Pretty Flaco, Dante, the Boogie Man, and so. especially seeing as the opening of The Ecstatic starts with a famous Malcolm X quote. ‘Auditorium’, featuring British-born rapper Slick Rick, is vintage ‘Def, its dark Dilla production and string and flute arrangements providing a beautiful background to lyrics that parody the Iraq war. His acting roles aside, it’s been about two-and-a-half years since we last heard from the Mighty Mos Def, a.k.a. Yasiin Bey, better known by his former performer name Mos Def. It’s a relief that Mos Def’s laidback flow rescues what is an over-polished and otherwise unremarkable production.ĭub basslines comprise the heartbeat of the Madlib-produced ‘Pretty Dancer’ – a majestic workout supported by tight percussion – while the jazz-funk of final track ‘Casa Bey’ is reminiscent of Herbie Hancock’s early ‘80s hip-hop efforts. Sitting completely juxtaposed to said vibe is the following effort, ‘Life In Marvelous Times’, which is more in keeping with the over-saturated sounds of Kanye and Lil Wayne. ‘Quiet Dog Bite Hard’ is quite simply one of the best hip-hop tracks in years – smacking of The Roots’ ‘Don’t Say Nothin’’, its be-bop-swing infusion makes body parts you didn’t know could even move dance beyond control. Its loosely structured, lightly reverbed songs use unconventional time signatures and samples taken from a variety of international musical styles, including Afrobeat, soul, Eurodance. Rated 32 in the best albums of 2009, and 3746 of all time album. Mos Def titled the album after one of his favorite novels, Victor LaValles The Ecstatic (2002), believing its titular phrase evoked his singular musical vision. ‘History’ reunites the Black Star team, with Talib Kweli joining in on the Dilla-produced track, its Mary Wells sample being the backbone of this instant classic. On demanding freedom: You get freedom by letting your enemy know that you'll do anything to get your freedom then you'll get it. Released 9 June 2009 on Downtown (catalog no. ‘The Ecstatic’ is littered with contributions from and collaborations with celebrated producers, including the late J Dilla and The Neptunes subsequently, the record resonates with inventive samples, choice guests and, most importantly, soul.
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