Mos Def attended middle school at Philippa Schuyler Middle School in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where he picked up his love for acting. He is close friends with fellow Muslim hip-hop artists Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Q-Tip. Mos Def was not exposed to Islam until the age of 13.
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. The eldest of 12 children and step-children, he was raised by his mother in Brooklyn, while his father lived in New Jersey. Mos Def was born Dante Terrell Smith on December 11, 1973, in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Sheron Smith and Abdulrahman Smith. 2.4 2012–present: Later career and retirement.2.3 2007–2011: Good Music era and name change.2.2 1999–2006: Solo career and various projects.2.1 1994–1998: Beginnings with Rawkus and Black Star.Mos Def has been vocal on several social and political causes, including police brutality, the idea of American exceptionalism and the status of African Americans. He is also known as the host of Def Poetry Jam, which aired on HBO between 20.
Since the early 2000s, he has appeared in the films 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 in television series such as Dexter and House. Prior to his career in music, Mos Def entered public life as a child actor with roles in television films, sitcoms, and theater.
Some of his top hits include " Oh No", " Ms. The editors of listed him as the 14th greatest rapper on their "50 Greatest Rappers of All Time" list. His debut was followed by The New Danger (2004), True Magic (2006), and The Ecstatic (2009). He was featured on the roster of Rawkus Records and in 1999 released his solo debut, Black on Both Sides. He subsequently formed the duo Black Star, alongside fellow Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli, and in 1998 they released their eponymous debut album, featuring the singles " Definition" and " Respiration". Bey began his hip hop career in 1994, alongside his siblings in the short-lived rap group Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD), after which they appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. Yasiin Bey ( / j æ ˈ s iː n ˈ b eɪ/ born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously known by his stage name Mos Def ( / ˌ m oʊ s ˈ d ɛ f/), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor.