| Mos Dub | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Remix album by | |
| Released | April 6th, 2010 |
| Genre | Hip hop, reggae [1] |
| Label | Self-released |
| Producer | Max Tannone |
Mos Dub is a mashup album of Mos Def and various classic reggae samples [2] that was mixed and produced by New York producer Max Tannone. The album was officially released to download on April 6, 2010.
Editing tracks from popular dub music, like King Tubby, Lee Perry, Scientist, the Slickers, Johnny Osbourne, Big Youth and Dawn Penn, [3] and laying the a cappella tracks from Mos Def, [1] Tannone has created a unique atmosphere where both Brooklyn hip hop and Jamaican reggae [4] have been mixed seamlessly. [5] The tracks have been described, in a positive way, as not sounding like part of a mashup, [5] and Mos Def's raps as fitting over the music naturally. [6]
Mos Dub was released as a free download on April 6, 2010, [7] off of the official Mos Dub website. [8] There is also an unofficial vinyl release of the album. [1]
Tannone released a followup to Mos Dub, called Dub Kweli . [9]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Vice | (unfavorable) [10] |
Critics have generally viewed the album positively. [4] [5] [11] [12] David James Young of Sputnikmusic stated that "...Mos Dub has the perfect sound, runtime, and lyrical content to make for a great summer car-ride CD". [13] New York described the album as "perfect summer BBQ music." [14] MTV Music tweeted about the album. [15] Hip-hop site Okayplayer described the album as "dope." [16] Adam Horovitz, also known as Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys gave his approval of the album on the day of its release in his personal blog. [17] Also, it has been said that the album is pleasing to fans of reggae music as well. [3]
Not all reviews have been positive; Vice stated that Mos Dub was an album that "the world doesn't really need". [10]
| No. | Title | Music | Vocal sample | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Johnny Too Beef" | "Johnny Too Bad" (from The Harder They Come by the Slickers, 1972) | "Beef" (from Mos Definite , 2007) | 3:21 |
| 2. | "History Town" | "007 (Shanty Town)" (from The Harder They Come by Desmond Dekker & the Aces, 1972) | "History" (from The Ecstatic , 2009) | 3:20 |
| 3. | "Ms. Vampire Booty" | "Dance of the Vampires" (from Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires by Scientist, 1981) | "Ms. Fat Booty" (from Black on Both Sides , 1999) | 4:35 |
| 4. | "In My Math" | "Your Teeth in My Neck" (from Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires by Scientist, 1981) | "Mathematics" (from Black on Both Sides, 1999) | 3:49 |
| 5. | "Travellin' Underground" | "Underground" (from Super Ape by Lee Perry, 1976) | "Travellin' Man" (from Mos Definite, 2007) | 4:15 |
| 6. | "Shroud the Stars" | "The Mummy Shroud" (from Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires by Scientist, 1981) | "Bright as the Stars" (from Ah Ha/Bright as the Stars, 2005) | 3:16 |
| 7. | "Mr. Universe" | "Mr. D. Brown Skank" (from Trojan Dub Box Set Vol. 2 by the Observer All-Stars) | "Next Universe" (from Soundbombing , 1997) | 2:54 |
| 8. | "Summertime Running" | "Running Dub" (from Black Foundation in Dub by King Tubby and Errol Thompson, 1995) | "Summertime" (from Mos Definite, 2007) | 3:52 |
| 9. | "Kampala Truth Work" | "Kampala" - (from Rub A Dub by Dub Specialist) and "Truths and Rights" (from Truths and Rights by Johnny Osbourne, 1980) | "Work It Out" (from The Dangerous Mix) | 2:44 |
| 10. | "Hurricane Black" | "Black Moon" (from Rebel Rock by Third World All Star) | "Hurricane" (from The Hurricane soundtrack, 1999) | 3:47 |
Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, is an American rapper and actor. A prominent figure in conscious hip hop, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social and political issues, such as police brutality, American exceptionalism, and the social status of African Americans.
Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Black Star, composed of rappers Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey. The album was released on September 29, 1998, to critical acclaim. The title is a reference to the Black Star Line, a shipping line founded by Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey. The album deals with modern-day issues, philosophical ideas, and life in Brooklyn, New York City as the two artists know it.
The Native Tongues were a collective of late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop artists known for their positive-minded, good-natured Afrocentric lyrics, and for pioneering the use of eclectic sampling and jazz-influenced beats. Its principal members were the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Monie Love, and Queen Latifah. The collective was also closely tied to the Universal Zulu Nation. Rolling Stone cites the track "Doin' Our Own Dang" as "the definitive Native Tongues posse cut".
Tony Louis Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American rapper and music producer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli. His father is singer Willie Cottrell of the Willie Cottrell Band, whom Hi-Tek featured on his second album, Hi-Teknology 2.
Reflection Eternal is an American hip hop duo composed of emcee Talib Kweli and producer Hi-Tek. They released their first album, Train of Thought, in 2000. They have since released a mixtape, The RE: Union, in late December 2009, and their second album Revolutions Per Minute was released May 18, 2010.
Quality is the first studio album by American rapper Talib Kweli. The album was released on November 19, 2002, by Rawkus Records. It received wide critical acclaim and had some commercial appeal from the song "Get By", produced by Kanye West. Kludge magazine included it on their list of best albums of 2002.
Black Star is an American hip hop duo formed in 1996, from Brooklyn, New York City. The duo is composed of rappers Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli. The duo is named after The Black Star Line, a shipping company founded by Marcus Garvey. Their critically acclaimed debut album Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star was released on September 29, 1998. After decades of only releasing singles and appearing on compilations, Black Star released their sophomore studio album No Fear of Time May 3, 2022 on the podcasting platform Luminary.
The Soulquarians were a rotating collective of experimental Black music artists active during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Initially formed by singer multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, drummer, composer and producer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and record producer, composer and rapper J Dilla. They were later joined by singer-songwriter Erykah Badu, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, keyboardist James Poyser, singer Bilal, bassist Pino Palladino, and rapper-producers Q-Tip, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Slum Village. Prior to its formation, Q-Tip, Common, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli were members of the Native Tongues collective, whilst Q-Tip's original group A Tribe Called Quest served as another inspiration behind the Soulquarians.
"Welcome to Jamrock" is a song by Jamaican reggae artist Damian Marley. It was released in March 2005 as the lead single from his album of the same name. The song was listed at number 270 on Pitchfork Media's "Top 500 songs of the 2000s". The song is featured in FIFA 06, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix, FIFA 23 and The Sims 2: Bon Voyage where it is recorded in the game's fictional Simlish language.
"Two Words" is a song by American hip-hop artist Kanye West, that features Mos Def, Freeway and The Boys Choir of Harlem, from West's debut studio album The College Dropout (2004). A cinematic version of the song was released as part of The College Dropout Video Anthology. It has been performed by Freeway regularly at his live shows over the years. An orchestral sound is used in the song. The music video was released in March 2005.
The Ecstatic is the fourth studio album by American rapper Mos Def, released on June 9, 2009, by the independent record label Downtown Records. After venturing further away from hip hop with an acting career and two poorly received albums, Mos Def signed a recording contract with Downtown and recorded The Ecstatic primarily at the Record Plant in Los Angeles. He worked with producers such as Preservation, Mr. Flash, Oh No, and Madlib, with the latter two reusing instrumentals they had produced on Stones Throw Records. The work of Stones Throw rapper MF Doom was also cited by Mos Def as an influence, while singer Georgia Anne Muldrow, formerly of the record label, performed as one of the album's few guest vocalists, along with rappers Slick Rick and Talib Kweli.
Jaydiohead is the mashup project of the music of Jay-Z and Radiohead that was mixed and produced by New York producer Minty Fresh Beats. Tannone premiered the album Jaydiohead on his Myspace page on December 30, 2008, which was officially released to download January 1, 2009. The first album was followed by the July 12, 2009 release of Jaydiohead: The Encore, which featured five new mixes. The album Jaydiohead has been called an internet sensation.
"Stylo" is the first single from British virtual band Gorillaz's third studio album Plastic Beach. The song features guest vocals from Bobby Womack and Mos Def. The single was released on 26 January 2010.
Stephen Levitin is an American record producer. Apple Juice Kid's production has been heard on songs by Mos Def, Azealia Banks, Wale, Camp Lo and MC Lyte. He has released several jazz remix albums with support from Okayplayer including Miles Davis Remixed and Frank Sinatra Remixed.
Max Tannone, formerly known as Minty Fresh Beats, is a New York music producer most notable for his production of mashup music.
Doublecheck Your Head is a mashup album of songs from the 1992 album Check Your Head by the Beastie Boys that was mixed and produced by New York producer Max Tannone. The album was released to download on September 1, 2009.
Dub Kweli is a mashup album of Talib Kweli and various classic reggae samples that was mixed and produced by New York producer Max Tannone. The album was officially released to download on August 29, 2010.
D. (Derick) Prosper began his career as a poet on the NPS National Poetry Slam circuit. He won several regional competitions and featured on the 1994 Providence Poetry Slam Team. D. Prosper was the youngest poet featured on the tour. He ranked fourth in the nation at the NPS finals in Asheville, North Carolina. Prosper was also featured in respected publication Fast Folk Music Magazine. He eventually earned a coveted spot on the 1994 Lollapalooza Tour D. Prosper's love of spoken word poetry ignited his passion for hip-hop music.
Amerigo Gazaway is an American producer, emcee and DJ known for remixes, original instrumentals and digital sampling. He is best known for his documentary style conceptual collaboration albums which have incorporated the music of A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, Fela Kuti, De La Soul, Marvin Gaye, Yasiin Bey, James Brown and others. In 2014, his Yasiin Bey/Marvin Gaye remix "You Are Undeniable" was used in an Apple iPad commercial. and charted on Billboard's best-selling singles.
Talib Kweli Greene is an American rapper. He earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with solo success including collaborations with producers and rappers Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Pharrell Williams. In 2011, Kweli founded his own record label, Javotti Media.
