Mos Def
The Ecstatic
(Downtown)

After 2006’s universally panned True Magic, a lot of folks had written off Mos Def aka Dante Smith and, some could say, with good reason. He appeared to be more interested in pursuing acting roles and belligerent TV appearances than trying to live up to the massive expectations heaped on him after the success of Black on Both Sides and The New Danger.

The Ecstatic, however, throws Mos Def firmly back in the spotlight. Never one to stick to the same idea for long, this collection feels like a truly global hip hop record, with samples from Ihsan al Munze, Brazil’s Banda Black Rio, Selda Bagcan and Fela Kuti, just to name a few. The songs highlight Def’s unique laconic lyricism that seems tied to the beat with rubber bands. He sings, raps, scats and moans all the while pushing and pulling against the beats provided by Oh No, Mr. Flash, Preservation, Madlib and the late J Dilla.

The album kicks off with an Islamic prayer and quote from Malcolm X’s 1964 Oxford speech, before launching into ‘Supermagic’, complete with Turkish bellydancing sample, bleeding bass and swirling cymbals. ‘Life is a game, I heard the homies say. But I came to win so I’m not here to play,’ spits Def on ‘Twilite Speedball’, which continues the mix up with giant tuba lines sitting fat and heavy behind the beat.

Album highlight and single, ‘Quiet Dog Bite Hard’ begins with a stirring Fela Kuti sample before the shimmying beat courtesy of long time collaborator, Preservation catches the imagination and gets the feet moving. ‘Bright moments always come back vivid’ Def sneers before Mr. Flash’s cinematic production blasts open ‘Life in Marvelous Times’ with orchestra stabs, morricone-esqe horns and Flash Gordon-style synths.

The first half of the record looks to the east while the second half moves to more familiar territory including some great team-ups with Slick Rick aka The Ruler, Georgia Anne Muldrow and old Black Star comrade, Talib Kweli.

Mos Def has created a record that is both challenging and celebratory. It’s not a record that will make everyone happy, but it wouldn’t be a Mos Def record unless it annoyed a good number of his fans. Not every idea hits home, but for those willing to give it the time, it’s a record that will get under your skin and have you shuffling your feet whether you like it or not.

Karl Smith