Mos Def

Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, is a prominent figure in conscious hip hop, renowned for his insightful wordplay and commentary on social and political issues. Born Dante Terrell Smith on December 11, 1973, Bey's career began in the recording industry in 1994. He established prominence in collaboration with his sibling in the short-lived rap group Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD), and made guest appearances on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. Additionally, he formed part of the duo Black Star alongside fellow rapper Talib Kweli. Bey made a tangible impact with his debut studio album, Black on Both Sides, in 1999, which was followed by The New Danger (2004), True Magic (2006), and The Ecstatic (2009).

Bey, a former child actor, has also appeared in films such as Something the Lord Made, Next Day Air, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 16 Blocks, Be Kind Rewind, The Italian Job, The Woodsman, Bamboozled, and Brown Sugar, and on shows like Dexter and House. Following his creative shift in 2011, Bey announced a legal name change from Mos Def to Yasiin Bey, which he has used since then. Later on, in 2012, he recorded as the narrator of the children's hip-hop musical, Pacha's Pajamas: A Story Written By Nature. In 2016, he announced his retirement from both the music and film industries.