Yasiin Bey

Yasiin Bey was born Dante Terrell Smith on December 11, 1973, in Brooklyn, New York City,{{Cite web |title=Mos Def Biography, Songs, & Albums |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mos-def-mn0000927416/biography |access-date=December 28, 2022 |website=AllMusic |language=en}} the son of Sheron Smith and Abdulrahman Smith.{{cite web |url=http://www.beliefnet.com/story/75/story_7526_1.html |title=You're Gonna Serve Somebody |first=Ali |last=Asadullah |publisher=Beliefnet |date=April 2001 |access-date=March 11, 2012}} The eldest of 12 children and step-children, he was raised by his mother in Brooklyn, while his father lived in New Jersey.{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2009/08/spin-interview-mos-def/|title=The SPIN Interview: Mos Def|last=Aaron|first=Charles|date=August 1, 2009|website=spin.com|publisher=SpinMedia Group|access-date=June 16, 2014}}

His father was initially a member of the Nation of Islam and later followed Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, who merged into the mainstream Sunni Islam from the Nation of Islam. Bey was not exposed to Islam until the age of 13. He is close friends with fellow Muslim hip-hop artists Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Q-Tip.

Bey attended middle school at Philippa Schuyler Middle School in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where he developed his love for acting.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.rollingstone.co.za/musicrev/item/3171-from-brooklyn-to-bo-kaap|title=From Brooklyn to Bo-Kaap|last=Alim|first=H. Samy|date=March 10, 2014|magazine=Rolling Stone|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313094252/http://www.rollingstone.co.za/musicrev/item/3171-from-brooklyn-to-bo-kaap|archive-date=March 13, 2014|access-date=June 17, 2014}} After returning from filming You Take the Kids in Los Angeles, and getting into a relationship with an older girl, Bey dropped out of high school during sophomore year. Growing up in New York City, during the crack epidemic of the 1980s and early 1990s, he has spoken about witnessing widespread instances of gang violence, theft, and poverty in society, which he largely avoided by working on plays, Off-Off-Broadway and arts programs. In a particularly traumatic childhood experience, Bey witnessed his then five-year-old younger brother, Ilias Bey (born Denard Smith), get hit by a car. Ilias later adopted the alias DCQ and was described by Bey as "my first partner in hip hop".

{{see also|Black Star (rap duo)}}

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Bey began his music career in 1994, forming the group UTD (or Urban Thermo Dynamics) along with younger brother DCQ and high-school friend Ces.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/artists/mos-def/biography/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226101921/http://www.mtv.com/artists/mos-def/biography/|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 26, 2014|title=About Mos Def|last=Birchmeier|first=Jason|website=MTV.com|access-date=June 14, 2014}} In 2004, they released the album Manifest Destiny, their first and only release to date. The album features a compilation of previously unreleased and re-released tracks recorded during the original UTD run.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/manifest-destiny-2004-mw0000259937|title=Manifest Destiny [2004] review |last=Glazer |first=Joshua|date=2004|website=AllMusic.com|access-date=June 14, 2014}}

In 1996, Bey emerged as a solo artist and worked with De La Soul and Da Bush Babees, before he released his own first single, "Universal Magnetic" in 1997.{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Mos-Def-The-Universal-Magnetic-If-You-Can-Huh-You-Can-Hear/release/180864|title=Mos Def – The Universal Magnetic / If You Can Huh You Can Hear |website=Discogs|year=1997 |access-date=October 20, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=http://uk.complex.com/music/2012/08/the-50-best-rawkus-records-songs/mos-def-universal-magnetic|title=The 50 Best Rawkus Records Songs44. Mos Def 'Universal Magnetic' (1997) |last=Josephs|first=Brian|date=August 24, 2012|website=Complex UK|access-date=October 20, 2016}}

File:Mos def-11-mika.jpg

Bey signed with Rawkus Records and formed the rap group Black Star with Talib Kweli.{{Cite web|url=https://theearlyregistration.com/2015/10/29/throwback-thursday-review-black-star-mos-def-and-talib-kweli/|title=Throwback Thursday Review: Black Star {{!}} Mos Def and Talib Kweli|last=Vogel|first=Evan|date=October 29, 2015|website=The Early Registration|access-date=October 20, 2016}} The duo released an album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, in 1998.{{cite web|work=Chicago Tribune|title=Review: Black Star at the House of Blues|date=September 24, 2011|first=David|last=Drake|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2011/09/24/review-black-star-at-the-house-of-blues/}} Mostly produced by Hi-Tek, the album featured the singles "Respiration" and "Definition", which both reached in the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/311829/mos-def/chart?f=367|title=Mos Def – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard chart)|website=Billboard.com|access-date=October 20, 2016}}

Bey released his solo debut album Black on Both Sides in October 1999, also through Rawkus.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/black-on-both-sides-mw0000252137|title=Black on Both Sides – Mos Def Review|last=Huey|first=Steve|website=AllMusic|access-date=August 9, 2014}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Mos-Def-Black-On-Both-Sides/release/119094|title=Mos Def – Black On Both Sides|website=Discogs|date=October 12, 1999 |access-date=October 20, 2016}} The single "Ms. Fat Booty" charted, while the album reached #25 on the Billboard 200.{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/311829/mos-def/chart?f=305|title=Mos Def – Billboard 200 (albums)|website=Billboard.com|access-date=October 20, 2016}} Around this time, he also contributed to the Scritti Politti album Anomie & Bonhomie.{{Cite web|url=http://claaa7.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/throwback-classic-scritti-politti-mos.html|title=Throwback Classic: Scritti Politti & Mos Def – "Tinseltown to Boogiedown"|date=October 4, 2012|website=The Lost Tapes|access-date=October 20, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Scritti-Politti-Anomie-Bonhomie/release/62472|title=Scritti Politti – Anomie & Bonhomie|website=Discogs|year=1999 |access-date=October 20, 2016}}

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In January 2002, Rawkus Records was taken over by Geffen Records,{{Cite news|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/news/a-fistful-of-mighta-been-6407443|title=A Fistful of Mighta Been|last=Coates|first=Ta-Nehisi|date=April 20, 2004|newspaper=Village Voice|access-date=October 20, 2016|archive-date=June 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621212215/http://www.villagevoice.com/news/a-fistful-of-mighta-been-6407443|url-status=dead}} which released his second solo album The New Danger in October 2004.{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/5441-the-new-danger/|title=Mos Def: The New Danger Album Review|last=Warren|first=Jamin|date=October 18, 2004|website=Pitchfork.com|access-date=October 20, 2016}} It included contributions by Shuggie Otis and Bernie Worrell, Doug Wimbish, and Will Calhoun as the Black Jack Johnson Band.{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Mos-Def-The-New-Danger/release/624639|title=Mos Def – The New Danger|website=Discogs|date=October 19, 2004 |access-date=October 20, 2016}} The album reached #5 on the Billboard 200, making it the most successful for the artist to date. The single "Sex, Love & Money" charted, and was nominated for a Grammy Award.{{Cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2004-12-07-grammy-nominee-list_x.htm|title=Grammy Award nominees in top categories|date=December 7, 2004|website=USAtoday.com|access-date=October 20, 2016}} Bey's final solo album for Geffen Records, titled True Magic, was released in 2006.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/9738-true-magic/|title=True Magic Mos Def|website=Pitchfork}}

On November 7, 2007, Bey performed live in San Francisco at The Mezzanine venue. The performance was recorded for an upcoming "Live in Concert" DVD. During the event, he announced that he would be releasing a new album to be called The Ecstatic.{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/staff-blog/new-music-report-mos-defs-the-ecstatic-20090729|title=New Music Report: Mos Def's "The Ecstatic"|last=Hoard|first=Christian|date=July 29, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106111820/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/staff-blog/new-music-report-mos-defs-the-ecstatic-20090729|archive-date=January 6, 2014|url-status=dead|work=Rolling Stone}} He performed a number of new tracks; in later shows, he previewed tracks produced by Madlib and was rumored to be going to Kanye West for new material. Producer and fellow Def Poet Al Be Back revealed he would be producing on the album as well.{{cite web |url=http://www.hiphopgame.com/index2.php3?page=albeback |title=Al Be Back speaks on Mos Def's new CD |website=Hiphopgame.com |date=January 15, 2008 |access-date=February 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412234601/http://www.hiphopgame.com/index2.php3?page=albeback |archive-date=April 12, 2009 |url-status=dead }} The album was released on June 9, 2009; but only Madlib's production had made the cut, along with tracks by Preservation, The Neptunes, Mr. Flash, Madlib's brother Oh No, J. Dilla, and Georgia Anne Muldrow.

Bey appears alongside Kanye West on the track "Two Words" from The College Dropout album, the track "Drunk and Hot Girls" and the bonus track "Good Night" off West's third major album, Graduation. In 2002, he released the 12" single Fine, which was produced by West and featured on the Brown Sugar soundtrack.{{cite web|url=http://www.welivethis.com/newsfeed/2009/06/07/hip-hop-single-day-mos-def-fine-2002/|title=Hip Hop Single of the Day – Mos Def – Fine (2002)|website=WeLiveThis.com|access-date=June 7, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130916051049/http://www.welivethis.com/newsfeed/2009/06/07/hip-hop-single-day-mos-def-fine-2002/|archive-date=September 16, 2013}}

In 2007, Bey appeared on Stephen Marley's debut album Mind Control on the song "Hey Baby". He also appeared on the debut album from Apollo Heights on a track titled "Concern". That October, he signed a deal with Downtown Records and appeared on a remix to the song "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice.{{Cite web|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/46312-mos-def-signs-to-downtown-recordings-remixes-justices-dance-with-spank-rock|title=Mos Def Signs to Downtown Recordings, Remixes Justice's "D.A.N.C.E." With Spank Rock | Pitchfork|date=March 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305083351/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/46312-mos-def-signs-to-downtown-recordings-remixes-justices-dance-with-spank-rock |access-date=November 6, 2023|archive-date=March 5, 2009 }}

In April 2008, he appeared on the title track for a new album by The Roots titled Rising Down. The single, "Life In Marvelous Times", was made officially available through iTunes on November 4, 2008, and was also available for stream on the Roots' website Okayplayer.

In 2009, he worked with Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan to produce the track "America" for K'naan's album Troubadour.{{cite web|last=Newman |first=Kathleen |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1610262/20090429/knaan.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502222805/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1610262/20090429/knaan.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 2, 2009 |title=K'Naan Hopes To Break The U.S. With Help From Mos Def, Adam Levine |website=MTV.com |date=April 29, 2009 |access-date=February 20, 2011}}

In April 2009, Bey traveled to South Africa for the first time, and performed with The Robert Glasper Experiment at the renowned Cape Town International Jazz Festival. He treated the South African audience with an encore, introduced by his own rendition of John Coltrane's A Love Supreme, followed by a sneak preview of the track "M.D. (Doctor)".{{cite web |url=http://wearehunted.com/like/mos_def_live_at_cape_town_jazz_fest/125129/ |title=Mos Def Live at Cape Town Jazz Fest // 125129 |website=Wearehunted.com |access-date=March 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211081443/http://wearehunted.com/like/mos_def_live_at_cape_town_jazz_fest/125129/ |archive-date=February 11, 2010 }}

Bey has designed two pairs of limited edition Converse shoes. The shoes were released through Foot Locker stores on August 1, 2009, in limited amounts.{{cite web |url=http://converse.com/index.asp?bhcp=1 |title=Converse — Connectivity |website=Converse.com |date=September 28, 2009 |access-date=February 20, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016184435/http://www.converse.com/index.asp?bhcp=1 |archive-date=October 16, 2007 }}

In late 2009, he created his own clothing line with the "UNDRCRWN" brand called the "Mos Def Cut & Sew Collection". The items were released in select U.S. stores and almost exclusively on the UNDRCRWN website.{{cite web|url=http://www.undrcrwn.com/MOS-DEF-CUT--SEW-COLLECTION.html |title=UNDRCRWN ~ Footwear & Apparel |website=Undrcrwn.com |access-date=March 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003120221/http://www.undrcrwn.com/MOS-DEF-CUT--SEW-COLLECTION.html |archive-date=October 3, 2009 }} That year, he was among the MCs aligned with American entrepreneur Damon Dash's DD172 and collaborating with American blues rock band the Black Keys on the Blakroc album, a project headed by the Black Keys and Damon Dash.{{Cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1627129/damon-dash-brings-artists-together-with-dd172/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913124426/http://www.mtv.com/news/1627129/damon-dash-brings-artists-together-with-dd172/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 13, 2014|title=Damon Dash Brings Artists Together With DD172|newspaper=MTV News|access-date=October 20, 2016}} Bey appeared with Harlem-bred rapper Jim Jones and the Black Keys on the Late Show with David Letterman to perform the Blakroc track "Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)".

In 2010, Bey featured on the first single, "Stylo", from the third Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach, alongside soul legend Bobby Womack. He also appeared on the track titled "Sweepstakes". In March 2010, Bey's song "Quiet Dog Bite Hard" was featured in Palm's "Life moves fast. Don't miss a thing." campaign.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1OHlFOee2w| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620101746/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1OHlFOee2w| archive-date=June 20, 2010 | url-status=dead|title=Palm Advertising Campaign | website=YouTube |access-date=April 15, 2010}}

In September 2010, after appearing on Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Friday track "Lord Lord Lord", Bey confirmed he had signed with GOOD Music.{{cite web|last=Denis |first=Vanessa |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1648839/20100927/mos_def.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100930085907/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1648839/20100927/mos_def.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 30, 2010 |title=Mos Def Signs With Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music – Music, Celebrity, Artist News |publisher=MTV |date=September 27, 2010 |access-date=August 11, 2011}} Bey has been an active contributor to the recovery of the oil spill in the Gulf, performing concerts and raising money towards repairing its damages. In June 2010, he recorded a cover of the classic New Orleans song originally by Smokey Johnson, "It Ain't My Fault" with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Lenny Kravitz and Trombone Shorty.

In September 2011, the rapper announced that he legally changed his name to Yasiin Bey and would go by that name, retiring his Mos Def moniker (short for "Most Definitely").{{cite news|last=Perpetua|first=Matthew|title=Mos Def to Retire the Name 'Mos Def'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/mos-def-to-retire-the-name-mos-def-20110907|access-date=September 8, 2011|newspaper=Rolling Stone|date=September 7, 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://elementality.ca/from-mos-def-to-yasiin-bey-an-evolving-artist-in-an-evolving-world/|title=From Mos Def to Yasiin Bey |website=Elementality.ca|date=November 20, 2012|access-date=October 12, 2017}}{{cite news |title=Mos Def |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kWpXz2okgyEC&dq=%22mos+def%22+%22most+definitely%22&pg=PA74 |work=Ebony |date=November 2004 |page=74 |language=en}} Bey told a reporter "I began to fear that Mos Def was being treated as a product, not a person, so I’ve been going by Yasiin since ’99. At first it was just for friends and family, but now I'm declaring it openly."{{cite news|title=The Artist Formerly Known as Mos Def|author=Mark Anthony Green|date=September 11, 2012|work=GQ|url=https://www.gq.com/story/rebel-style-yasiin-bey-mos-def-gq-september-2012}} Bey also stated "Mos Def is a name that I built and cultivated over the years, it's a name that the streets taught me, a figure of speech that was given to me by the culture and by my environment, and I feel I've done quite a bit with that name. ...it's time to expand and move on."{{cite news|title=Mos Def to change his name in 2012|author=Sean Michaels|date=September 8, 2011|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/sep/08/mos-def-name-change}} Yasiin is a name in the Qur'an's 36th surah and was important to the rapper who converted to Islam in his teens. Bey said the name change would eliminate "having any moniker or separation between the self that I see and know myself as."

Shortly after the name change announcement, Bey recorded as the narrator of the children's hip hop musical, Pacha's Pajamas: A Story Written By Nature.

In January 2012, it was reported that Bey and Talib Kweli had begun "to resurrect" Black Star.[http://yeahiloveit.com/faces-yasiin-bey/ "Faces: Yasiin Bey"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207180645/http://yeahiloveit.com/faces-yasiin-bey/ |date=February 7, 2012 }}, Yeah, I Love it! Magazine, January 31, 2012. In 2015, Bey was featured on A$AP Rocky's second studio album At. Long. Last. ASAP, on the track "Back Home", alongside Acyde and the deceased A$AP Yams.{{Cite web|website=Genius.com|title=A$AP Rocky (Ft. Acyde, A$AP Yams & Yasiin Bey) – Back Home|url=https://genius.com/A-ap-rocky-back-home-lyrics|access-date=October 20, 2016}} Bey again revived his Mos Def moniker for two new songs in August 2015, titled "Basquiat Ghostwriter" and "Sensei on the Block".{{Cite news|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-yasiin-beys-graffiti-filled-video-for-basquiat-ghostwriter-20150819|title=Watch Yasiin Bey's Video for 'Basquiat Ghostwriter'|newspaper=Rolling Stone|access-date=October 20, 2016}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/yasiin-bey-revives-mos-def-moniker-for-sensei-on-the-block-20150828|access-date=July 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306033556/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/yasiin-bey-revives-mos-def-moniker-for-sensei-on-the-block-20150828|archive-date=March 6, 2016 |title=Yasiin Bey Revives 'Mos Def' Moniker for 'Sensei on the Block'|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=August 28, 2015}}

On January 19, 2016, Bey announced his retirement from both the music and film industries on Kanye West's website: "I'm retiring from the music recording industry as it is currently assembled today, and also Hollywood, effective immediately. I'm releasing my final album this year, and that's that."{{cite web|url=http://pigeonsandplanes.com/news/2016/01/yasiin-bey-retirement|title=Yasiin Bey Takes Over KanyeWest.com, Announces Retirement From Music|date=January 19, 2016|publisher=Pigeons & Planes|access-date=October 12, 2016}} After announcing his retirement, he expressed gratitude to everyone who has supported him over the years and revealed his intention to enter the fashion industry and complete a handful of films.{{cite web |url=http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/yasiin-bey-to-perform-last-show-ever-this-week-news.24778.html? |title=Yasiin Bey To Perform Last Show Ever This Week |last=Schwartz |first=Danny |website=HNHH |date=October 16, 2016 |access-date=October 16, 2016}} Bey also confirmed he still planned to release a collaborative project with Ferrari Sheppard called Dec 99th.

In October 2016, a planned concert in London was cancelled due to travel restrictions imposed on the artist;{{Cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/hundreds-of-rap-fans-furious-after-mos-def-concert-in-london-cancelled-lastminute-and-rescheduled-a3369526.html|title=Rap fans 'furious' after Mos Def concert cancelled at last minute|last=Powell|first=Tom|date=October 14, 2016|newspaper=Evening Standard|language=en-GB|access-date=October 20, 2016}} other European dates suffered the same fate.{{Cite web|url=http://www.factmag.com/2016/10/15/yasiin-bey-cancels-european-shows-says-he-is-definitely-retiring/|title=Yasiin Bey cancels European shows, says he is definitely retiring|last=Fintoni|first=Laurent|date=October 15, 2016|website=FACT|access-date=October 20, 2016}} On October 14, Bey posted a video to Facebook where he announced that he was still planning to retire: "I'm retiring for real this year, this week. With the 17th anniversary of Black on Both Sides being released, I am grateful to have had the career that I have been able to enjoy."{{cite web|url=http://www.thefader.com/2016/10/14/mos-def-yasiin-bey-retirement-final-show-stream|title=Yasiin Bey Says He's Retiring, Will Livestream Final Show From Cape Town|website=Thefader.com|access-date=October 12, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2016/10/yasiin-bey-reaffirms-retirement-decision-one-last-concert|title=Yasiin Bey Reaffirms Decision to Retire, Plans One Last Concert|website=Complex|access-date=October 12, 2017}} He also announced one last concert which he said he would be live streaming from Cape Town, South Africa.{{cite web|url=http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.40865/title.yasiin-bey-f-k-a-mos-def-is-retiring-after-one-last-show|title=Yasiin Bey f.k.a. Mos Def Is Retiring After One Last Show|website=Hiphopdx.com|date=October 14, 2016|access-date=October 12, 2017}} In November 2016, he was granted the ability to leave but not reenter South Africa and was put on "South Africa's 'undesirable persons' list". He said he would perform one show in Harlem and three in Washington D.C. after leaving South Africa. He announced that Dec 99th, his final album, would be released on December 9. He released three singles from it, "Local Time", "N.A.W." and "Seaside Panic Room".{{cite web |url=http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/yasiin-bey-mos-def-announces-final-album-dec-99th-news.25756.html? |title=Yasiin Bey releases Local Time," "N.A.W." and "Seaside Panic Room from Dec. 99|last=Schwartz |first=Danny |date=November 28, 2016 |website=Hotnewhiphop |access-date=November 28, 2016}} On December 5, 2016, he announced the title of two albums, Negus in Natural Person and As Promised, the latter of which is a collaboration with Southern hip hop producer Mannie Fresh, initially titled OMFGOD.{{cite web |url=http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/yasiin-bey-announces-two-new-albums-news.25964.html? |title=Yasiin Bey announces last two albums |last=Schwartz |first=Danny |date=December 5, 2016 |website=Hotnewhiphop |access-date=December 5, 2016}} In 2017, his claims of retirement were seen as questionable as he played shows on September 13, at the Fox Theater in Oakland as part of Black Star and performed on Gorillaz' Humanz World Tour, performing "Stylo" with Peven Everett, who filled in for Bobby Womack, who died in 2014. He also has yet to release or announce a release date for the last two albums of his career.{{cite web|url=http://apeconcerts.com/events/black-star-featuring-yasiin-bey-and-talib-kweli/|title=Black Star featuring Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli – Another Planet Entertainment|website=apeconcerts.com|access-date=October 12, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/gorillaz-joined-mos-def-jehnny-beth-stage-meadows-2141551|title=Gorillaz joined by Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), Savages' Jehnny Beth and more on stage at The Meadows|work=NME|date=September 17, 2017}}

In February 2018, Bey announced, on stage, a new Black Star studio album, produced by Madlib, would be released in 2018. However, no specific release date was made available. Later on that year, Bey appeared on the titular track of Kids See Ghosts, the collaborative effort of Kanye West and Kid Cudi. In March 2019, he debuted his album, ንጉሥ (pronounced Negus) at a listening session as part of Art Basel Hong Kong. In a press release, he said that the album "will continue to unfold as a series of varied installations around the world". He has no plans of releasing the album digitally or physically.{{cite web |last1=Kim |first1=Michelle |last2=Monroe |first2=Jazz |title=Yasiin Bey Launches New Project Negus, But Only at Galleries |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/yasiin-bey-launches-new-project-negus-but-only-at-galleries/ |website=Pitchfork |date=April 2, 2019 |access-date=April 2, 2019}}

On June 28, 2019, Bey appeared on Bandana, an album by Freddie Gibbs and Madlib, alongside Black Thought, on a track named "Education". In November 2019, he stated that unreleased music, such as his collaborative album with Mannie Fresh, was still "on deck" for release.{{cite web|url=https://www.thefader.com/2019/11/27/yasiin-bey-mos-def-black-star-mf-doom-madlib-mannie-fresh|title=Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) says new music with Black Star, MF Doom, and more "is on deck|website=Thefader.com|access-date=March 12, 2020}} In 2021, he launched "The Midnight Miracle" podcast on Luminary, along with Dave Chappelle and Talib Kweli.{{cite web|url=https://stupiddope.com/2021/05/11/talib-kweli-yasiin-bey-and-dave-chappelle-launch-the-midnight-miracle-podcast-on-luminary/|title=Talib Kweli, yasiin bey, and Dave Chappelle Launch The Midnight Miracle Podcast On Luminary|work=Stupid Dope|date=May 11, 2021}} In April 2022, a release date for the long-awaited Black Star project was officially announced. The album titled No Fear of Time was released via Luminary on May 3, 2022.{{cite web|last=Cowen|first=Trace|title=Listen to Black Star's First New Album in 24 Years 'No Fear of Time' Produced by Madlib|url=https://www.complex.com/music/black-star-no-fear-of-time-album-release|work=Complex|publisher=Complex Media|access-date=May 4, 2022}}

Prior to his career in music, Bey entered public life as a child actor, having played roles in television movies, sitcoms and theater, some of which were under the name Dante Beze.{{cite web |url = http://www.hiphopscriptures.com/mos-def/ |title = Mos Def Digital Biography |website = HipHopScriptures.com |access-date= June 16, 2014}}{{cite web |url = https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0080049/ |title = IMDb: Mos Def |website = IMDb.com |access-date= June 16, 2014}} At the age of 14, he appeared in the TV movie God Bless the Child, starring Mare Winningham, which aired on ABC in 1988.{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mr4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58|title=Jet|last=Yarbrough|first=Marti|date=May 2, 2005|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|pages=58–62|language=en|chapter=Cover Story: Mos Def}} He played the oldest child in the 1990 family sitcom You Take the Kids, shortly before it was cancelled. In 1995, he played the character Dante, Bill Cosby's sidekick on the short-lived detective show The Cosby Mysteries. In 1996, he starred in a Visa check card commercial featuring Deion Sanders. He also had a small role alongside Michael Jackson in his short film and music video Ghosts (1996).

After brief appearances in Bamboozled and Monster's Ball, Bey played a rapper who is reluctant to sign with a major label in Brown Sugar. He was nominated for an Image Award and a Teen Choice Award.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0080049/awards|title=Yasiin Bey|website=IMDb|access-date=April 3, 2017}}

In 2001, he took a supporting role to Beyoncé Knowles and Mehki Phifer in the MTV movie Carmen: A Hip Hopera as Lt. Miller, a crooked cop.

In 2002, he played the role of Booth in Suzan-Lori Parks' Topdog/Underdog, a Tony-nominated and Pulitzer-winning Broadway play. He and co-star Jeffrey Wright won a Special Award from the Outer Critics Circle Award for their joint performance.{{cite web |url=http://www.outercritics.org/AwardArchives.aspx?_y=2001-2002 |title=Awards Archive |website=Outercritics.org |access-date=March 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428125919/http://www.outercritics.org/AwardArchives.aspx?_y=2001-2002 |archive-date=April 28, 2009 }} He played Left Ear in the 2003 film The Italian Job. That same year, he appeared in the Alicia Keys music video You Don't Know My Name.

In television, Bey has appeared on NYPD Blue,{{Cite web|url=https://tvovermind.com/mos-def-talented-rapper-turned-actor/|title=Is Mos Def the Most Talented Rapper Turned Actor?|website=Tvovermind.com|date=June 16, 2017}} Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show, and hosted the award-winning HBO spoken word show Def Poetry.{{Cite web|url=https://tvone.tv/57435/russell-simmons-working-to-reboot-def-poetry-jam/|title=RUSSELL SIMMONS WORKING TO REBOOT 'DEF POETRY JAM'|website=Tvone.tv|date=July 17, 2017}} He also appeared on the sitcom My Wife and Kids as the disabled friend of Michael Kyle (Damon Wayans).

Bey won "Best Actor, Independent Movie" at the 2005 Black Reel Awards for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Lucas in The Woodsman. For his portrayal of Vivien Thomas in HBO's film Something the Lord Made, he was nominated for an Emmy{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/mos-def |title=Mos Def | Television Academy |website=Emmys.com |access-date=August 9, 2014}} and a Golden Globe, and won the Image Award. He also played a bandleader in HBO's Lackawanna Blues. He then landed the role of Ford Prefect in the 2005 movie adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

File:Def Willis.jpg on the set of 16 Blocks, filmed on location in Chinatown, Manhattan]]

In 2006, Bey appeared in Dave Chappelle's Block Party alongside Black Star partner Talib Kweli, while also contributing to the film's soundtrack. He was also featured as the banjo player in the Pixie Sketch" from Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes, though his appearance was edited out of the DVD. He starred in the action film 16 Blocks alongside Bruce Willis and David Morse. He also landed a recurring guest role on Boondocks, starring as Gangstalicious. He is set to be in Toussaint, a film about Haitian revolutionary Toussaint Louverture, opposite Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes.{{Cite web|url=http://www.blackfilm.com/20060324/features/dannyglovernews.shtml|title=March 2006 | DANNY GLOVER news|website=Blackfilm.com|access-date=November 6, 2023}} He made a cameo appearance as himself in the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

In 2007, Bey narrated the PBS-broadcast documentary Prince Among Slaves.

In 2008, Bey starred in the Michel Gondry movie Be Kind Rewind, playing a video rental store employee whose best friend is played by co-star Jack Black. He also portrayed Chuck Berry in the film Cadillac Records, for which he was nominated for a Black Reel Award and an Image Award.

In 2009, he appeared in the House episode titled "Locked In" as a patient suffering from locked-in syndrome. His performance was well received, with E! saying that Mos Def "delivers an Emmy-worthy performance".{{Cite news|last=Dos Santos |first=Kristin |author-link=Kristin Dos Santos |title=Gold Derby Nuggets |url=http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/03/maurice-jarre-news-.html |newspaper=LA Times |date=March 30, 2009 |access-date=April 14, 2014 }} He was also in the 2009 film Next Day Air.

In 2010, he appeared on the children's show Yo Gabba Gabba! as Super Mr. Superhero. He also appeared in A Free Man of Color, John Guare's play at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre.{{cite news|last=Brantley |first=Ben |url=http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/11/19/theater/reviews/19free.html?pagewanted=all |title=Theater Review – 'A Free Man of Color' – John Guare's 'Free Man of Color' at Vivian Beaumont |newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 18, 2010 |access-date=February 20, 2011}}

In 2011, he began a multi-episode appearance on the sixth season of Showtime television series Dexter. He played Brother Sam, an ex-convict who has supposedly found religion despite finding himself in violent situations.{{cite magazine|last=Guthrie |first=Marisa |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mos-def-joins-dexter-187328 |title=Mos Def Joins 'Dexter' |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|date=May 11, 2011 |access-date=May 25, 2011}}

In January 2016, Bey announced his retirement from the music and the film industries on Kanye West's website. In March 2016, it was announced that he had been attached to star in "his last live-action film", The Disconnected, a science fiction thriller dealing with policing, identity, and the intersection of technology and humanity.{{cite web|url=https://www.slated.com/films/64768/team/|title=Slated › Sign In|website=Slated.com|access-date=October 12, 2017}}

In 2000, paired with Talib Kweli, Bey organized the Hip Hop for Respect project to speak out against police brutality. It was created in response to the 1999 police shooting of Amadou Diallo, and sought to accumulate 41 artists to the roster, one to match each of the 41 gunshots fired on Diallo.

Bey is well known for his leftist activism.{{cite web|last=Roberts|first=Roxanne|title=Mos Def, aka Yasiin Bey, undergoes force-feeding to protest Guantanamo measures|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/wp/2013/07/08/mos-def-aka-yasiin-bey-undergoes-force-feeding-to-protest-guantanamo-measures/|work=The Reliable Source|publisher=The Washington Post|access-date=August 30, 2013|author2=Amy Argetsinger|date=July 8, 2013}} In 2000, he performed a benefit concert for death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1432357/mos-def-black-thought-perform-at-mumia-benefit.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107204243/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1432357/mos-def-black-thought-perform-at-mumia-benefit.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 7, 2012|title=Mos Def, Black Thought To Perform At Mumia Benefit|work=MTV.com|first=L.V.R.|last=Odiaga|date=May 23, 2000|access-date=August 21, 2011}} In May 2005, Bey, Talib Kweli, R&B singer Martin Luther and City Councilman Charles Barron approached New York City Hall, demanding the withdrawal of the $1 million bounty for Assata Shakur.{{Cite web|title = Mos Def, Talib Kweli Fight For Exiled Political Activist|url = http://www.mtv.com/news/1502956/mos-def-talib-kweli-fight-for-exiled-political-activist/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141122223121/http://www.mtv.com/news/1502956/mos-def-talib-kweli-fight-for-exiled-political-activist/|url-status = dead|archive-date = November 22, 2014|website = MTV News|access-date = October 22, 2015}}

In September 2005, Bey released the single "Katrina Clap", renamed "Dollar Day" for True Magic (utilizing the instrumental for New Orleans rappers UTP's "Nolia Clap"). The song is a criticism of the Bush administration's response to Hurricane Katrina. On the night of the MTV Video Music Awards, Bey pulled up in front of Radio City Music Hall on a flatbed truck and began performing the "Katrina Clap" single in front of a crowd that quickly gathered around him. He was subsequently arrested for not having a public performance permit in his possession.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cops-shut-down-mos-def-performance/|title=Cops Shut Down Mos Def Performance|website=CBS News|date=September 1, 2006}}[http://www.mp3.com/news/stories/6153.html "Mos Def arrested outside VMAs"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071102232506/http://www.mp3.com/news/stories/6153.html |date=November 2, 2007 }}. Mp3.com. September 1, 2006. Retrieved November 9, 2007

In October 2006, Bey appeared on 4Real, a documentary television series.{{cite web |url=http://www.4real.com/profile.asp?p=mosdef |title=Mos Def |website=4real.com |access-date=February 20, 2011 |archive-date=July 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707064646/http://www.4real.com/profile.asp?p=mosdef |url-status=dead }} Appearing in the episode "City of God", he and the 4Real crew traveled to City of God, a favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to meet Brazilian MC MV Bill and learn about the crime and social problems of the community.{{cite web |url=http://www.4real.com/tv/details.asp?pageid=10 |title=4REAL Mos Def in Cidade de Deuas |website=4real.com |access-date=February 20, 2011 |archive-date=January 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123173837/http://www.4real.com/tv/details.asp?pageid=10 |url-status=dead }}

On September 7, 2007, Bey appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher where he spoke about racism against African Americans, citing the government response to Hurricane Katrina, the Jena Six case, and the murder conviction of Mumia Abu-Jamal. He appeared on Real Time again on March 27, 2009, and spoke about the risk of nuclear weapons.{{cite episode|url=http://www.hbo.com/billmaher/episode/2009_03_27_ep147.html|title=episode 147|airdate=March 27, 2009|series=Real Time with Bill Maher|series-link=Real Time with Bill Maher|network=HBO|season=7|number=6}}

In September 2011, Bey joined the cast of the environmental children's hip hop musical Pacha's Pajamas: A Story Written By Nature as narrator. In July 2013, he appeared in a short film released by the human rights organization Reprieve, depicting the forced-feeding methods used at the Guantanamo Bay detention camps. This transpired after a document containing the military instructions for the procedure was leaked.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2013/07/08/mos-def-aka-yasiin-bey-undergoes-force-feeding-to-protest-guantanamo-measures/|title=Mos Def, aka Yasiin Bey, undergoes force-feeding to protest Guantanamo measures|newspaper=Washington Post|date=July 8, 2013}}"[https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/jul/08/mos-def-force-fed-guantanamo-bay-video Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def) force-fed under standard Guantánamo Bay procedure – video]". The Guardian. Retrieved July 8, 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.reprieve.org.uk/press/2013_07_08_guantanamo_force_feeding_yasiin_bey/ |title=Yasiin Bey force-feeding video launches campaign to support Guantanamo hunger-strikers |website=Reprieve.org|date=July 8, 2013 |access-date=August 9, 2014}}

In September 2018, Bey and advertising executive Free Richardson opened an art exhibition to the public in an art gallery in the South Bronx, called the Compound, centered around hip-hop and fine art. The goal of this gallery was to help bridge the gap between the two fields, by showcasing artists from marginalized backgrounds who normally would not be represented in art galleries. Art forms with negative connotations, such as graffiti, as presented in a more optimal context. "The purpose of the gallery is to say all art is equal," Richardson said. "But we are in the borough that created hip-hop, which is the biggest art form in the world, so it's always an extending arm. It's always present."{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/03/arts/design/the-compound-art-gallery-bronx-free-richardson-yasiin-bey.html|title=In the Cradle of Hip-Hop, a South Bronx Gallery Bridges a Gap (Published 2018)|first=Max|last=Lakin|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 3, 2018}}

Bey has been a longtime supporter of the Palestinian cause. {{https://x.com/samaanashrawi/status/1747062795906986008?s=46&t=_ld7hUaHP0FLkwvXKPKqIg Interview January 2024

About.com ranked him #14 on its list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time,{{cite web |url=http://rap.about.com/od/toppicks/ss/Top50Emcees_6.htm |title=The 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time |website=Rap.about.com |date=June 25, 2014 |access-date=August 9, 2014 |archive-date=April 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405135406/http://rap.about.com/od/toppicks/ss/Top50Emcees_6.htm |url-status=dead }} and The Source ranked him #23 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.{{cite web |url=http://www.thisis50.com/forum/topics/the-source-s-top-50-lyricists-of-all-time-complete-list-inside?xg_source=activity |title=The Source's Top 50 Lyricists Of All Time **Complete List Inside** |website=ThisIs50.com |access-date=August 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140504085220/http://www.thisis50.com/forum/topics/the-source-s-top-50-lyricists-of-all-time-complete-list-inside?xg_source=activity |archive-date=May 4, 2014 |url-status=dead }} AllMusic called him one of the most promising rappers to emerge in the late 1990s,{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mos-def-mn0000927416 |title=Mos Def | Music Biography, Credits and Discography |website=AllMusic |access-date=August 9, 2014}} and one of hip-hop's brightest hopes entering the 21st century. He has influenced numerous hip hop artists throughout his career, including Lupe Fiasco, Jay Electronica, Kid Cudi, and Saigon, and Logic.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mos-def-mn0000927416/related |title=Mos Def | Similar Artists, Influenced By, Followers |website=AllMusic |access-date=August 9, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/artists/mos-def/related-artists/?filter=followers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810152616/http://www.mtv.com/artists/mos-def/related-artists/?filter=followers |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 10, 2014 |title=Mos Def Followers |publisher=MTV |access-date=August 9, 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jay-electronica-mn0001565986/related |title=Jay Electronica | Similar Artists, Influenced By, Followers |website=AllMusic |access-date=August 9, 2014}} Kendrick Lamar once mentioned him as a very early inspiration as a young rapper, though Lamar denied being a part of the conscious rap movement.{{cite magazine|title=Kendrick Lamar Makes New Friends|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kendrick-lamar-is-a-friendly-guy-20111023|author=Amos Barshad|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=October 23, 2011|access-date=May 2, 2015}} He has also directly influenced artists outside of hip-hop, including English singer-songwriters Adele and Amy Winehouse.{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2011 |title=ADELE: I'm very excited, nervous, eager, anxious but chuffed to announce my new album! |url=http://www.adele.tv/blog/160/i-m-very-excited-nervous-eager-anxious-but-chuffed-to-announce-my-new-album |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110424094802/http://www.adele.tv/blog/160/i-m-very-excited-nervous-eager-anxious-but-chuffed-to-announce-my-new-album |archive-date=April 24, 2011 |access-date=August 26, 2022 }}{{cite web|title=Amy Winehouse – Onyx Barber's interview|website = YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPHydVJhRlI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/DPHydVJhRlI| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|date=July 23, 2014}}{{cbignore}}

Bey married Maria Yepes in 1996. He filed for divorce from her in 2006.{{cite web|last=Tang |first=Melisa |url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.4253/title.mos-def-tossed-out-of-court |title=Mos Def Tossed Out of Court | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales |publisher=HipHop DX |date=June 29, 2006 |access-date=August 9, 2014}} She took him to court over failure in child-support obligations, paying $2,000 short of the monthly $10,000 he had been ordered to pay for their two daughters.{{cite web |url = https://nypost.com/2006/02/15/daddy-is-def-behind-rapper-horts-kids/ |title = Daddy Is 'Def' Behind |date = February 15, 2006 |website = New York Post |access-date= June 14, 2014 }}{{cite web |url = http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2006/02/15/Mos-Def-in-court-over-child-support/UPI-71471140042320 |title = Mos Def In Court Over Child Support|date = February 15, 2006 |website = UPI.com |access-date= June 14, 2014}} He has four other children, including R&B singer and record producer Laila Smith, best known as Laila!.

Bey's mother, Sheron Smith, managed part of her son's career.{{cite web |url = http://www.theawl.com/2012/06/mos-def-yasiin-bey |title = Yasiin Bey Would Like You To Quit Calling Him Mos Def |date = June 26, 2012 |website = The Awl |access-date = May 15, 2014 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130310061758/http://www.theawl.com/2012/06/mos-def-yasiin-bey |archive-date = March 10, 2013 }} She was a motivational speaker and authored the book Shine Your Light: A Life Skills Workbook, where she details her experience as a single mother raising him.{{cite web |url = http://allhiphop.com/2007/03/29/sheron-smith-umi-says/ |title = Sheron Smith: Umi Says |date =March 29, 2007 |website = All HipHop |access-date= May 15, 2014 }} Smith died in 2023.{{cite web |title=The Inspiration Of Yasiin Bey's "My Umi Says" Passes Away |url=https://allhiphop.com/news/the-inspiration-of-yasiin-beys-my-umi-says-passes-away/ |website=AllHipHop |access-date=October 25, 2024 |date=April 8, 2023}}

In January 2016, Bey was ordered to leave South Africa and not return for five years, having stayed in the country illegally on an expired tourist visa granted in May 2013.{{cite news|title=Rapper Mos Def ordered to leave South Africa in passport row|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35330365|access-date=January 16, 2016|work=BBC News|date=January 16, 2016}} That month, he was charged with using an unrecognized World Passport and having lived illegally in South Africa since 2014.{{cite news|author1=J.J.C.|title=A rapper's plight raises the question of who has the right to issue passports|url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2016/01/less-travellin-man|access-date=January 25, 2016|newspaper=The Economist|date=January 22, 2016}}Williams, Stereo [http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/20/how-hip-hop-lost-mos-def-yasiin-bey-announces-retirement-and-final-album.html How Hip-Hop Lost Mos Def: Yasiin Bey Announces Retirement and Final Album] Daily Beast. January 21, 2016 He had reportedly recruited Kanye West to help defend him, and posted a message on West's website announcing his retirement from show business.{{cite web | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2016/01/20/mos-def-held-immigration-charges-south-africa-family-ordered-out/79057992/ | title=Mos Def held on immigration charges in South Africa, family ordered out | work=USA Today | date=January 20, 2016 | access-date=January 20, 2016 | author=Puente, Maria}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/01/yasiin-bey-announces-retirement-final-album-south-africa-freestyle.html|title=Yasiin Bey Announces Retirement, Final Album in Heartfelt Plea for South African Government to Free Him|date=January 20, 2016|newspaper=Vulture|access-date=October 20, 2016}} There was a court case in relation to immigration offenses involving him and his family.{{Cite web|url=http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2016/03/24/Mos-Def-World-Passport-case-postponed|title=Mos Def 'World Passport' case postponed|last=Cornelius|first=Jerome|date=March 24, 2016|website=Timeslive.co.za|access-date=October 20, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/a9db66004cf58d158643d700ab741406/Mos-Def-set-to-make-another-court-appearance-20163105|title=SABC News – Mos Def set to make another court appearance:Tuesday May 31, 2016|last=SABC|website=Sabc.co.za|access-date=October 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021002401/http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/a9db66004cf58d158643d700ab741406/Mos-Def-set-to-make-another-court-appearance-20163105|archive-date=October 21, 2016|url-status=dead}} He was allowed to leave South Africa on November 22, 2016, but was barred from coming back.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-safrica-mosdef/rapper-mos-def-allowed-to-leave-south-africa-after-apology-idUSKBN13H131|title=Rapper Mos Def allowed to leave South Africa after apology|date=November 22, 2016|website=Reuters|access-date=December 23, 2019}}

{{Main|Yasiin Bey discography|List of songs recorded by Yasiin Bey}}

• Black on Both Sides (1999)
• The New Danger (2004)
• True Magic (2006)
• The Ecstatic (2009)
• ንጉሥ (Negus) (2019){{efn|group=upper-alpha|Negus is Yasiin Bey’s fifth studio album, entirely produced by Lord Tusk, Steven Julien, and ACyde and was recorded in London in 2015. Negus was exclusively premiered during Art Basel in Hong Kong on March 29, 2019. According to a press release, the album will never receive a physical or digital release but will be displayed at sound installations around the world.{{cite web |url=https://www.documentjournal.com/2019/03/yasiin-bey-mos-def-art-basel-negrus-album-party/ |title=Yasiin Bey released his newest album and all I got was a Polaroid of myself |date=March 29, 2019 |access-date= November 17, 2020}}}}

{{See also|Black Star discography}}

• Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (with Talib Kweli, as Black Star) (1998)
• Manifest Destiny (with Ces and DCQ, as UTD) (2004){{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/manifest-destiny-2004-mw0000259937|title=Manifest Destiny [2004] – UTD – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=October 12, 2017}}
• December 99th (with Ferrari Sheppard, as Dec 99th) (2016)
• No Fear of Time (with Talib Kweli, as Black Star) (2022)
• Forensics (with The Alchemist) (2025)
• As Promised (with Mannie Fresh) (TBA)

• Nominated — Black Reel Award for Outstanding Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series
  Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
  Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
  Nominated — Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries
  Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
  Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television

{{reflist|group=upper-alpha}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikiquote}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Mos+Def Mos Def] / [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Dante+Smith Dante Smith] discographies at Discogs
• {{IMDb name|80049}}

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