Actin' Invincible Just Ain't Sensible

I've been listening to a lot of Mos Def earlier, mostly his first album Black on Both Sides. I owe this new affinity to Mos Def entirely to this album, Mos Dub, which introduced me to the titan of a rapper that Mos Def is on top of chill and spacey reggae beats and samples.

Max Tannone - Mos Dub (2010)

I'm not actually a huge reggae fan.  Bob Marley was never for me -- I just have trouble appreciating the differences between different tracks.  Despite being heavily exposed to it, I probably couldn't tell you with reliable accuracy if a song was even Marley or not.  However, I do like to listen to reggae every once and awhile - the sound of it is soothing and engaging all the same, and even if I don't have the desire to "explore" the genre, I can enjoy it.  Hip-hop on top of reggae, however, takes everything I like about the genre, removes the frustratingly unchanging vocal styles, and adds the potential for lyrical complexity and diverse and smooth flows.  Mos-Def capitalizes on both of these potentials.

Seriously - from the very beginning of this album, you see why Mos Def was so uniformly critically praised from the late 90's to early 2000's.  "Beef isn't what Jay said to Nas, Beef is when the working people can't find jobs."  Insightful yet impassioned social commentary is something Mos Def is a master at, and his voice is one that I really wish more people would have the chance to here.

Standout Track(s):
Johnny Too Beef

First track, and one of the most solid.  Some of my favorite Mos Def lyrics, taken from his time with Talib Kweli as Black Star. 

Ms. Vampire Booty

Mos Def tells the tale of a lost love.  I guess that's one way to put it.  I mean, it's accurate, but it just reeeeaally doesn't sound right when talking about the words of Mos Def.

Interesting Fact(s):
Mos Dub was put together by the same guy that put together Jaydiohead (which if you haven't heard, is excellent).  I enjoy it more than this in some ways, and Mos Dub more in others -- but they really shouldn't be compared.  While Jaydiohead sounds cool, and also showcases Jay-Z's talent on a new sonic stage, the the combination of Mos Def with reggae seems to show much more foresight.  The roots and common themes of reggae just fit with Mos Def's message, and it is part of what makes this album so good.