Milestones: The Ecstatic by Mos Def (Yasiin Bey)
Drawing on sonic traditions worldwide and tackling complex themes with his signature wit and insight, Mos Def crafted a deeply personal and universally resonant body of work.
To fully appreciate the significance of The Ecstatic, it’s essential to understand the artistic journey that led Mos Def to this pivotal moment in his career. By the time he began work on the album in the late 2000s, he had already established himself as one of the most dynamic and influential voices in hip-hop, with a string of classic releases that showcased his lyrical virtuosity, sonic adventurousness and commitment to social justice.
Mos Def first burst onto the scene in the late 1990s as one half of the duo Black Star, alongside fellow Brooklyn MC Talib Kweli. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1998, was a revelation, blending socially conscious lyrics with jazzy, soulful production and earning widespread critical acclaim. Mos followed that success with his solo debut, 1999’s Black On Both Sides, which cemented his status as a hip-hop superstar and earned him comparisons to legendary figures like Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield.
But as the 2000s dawned, Mos Def began to push against the norms of what was expected of him as a rapper. His 2004 album The New Danger was a bold departure, incorporating rock, blues, and soul influences and featuring collaborations with Kanye West, Minnesota, Psycho Les, 88-Keys, Warryn Campbell, and Black Jack Johnson. While the album was met with a mixed response from fans and critics, it showcased Mos Def’s restless creative spirit and willingness to take risks to pursue his artistic vision.
At the same time, Mos was also becoming increasingly involved in acting, with significant roles in films like Monster’s Ball, The Italian Job, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. His work in Hollywood brought him a new level of mainstream visibility, but it also led some to question his commitment to music. When he returned to hip-hop with 2006’s True Magic, which was to fulfill contractual obligations at Geffen Records, the album was met with a relatively muted response, with some critics arguing that it lacked the focus and intensity of his earlier work.
It was against this backdrop that Mos Def began work on The Ecstatic. In many ways, the album represented a creative crossroads for the artist when he had to decide whether to double down on his experimental instincts or return to the more straightforward hip-hop sound that had defined his early career. As he assembled a roster of collaborators and influences, it became clear that The Ecstatic would be something different entirely—a bold synthesis of global sounds and boundary-pushing production that would redefine what was possible in hip-hop.
Mos Def turned to a wide range of producers and collaborators to bring his vision to life, from underground favorites like Madlib and Oh No to more mainstream figures like The Neptunes’ Chad Hugo. He also drew on an eclectic array of musical influences, from Turkish psych-rock to African highlife to Jamaican dub. The result was a sonic landscape that was both familiar and radically new, grounded in the boom-bap rhythms of classic hip-hop but exploding outward in a kaleidoscope of colors and textures.
Mos Def also found himself grappling with new themes and ideas as he began to lay down verses and craft hooks. Where his earlier work had often focused on broad social and political issues, The Ecstatic found him turning inward, exploring questions of identity, spirituality, and personal growth. “Supermagic” showcased his lyrical dexterity in the hard-hitting opening track, even as they maintained the wit and wordplay that had always been his trademark.
As Mos Def began work on The Ecstatic in the late 2000s, he drew on a broader range of collaborators and influences than ever before. While his previous albums had often been defined by a singular sonic vision—the boom-bap classicism of Black On Both Sides, the rock and soul experimentalism of The New Danger—The Ecstatic would be a true melting pot, blending sounds and styles from around the globe into a cohesive and captivating whole.
To bring this vision to life, Mos Def assembled a roster of producers and beatmakers that was as eclectic as it was talented. At the center of the production team were brothers Madlib and Oh No, two of the most respected and innovative figures in underground hip-hop. Madlib, in particular, had already established himself as a master of sample-based production. He was known for digging up obscure records worldwide and transforming them into hypnotic, head-nodding beats.
For The Ecstatic, Madlib and Oh No drew heavily on their crate-digging expeditions, sampling from a wide range of global music traditions. On tracks like “Pistola” and “Auditorium” with Slick Rick, they layered some soul and Turkish psych-rock samples over dusty, boom-bap drums, creating an ancient and futuristic sound. On “Quiet Dog Bite Hard,” Preservation sampled from an old Bollywood soundtrack, giving the track a haunting, cinematic quality.
But Madlib and Oh No were just two of The Ecstatic’s sprawling production team members. Mos Def also enlisted the talents of The Neptunes’ Chad Hugo, who brought a sleek, futuristic sound to Twilite Speedball.” Mr. Flash, a French producer known for his work with the Ed Banger label, contributed the glitchy, electronic beat for “The Embassy.” And Georgia Anne Muldrow, a rising star in the world of neo-soul and avant-garde R&B, lent her production and vocal talents on “Roses.”
The result of all this collaboration was a sonic landscape that was truly global in scope, drawing on influences from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and beyond. But The Ecstatic was more than just a collection of exotic samples and far-flung sounds. It was a masterful exercise in curation and synthesis, with Mos Def carefully selecting and arranging each element to create a cohesive and immersive listening experience.
At the heart of the album’s sound were the live instruments that Mos Def and his collaborators layered over the sampled beats. On tracks like “Priority” and “Workers Comp.,” live bass and drums added a sense of urgency and immediacy to the proceedings, while on “No Hay Nada Mas,” where he raps mainly in Spanish, Mos Def’s vocals were accompanied by a lush, composition arrangement.
The most striking aspect of The Ecstatic’s production was how it blended different eras and styles of music. On “History,” Mos Def rapped over a beat that combined a sample from a Mary Wells record with production from none other than J Dilla that evoked the sound of classic 1990s hip-hop and featured Black Star’s right-hand man, Talib Kweli. On “Casa Bey,” he raps over Banda Black Rio’s “Casa Forte” with the help of Preservation, making it one of the signature Mos cuts.
Mos Def’s vocals remained the central focus, his deep, raspy voice cutting through the swirling, psychedelic production like a night beacon. Whether he was delivering rapid-fire, politically charged verses on tracks like “Wahid” and “Revelations” or crooning soulful hooks on “Priority” and “Roses,” his presence was always commanding, permanently magnetic.
In many ways, The Ecstatic represented the culmination of Mos Def’s artistic journey up to that point. It was an album that drew on all his influences and experiences, from his early days as a battle rapper in New York to his time exploring the outer reaches of rock and soul on The New Danger. But it was also an album that pushed him in new and exciting directions, forcing him to step outside his comfort zone and embrace a more collaborative, global approach to music-making.
The Ecstatic earned Mos Def some of the highest accolades of his career. The album peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200 chart, his highest-charting solo album to date, and “Casa Bey” was nominated for a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance in 2010. It appeared on numerous year-end lists, with publications like Rolling Stone, Spin, and The Guardian hailing it as one of the best albums of 2009. It has only grown in stature, with many fans and critics seeing it as Mos Def’s definitive artistic statement. Its influence can be heard in the work of countless hip-hop artists who have followed in its wake, from the experimental beats of Flying Lotus and Thundercat to the politically charged lyrics of Run the Jewels and Noname.
But the most enduring legacy of The Ecstatic is how it speaks to the power of music to bring people together, bridge divides, and forge connections across cultures and continents. In a world that can often feel fractured and polarized, the album sets the stage for how art can help us to find common ground and to imagine new possibilities for ourselves and the world around us.
Great (★★★★☆)