Mos Wack?

Mos Def- Sun, Moon, Stars
From Tru3 Magic (Geffen, 2007)


It's no secret, I have always been something of a hip-hop purist. Some call it hating, I just call it high expectations. It's not that I don't like crunk, hyphy, and all that other good stuff. It has it's place and it's always good for shaking asses. But with all the bling and shit we get from rap these days, it's hard not to wish form some fresh shit.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all about innovation, change, and something different. But I feel that if you're not improving on something then you're only fucking it up. . .and some artist these days have been trading in bling for lyrical integrity. So when you hear that your favorite lyricist is dropping a new one. . .it's hard not to have high hopes. No. . .this isn't going to turn into a Mos Def bashing entry. . .because Mos is my dude and I think is music is always on point (even when it hard to get what he's doing). To be honest though, I was expecting straight fire from his upcoming release and was a little disappointed when I heard his new album.

Far from his more experimental New Danger, the upcoming album brings Mos back to more traditional beats from some of the industry's best; some of superstars and others stars. But not even Kanye could bring energy to Mos' lack luster lyrics. It's hit or miss with this album where some tracks will start off promising but fall off half way while others manage to capture some heat and bang to the finish. And while I tend to hold the bar high, I can see where Mos is coming from. Seems like the making of this album was a little tough (it was set back a few times) and sometimes bumps in the road are reflected in the end product. There are a few gems on this album. . .which gives me a little hope. Maybe the next one will be tight. Until then, we'll have to settle for what we get and just rock the good tracks on repeat.