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Black on Both Sides

 
Album Review: Black on Both Sides
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Black on Both Sides

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  • Artist: Mos Def
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: October 12, 1999
  • Type: Contains explicit content
  • Genre: Rap

Review

Mos Def's partnership with Talib Kweli produced one of the most important hip-hop albums of the late '90s, 1997's brilliant Black Star. Consciously designed as a return to rap's musical foundations and a manifesto for reclaiming the art form from gangsta/playa domination, it succeeded mightily on both counts, raising expectations sky-high for Mos Def's solo debut. He met them all with Black on Both Sides, a record every bit as dazzling and visionary as Black Star. Black on Both Sides strives to not only refine but expand the scope of Mos Def's talents, turning the solo spotlight on his intricate wordplay and nimble rhythmic skills -- but also his increasing eclecticism. The main reference points are pretty much the same -- old-school rap, which allows for a sense of playfulness as well as history, and the Native Tongues posse's fascination with jazz, both for its sophistication and cultural heritage. But they're supported by a rich depth that comes from forays into reggae (as well as its aura of spiritual conscience), pop, soul, funk, and even hardcore punk (that on the album's centerpiece, "Rock n Roll," a dissection of white America's history of appropriating black musical innovations). In keeping with his goal of restoring hip-hop's sociopolitical consciousness, Def's lyrics are as intelligent and thoughtfully crafted as one would expect, but he doesn't stop there -- he sings quite passably on several tracks, plays live instruments on others (including bass, drums, congas, vibraphone, and keyboards), and even collaborates on a string arrangement. In short, Black on Both Sides is a tour de force by an artist out to prove he can do it all. Its ambition and execution rank it as one of the best albums of 1999, and it consolidates Mos Def's position as one of hip-hop's brightest hopes entering the 21st century. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Fear Not of Man (Lyrics) Dante Smith Mos Def (4:28)
Hip Hop (Lyrics) Dante Smith Mos Def (3:16)
Love (Lyrics) Charles Njapa, Dante Smith Mos Def (4:23)
Ms. Fat Booty (Lyrics) Dante Smith Mos Def (3:43)
Speed Law (Lyrics) Dante Smith Mos Def (4:16)
Do It Now Trevor Smith, Dante Smith Busta Rhymes, Mos Def (3:49)
Got (Lyrics) Dante Smith Mos Def (3:27)
Umi Says (Lyrics) Dante Smith Mos Def (5:10)
New World Water (Lyrics) Dante Smith Mos Def (3:11)
Rock N Roll (Lyrics) Dante Smith Mos Def (5:02)
Know That (Lyrics) Dante Smith Mos Def, Talib Kweli (4:03)
Climb (Lyrics) Dante Smith Vinia Mojica, Mos Def (4:02)
Brooklyn (Lyrics) David Kennedy, G. Young, Dante Smith Mos Def (5:09)
Habitat (Lyrics) J. Davis, Dante Smith Q-Tip, Mos Def (4:39)
Mr. Nigga (Lyrics) Chris E. Martin, Dante Smith Mos Def (5:12)
Mathematics (Lyrics) Dante Smith Mos Def (4:06)
May-December Dante Smith Mos Def (3:29)

Credits

Ayatollah (Producer), Talib Kweli (Performer), Weldon Irvine (Arranger), Mos Def (Percussion), Mos Def (Executive Producer), Jane (Design), Weldon Irvine (Keyboards), Mos Def (Bass), Johnny Why (Engineer), Mos Def (Producer), Busta Rhymes (Performer), Mos Def (Keyboards), David Kennedy (Mixing), Alvaro Gonzalez-Campo (Photography), DJ Premier (Producer), David Kennedy (Engineer), Mos Def (Drums), Calablzitaz Tiernaz (Photography), Weldon Irvine (Piano), Shaka (Executive Producer), Psycho Les (Producer), Mos Def (Vibraphone), Diamond D (Producer), Mathias Q-Tip (Performer), David Kennedy (Producer), Weldon Irvine (String Arrangements), The Beatnuts (Producer), Mos Def (Conga), Ge-ology (Producer), Kiku (Design), 88-Keys (Producer), Etch-A-Sketch (Producer), Johnny Why (Guitar), Ali Shaheed Muhammad (Producer), Vinia Mojica (Vocals), Weldon Irvine (Producer)
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Wikipedia: Black on Both Sides
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Black on Both Sides
Studio album by Mos Def
Released October 12, 1999
Recorded 1998-1999
Genre Hip hop
Length 71:21
Label Rawkus/Priority
Producer Mos Def (also exec.), Diamond D, 88-Keys, DJ Premier, Ayatollah, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Psycho Les, DJ Etch-A-Sketch, David Kennedy
Professional reviews
Mos Def chronology
Black on Both Sides
(1999)		 The New Danger
(2004)
Singles from Black on Both Sides
  1. "Ms. Fat Booty/Mathematics"
    Released: 1999
  2. "Umi Says"
    Released: 2000

Black on Both Sides is the debut solo album of American rapper Mos Def, released October 12, 1999 on Rawkus Records. Prior to the album's recording, Mos Def had collaborated with rapper Talib Kweli for the duo's studio album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star (1998),[11] which raised high expectations for a solo effort.[1] Black on Both Sides features an emphasis on live instrumentation and socially-conscious lyrics.[12][4] On February 2, 2000, the album was certified gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), following sales in excess of 500,000 copies.[13]

Contents

Music

Talib Kweli (one-half of Black Star with Mos Def) and Busta Rhymes are the only main rappers to be featured on the album. Kweli raps the second and final verse of "Know That", while Busta goes back and forth with Mos on "Do It Now". Q-Tip helps sing the chorus on "Mr. Nigga" but doesn't deliver a verse. The lyrics Q-Tip recites are similar to his previously stated lyrics on A Tribe Called Quest's "Sucka Nigga". Vinia Mojica (who is known for singing on Native Tongues songs) also sings a duet with Mos Def on the song "Climb".

Production

The album features a mix between established and rising producers. DJ Premier, considered by some the greatest hip hop producer ever [14], provides the "Mathematics" instrumental. Diamond D also is credited for one beat, which is "Hip Hop". Ali Shaheed Muhammad, known mostly as a member of A Tribe Called Quest, produced the seventh song "Got". Psycho Les of The Beatnuts did little more than the aforementioned producers by supplying two beats (The ninth and tenth tracks "New World Water" and "Rock N Roll", respectively.) Jazz legend Weldon Irvine provided additional production to "Climb".

Ayatollah, who went on to receive moderate success, produced "Ms. Fat Booty" (the most famous song from the album) and "Know That". The same followed for 88-Keys after he made "Speed Law" and co-produced the instrumental outro "May-December" with Mos Def, himself. David Kennedy (The first swing of "Brooklyn" and "Umi Says" produced with Mos Def), Mr. Khaliyl ("Do It Now"), DJ Etch-A-Sketch ("Climb" and "Habitat"), Ge-ology (The second swing of "Brooklyn") and D. Prosper ("Mr. Nigga") round out the other contributors. The late Jay Dee also contributed, but his work was not included on the album's final draft.

Mos received production assistance on most of the album's tracks. His only sole production credit comes at "Fear Not of Man", but he provided additional production to four tracks (Hip Hop", "Rock N Roll", "Climb" and "Mr. Nigga") and co-produced three ("Umi Says", "Brooklyn" and "May-December").

Early versions

On the song "Brooklyn", a three-movement piece dedicated to Mos' place of origin in Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York, Mos rhymes three verses over three different beats. The first two beats are original compositions, while the last verse is set to the instrumental of Notorious B.I.G.'s 1995 single Who Shot Ya? However, "Brooklyn"'s original soundscape took its concept a bit further. On the original version, the first and third verses are set to the instrumentals of two other 1995 New York rap hits, "Incarcerated Scarfaces" by Raekwon as well as "Give Up the Goods (Just Step)" by Mobb Deep, respectively. The "Who Shot Ya?" verse, with the same vocal take on the released version, is placed in the middle. It is assumed that the use of these instrumentals could not be cleared for various reasons. One of many being the possibility that the samples used in the original instrumentals were only licensed to be used specifically for those compositions, and any further licensing would require the original artists' permission (therefore requiring more money on both sampling parties' ends), or any other number of various music industry troubles. This said version circulates online frequently. It is also notable that on the song, Mos Def sings his own interpretation of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' famous song Under the Bridge.

Also, DJ Premier originally used a different sample than the one featured on the released version of "Mathematics", which was decidedly entered into clearance. When clearance failed, DJ Premier crafted a different instrumental for the song.

Track listing

# Title Producer(s) Length
1. "Fear Not of Man"   Mos Def 4:28
2. "Hip Hop"   Diamond D, Mos Def* 3:16
3. "Love"   88-Keys 4:23
4. "Ms. Fat Booty"   Ayatollah 3:43
5. "Speed Law"   88-Keys 4:16
6. "Do It Now" (ft. Busta Rhymes) Mr. Khaliyl 3:49
7. "Got"   Ali Shaheed Muhammad 3:27
8. "Umi Says"   Mos Def, David Kennedy 5:10
9. "New World Water"   Psycho Les 3:11
10. "Rock n Roll"   Psycho Les, Mos Def* 5:02
11. "Know That" (ft. Talib Kweli) Ayatollah 4:03
12. "Climb" (ft. Vinia Mojica) DJ Etch-A-Sketch, Mos Def*, Weldon Irvine* 4:02
13. "Brooklyn"   Ge-ology, Mos Def, David Kennedy 5:09
14. "Habitat"   DJ Etch-A-Sketch 4:39
15. "Mr. Nigga" (ft. Q-Tip) D-Prosper, Mos Def* 5:12
16. "Mathematics"   DJ Premier 4:06
17. "May-December"   88-Keys, Mos Def 3:29

*Co-producer

Chart history

Year Album Chart positions
Billboard 200 Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
1999 Black on Both Sides #25 #3

Personnel

# Title Notes
1 "Fear Not of Man"

Songwriters: D. Smith
Sample: "Fear Not for Men" by Fela Kuti
Bass: Mos Def
Congas: Mos Def
Keyboards: Weldon Irvine
Percussion: Mos Def
2 "Hip Hop"

Songwriters: D. Smith, J. Kirkland
Sample: "The Warning Part II" by David Axelrod
Sample: "Time's Up" by O.C.
Sample: "Paid in Full" by Eric B & Rakim
Bass: Mos Def
Keyboards: Mos Def
Scratches: DJ Etch A Sketch
3 "Love"

Songwriters: D. Smith, C. Njapa
Sample: "Porgy" by Bill Evans
Sample: "I Know You Got Soul" by Eric B. & Rakim
4 "Ms. Fat Booty"

Songwriters: D. Smith, L. Dorrell
Sample: "One Step Ahead" by Aretha Franklin
5 "Speed Law"

Songwriters: D. Smith, C. Njapa
Sample: "Promise Her Anything But Give Her Arpeggio" by Big Brother & The Holding Company
Sample: "And That's Saying Alot" by Christine McVie
Sample: "Get It Together" by The Beastie Boys
6 "Do It Now"

Songwriters: D. Smith, T. Smith, A. Dillon
7 "Got"

Songwriters: D. Smith, A. Muhammad
8 "Umi Says"

Songwriters: D. Smith, D. Kennedy
Fender Rhodes: will.i.am
Hammond organ: Weldon Irvine
9 "New World Water"

Songwriters: D. Smith, L. Fernandez
10 "Rock n Roll"

Songwriters: D. Smith, L. Fernandez
Sample: "Allustrious" by Mobb Deep
Bass: Mos Def
Drums: Mos Def
Guitar: Johnny Why
11 "Know That"

Songwriters: D. Smith, L. Dorrell
Sample: "Anyone Who Had a Heart" by Dionne Warwick
12 "Climb"

Songwriters: D. Smith, W. Irvine, T. Dunn
13 "Brooklyn"

Songwriters: D. Smith, D. Kennedy, G. Young
First Move Producer: Ge-ology
Second Move Producer: Mos Def & David Kennedy
Third Move Producer: Mos Def
First Move Sample: "What Are You Doin' the Rest of Your Life" by Milt Jackson
First Move Sample: "Under the Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Second Move Sample: "We Live in Brooklyn Baby" by Roy Ayers
Third Move Sample: "Who Shot Ya?" by The Notorious B.I.G.
14 "Habitat"

Songwriters: D. Smith, W. Irvine, T. Dunn
15 "Mr. Nigga"

Songwriters: D. Smith, D. Prosper, J. Davis
Sample: "A Legend in His Own Mind" by Gil-Scott Heron
Sample: Sun Goddess" by Ramsey Lewis
Congas: Mos Def
Percussion: Mos Def
16 "Mathematics"

Songwriters: D. Smith, C. Martin
Sample: "Body Rock" by Mos Def
Sample: "John Blaze" by Fat Joe
Sample: "For All My Niggaz & Bitches" by Snoop Dogg
Sample: "Criminology" by Raekwon
Sample from the movie Ghostbusters
Sample: "On & On" by Erykah Badu
Sample: "Baby I'm-A Want You" by Fatback Band
Sample: "Funky Drummer" by James Brown
17 "May-December"

Songwriters: D. Smith, C. Njapa, W. Irvine
Bass: Mos Def
Piano: Weldon Irvine
Vibraphone: Mos Def

Notes

  1. ^ a b Huey, Steve. Review: Black on Both Sides. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-08-28.
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: Black on Both Sides". The Village Voice: November 2, 1999. Archived from the original on 2009-08-28. Note: Christgau revised the album's original rating of (B+) to (A-).
  3. ^ Diehl, Matt. Review: Black on Both Sides. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2009-08-28.
  4. ^ a b Columnist. Review: Black on Both Sides. The Independent. Retrieved on 2009-08-28.
  5. ^ Columnist. Review: Black on Both Sides. NME. Retrieved on 2009-08-28.
  6. ^ Goldman, Andrew. Review: Black on Both Sides. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2009-08-28.
  7. ^ Hoard, Christian. "Review: Black on Both Sides". Rolling Stone: 562. November 2, 2004.
  8. ^ Columnist. "Review: Black on Both Sides". The Source: 218-220. November 1999.
  9. ^ Furman, Michael. Review: Black on Both Sides. Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved on 2009-08-28.
  10. ^ Poston, Kem. Review: Black on Both Sides. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2009-08-28.
  11. ^ Leroy, Dan. Review: Black on Both Sides. Yahoo! Music. Retrieved on 2009-08-28.
  12. ^ Lewis, Miles Marshall. Review: Black on Both Sides. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2009-08-28.
  13. ^ RIAA - Gold & Platinum Search. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved on 2009-06-30.
  14. ^ Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers

References

External links

v • d • e
Mos Def
Albums
Black on Both Sides (1999)  · The New Danger (2004)  · True Magic (2006)  · The Ecstatic (2009)
Singles
"Ms. Fat Booty/Mathematics (B-Side)"  · "Umi Says"  · "Sex, Love & Money/Ghetto Rock (B-Side)"  · "Sunshine"  · "Undeniable"  · "Life In Marvelous Times"  · "Quiet Dog Bite Hard"  · "Casa Bey"  · "Supermagic"
Collaborative singles
"Travellin' Man" (with DJ Honda)  · "The Love Song" (with Da Bush Babees)  · "Body Rock" (with Q-Tip & Tash)  · "Definition" (with Talib Kweli as Black Star)  · "Respiration" (with Talib Kweli as Black Star & Common)  · "Oh No" (with Pharoahe Monch & Nate Dogg)  · "Ms. Fat Booty 2" (with Ghostface Killah)  · "Jam On It"  · "Brown Sugar (Extra Sweet)" (with Faith Evans)  · "Bin Laden" (with Immortal Technique & DJ Green Lantern)  · "Magnetic Arts" (with DJ Honda)  · "Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)" (with The Black Keys & Jim Jones)
Filmography
See also

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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