Once again, I have to give it a few more listens myself.

No Hay Nada Mas: If there was one thing I wish I had done, and what I may pick up on again later in life, is to continue learning Spanish. Unfortunately, I stopped taking it a couple years back, so I have no idea what Mos is talking about in this song. As much as I would love to rate it higher since I'm sure he is saying something, I have to give it a 2.5 just because I don't get it lol.

Pistola: This song was pretty nice. It's not anything that will leave you in amazement, but there are certain lines that will get you a little excited and make the song worthwhile. I'll say it's a 3.5.

Pretty Dancer: This song blends Mos' rhyme skills with his musical creativity. It almost seems as if he is ready to just start rhyming like crazy at any time, but keeps it in check in order for the listener to really enjoy the music itself. It makes for a pretty nice song. This is another 3.5.

Workers Comp: This song somewhat touches on social issues in terms of people that are struggling to make ends meet, working under paid jobs, etc, but once again Mos takes an alternative route instead of just giving the message. This kind-of-singing, kind-of-rapping deliverance causes the listener to really have to pay attention in order to keep up with what is being said. It is not really the easiest listen in the world, but nothing too bad. I give it a 3.

Revelations: On this track, Mos Def touches on race issues and relations. It is almost somewhat comedic in the delivery and certain lines that said, but the track itself is not all that impressive. It is still enjoyable, however. This is a rating of 3.5.

Roses: Once again, we find Mos going back and forth between the more melodic delivering and rapping. This track is actually pretty nice, though. It is nice and smooth and is fairly easy to listen to. I think it deserves a 4.

History: This track is so laid back; it just feels good. It really takes you back to the Black Star days. Unfortunately it's really short and it is not the best performance the two have given together. It is still a nice track, though. I give it a 4.

Casa Bey: Mos really found the flow in the beginning of the song, then it kind of faded into a more instrumental song after the first verse ended. This was a track meant to groove to like they might have back in the day. Although the beginning sets up you to believe that the song will give you 4 mintues full of lyrics and then starts to let you down, it is still a nice song. I say 3.5.

Honestly, I'm ready to put Mos Def and Andre 3000 in the same category; two musical geniuses that do hip hop only when they feel like it. Unfortunately for us, Mos still isn't qutie all the way ready to jump back into spitting the way he once did (Andre is finally getting back to it, at least it seems that way). That's not to say that there weren't any traditional hip hop songs on the album because there definitely were, but the structure we're accustomed to wasn't quite there. We saw the beginning of this on Black On Both Sides, and since then Mos has focused more on the music itself than on the hip hop element. I can't knock him for this at all, but I can wish that he would just go in and spit hard more often. It does make it a little hard to listen to the cd only because there are so many different styles and sounds that there doesn't seem to be any steady sound, but most of the tracks are still enjoyable. Either way, there is no denying Mos Def's talent and even though it may not have been exactly what I wanted, that does not mean that the cd was bad by any means. I'll give it a 3.5 overall.

What did you guys think about the album? You've had a chance to let it soak in now. Were you feeling it? Is it what you expected? Let me hear it. Comment or email at straightouttahiphop@gmail.com.


Peace.