Mos Def ~ Black on Both Sides
Mos Def has two great records under his belt, the rest are for the most part, unfinished and largely disappointing efforts from a man who’s talent clearly exceeds the level of his own work on average. But I guess you could call Black on Both Sides a different beast. It’s the one time where Mos Def never did half-assed, every single song could be called a highlight, and each verse is on form. It’s been ten years since it’s release, but it remains his best work. Mos Def was focused in 1999, he had not yet expressed interest in acting and had a lot to prove as a solo artist. Sometimes pressure is a great motivator, Black on Both Sides is a testament to that.
The album is perfect in most senses of word. Mos is constantly on form as an MC, keeping a consistent level of intelligence throughout the entirety of the record, balancing the social and political aspects of his work (New World Water, Mathematics, Fear not of Men) with his concern with hip-hop and persona (Hip-hop, Know That). The beats punctuate what Mos is saying, and each deviation from formula works. The instrumental outro (May December) doesn’t take away from the flow of the album, instead doing what an outro should do, close the album. Black on Both Sides is proof of Mos Def’s talent, he hasn’t been as focused since and to this day, it is his masterpiece.
