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Yasiin Bey discography

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Yasiin Bey / Mos Def discography
Studio albums4
Compilation albums3
Music videos6
Collaboration albums2
Features singles6

The discography of Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, an American rapper, consists of four solo albums, two compilation albums, and several singles. Bey began his hip hop career in 1994 in the underground rap group UTD (Urban Thermo Dynamics) alongside his sibling group members DCQ and Ces, after which he pursued a solo career.[1] In 1998, he made his mainstream debut on Rawkus Records in the duo Black Star with rapper Talib Kweli. "Definition", the lead single from Black Star's self-titled debut album, reached No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Hot Rap Singles chart.

In 1999, Yasiin Bey released his solo debut album Black on Both Sides, which was certified Gold in the US and featured the singles "Ms. Fat Booty", which reached No. 20 on the US Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart, and "Umi Says", which reached No. 60 on the UK Singles Chart. Bey performed on several compilations from Rawkus Records and other independent compilation albums. Among them was the single "Oh No" with Pharaohe Monch and Nate Dogg which reached No. 83 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Hot Rap Singles. In 2001, his single "Jam on It" from Underground Airplay Version 1.0 reached No. 23 on the Hot Rap Tracks. In 2002, he appeared on the track "Brown Sugar (Extra Sweet)" on the soundtrack to the film Brown Sugar. Featuring Faith Evans, "Brown Sugar (Extra Sweet)" reached No. 95 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

In 2004, Yasiin Bey released his second solo album The New Danger, in which he experimented with other genres such as rock and R&B.[2] The single "Sex, Love & Money" reached No. 90 on the R&B chart. Later the same year saw the release of UTD album Manifest Destiny under the independent label Illsion Media, run by Bey's brother and fellow group member DCQ. The album featured a compilation of previously unreleased and re-released tracks recorded during the original UTD run.[3] Bey's third solo album, Tru3 Magic, was released in 2006 to very little hype. Its single "Undeniable" charted only on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart but was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 2007.

Yasiin Bey's fourth solo album The Ecstatic was released in 2009 on Downtown Records with distribution by Universal Records.[4] His fifth album Negus was exclusively premiered during Art Basel in Hong Kong on March 29, 2019; and according to a press release, it will never receive a physical or digital release but will be displayed at sound installations around the world.[5]

Albums

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Studio albums

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List of albums, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications
US
[6]
US
R&B

[7]
US
Rap

[8]
AUS
[9]
CAN
[10]
FRA
[11]
SWI
[12]
UK
[13]
Black on Both Sides 25 3 110
The New Danger
  • Released: October 12, 2004
  • Label: Rawkus, Geffen
  • Format: CD, LP, digital download
5 2 1 12 103 50 56
True Magic
  • Released: December 29, 2006
  • Label: Geffen
  • Format: CD
77 25 12
The Ecstatic
  • Released: June 9, 2009
  • Label: Downtown
  • Format: CD, LP, digital download
9 5 2 91 24 172 90 167
Negus[A]
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Collaborative albums

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Title Details Chart positions
US
[6]
US
R&B

[7]
Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
(with Talib Kweli as Black Star)
  • Released: September 29, 1998
  • Label: Rawkus, Priority
  • Format: CD, digital download, LP
53 13
Manifest Destiny
(with UTD)
  • Released: October 26, 2004
  • Label: Illson Media
  • Format: CD, digital download, LP
December 99th
(with Ferrari Sheppard, as Dec 99th)
  • Released: 2016
  • Label: A Country Called Earth
  • Format: CD, digital download, LP
No Fear of Time
(with Talib Kweli as Black Star)

Compilation albums

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Title Details
We Are Hip-Hop: Me, You, Everybody
  • Released: 2002
  • Label: Sattan
  • Format: CD
Mos Definite
  • Released: April 20, 2007
  • Label: Frequent
  • Format: CD
We Are Hip-Hop: Me, You, Everybody, Pt. 2
  • Released: 2008
  • Label: Sattan
  • Format: CD
Audio 3
  • Released: 2008
  • Label: Oarfin
  • Format: CD

Singles

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Solo

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Title Year Chart positions Certifications Album
US
Bub.

[18]
US R&B
[19]
US Rap
[20]
UK
[13]
"Universal Magnetic" 1997 [A] Soundbombing
"Ms. Fat Booty"/"Mathematics" 1999 54 20 85 Black on Both Sides
"Umi Says" 60
"Brown Sugar (Extra Sweet)" (featuring Faith Evans) 2002 95 Brown Sugar (soundtrack)
"Sex, Love & Money" 2004 90 The New Danger
"Close Edge" 44[B]
"Ghetto Rock"
"Sunshine" 2005
"Undeniable" 2006 31[B] True Magic
"Life in Marvelous Times" 2008 The Ecstatic
"Quiet Dog Bite Hard" 2009
"Casa Bey"

Collaborative singles

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Title Year Chart positions Album
US
[21]
US
R&B

[19]
US
Rap

[20]
UK
[13]
"Body Rock" (with Tash & Q-Tip) 1998 65 21 Lyricist Lounge, Volume One
"Definition" (with Talib Kweli) 60 31 3 Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star
"Respiration" (with Talib Kweli featuring Common) 1999 54 6
"Oh No" (with Pharoahe Monch featuring Nate Dogg) 2000 83 22 1 24 Lyricist Lounge 2
"Black Iz Back" (with Mau Maus) Bamboozled (soundtrack)
"Sensei on the Block" (with Ski Beatz) 2015 Non-album single
[edit]
Title Year Chart positions Album
US
Bub.

[18]
US R&B
[19]
US Rap
[20]
US Alt
"The Love Song"
(Da Bush Babees featuring Mos Def)
1996 17 66 15 Gravity
"Travellin' Man"
(DJ Honda featuring Mos Def)
1998 13 76 17 h II
"Bullshittin' (B.S.'n...)"
(N'Dea Davenport featuring Mos Def)
101 N'Dea Davenport
"B-Boy Document"
(The High & Mighty featuring Mos Def and Skillz)
1999 63 7 Home Field Advantage/Soundbombing II
"A Brighter Day"
(Ronny Jordan featuring Mos Def)
54[A] 20 A Brighter Day
"Six Days (Remix)"
(DJ Shadow featuring Mos Def)
2002 38[A] Six Days 12"
"Wylin' Out" (with Diverse and Prefuse 73) 65 Urban Renewal Program
"Wanna B Where U R (Thisizzaluvsong)"
(Floetry featuring Mos Def)
2003 116 Barbershop 2: Back in Business soundtrack/Floacism "Live"
"Bin Laden"
(Immortal Technique featuring Mos Def)
2005 Non-album single
"Magnetic Arts"
(DJ Honda featuring Mos Def)
2009 DJ Honda IV
"Stylo"
(Gorillaz featuring Mos Def and Bobby Womack)
2010 3 24 Plastic Beach

Other appearances

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Year Song Artist(s) Album
1996 "Intro" Da Bush Babees Gravity
"S.O.S."
"Big Brother Beat" De La Soul "Stakes Is High"
"Stakes Is High (Remix)" (also featuring Truth Enola) "Itzsoweezee (HOT)" single
1997 "Shinjiro" DJ Krush MiLight
"BMT" (also featuring Biz Markie) Towa Tei Sound Museum
"If You Can Huh..." Soundbombing
1998 "Fruits of Labor" Wizdom Life, Matt Fingatip & Shawn J. Period Hip Hop Independents Vol. 1
"Rock Rock Y'all" (also featuring Punchline, Jane Doe and Wordsworth) A Tribe Called Quest The Love Movement
"World Famous" Funkmaster Flex The Mixtape Volume 3: 60 Minutes of Funk, The Final Chapter
"Crying at Airports (Shawn J. Period Remix)" Whale "Four Big Speakers" single
1999 "Double Trouble" The Roots Things Fall Apart
"Next Universe" Soundbombing II
"Tinseltown to the Boogiedown" Scritti Politti Anomie & Bonhomie
"If It's Alright Y'all" Brixx Superrappin: The Album
"Foundation" DJ Honda 2000
"All Praises Due" A.D.L.I.B. Urban Renewal: Word on the Street
2000 "You (Feel Good Remix)" Samuel Christian Black and White (soundtrack)
"Saturday Nite" Brand New Heavies Delicious Vinyl Presents... Prime Cuts Vol. 1
"On My Own" The Black Eyed Peas, Les Nubians Bridging the Gap
"Eve" Spacek "Eve" single
"A Tree Never Grown" A.L., Fre, Grafh, Invincible, J-Live, Jane Doe, Kofi Taha, Rubix, Tame One & Wordsworth Hip Hop for Respect
"One Four Love Pt. 2" Cappadonna, Channel Live, Crunch Lo, Rock, Shyheim & Wise Intelligent
"The Questions" Common Like Water for Chocolate
"Hurricane" Common, Black Thought, Dice Raw, Flo Brown, Jazzyfatnastees The Hurricane
"I've Committed Murder (Gang Starr Remix)" Macy Gray, Gang Starr Lyricist Lounge 2
"Ms. Fat Booty 2" Ghostface Killah
"Love Rain (Remix)" Jill Scott Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds, Vol. 1
"What's That? (¿Que Eso?)" (also featuring De La Soul) Tony Touch The Piece Maker
"Can U C the Pride in the Panther" (Male/Female Version) 2Pac The Rose That Grew from Concrete
2001 "Reminisce" Bilal, Common 1st Born Second
"Do Your Best" Femi Kuti Fight to Win
"Jam on It" DJ Spinbad Underground Airplay Version 1.0
"Get Ta Steppin'" Hi-Tek, Vina Mojica Hi-Teknology
"Bounce" DJ Hasebe Hey World
"Street Sounds" Charlie Hunter Quartet Songs from the Analog Playground
"Creole"
"My Nutmeg Phantasy" Macy Gray, Angie Stone The Id
2002 "I Against I" Massive Attack Blade II (soundtrack)
"Freak Daddy" Soundbombing III
"Seven Days (DJ Premier Remix)" Craig David "Seven Days"
2003 "On the Run" Mark Ronson, M.O.P. Here Comes the Fuzz
"Guess You Didn't Love Me" Terri Walker Untitled
2004 "Two Words" Kanye West, Freeway, Harlem Boys Choir The College Dropout
"Living for Today" Toshinobu Kubota Time to Share
"She Wants to Move (Native Tongues Remix)" (also featuring Common, De La Soul & Q-Tip) N*E*R*D, Common, De La Soul, Q-Tip "Maybe" 12"
"Beauty in the Dark (Groove with You)" The Isley Brothers Taken to the Next Phase (Reconstructions)
2005 "T.I.M.E." Scratch Perverts, Black Thought, Stephanie McKay Fabric Big Issue CD
"Victory" K-Salaam, Sizzla The World Is Ours
"Love It or Leave It Alone" Alicia Keys, Common Unplugged
"Yo-Yo-Yo (Street)" Medina Green "Yo-Yo-Yo (Street)" single
2006 "The Corner (Remix)" Scarface, Common My Homies Part 2
"Superstar" Ge-ology Facets
"Where We At" Jurassic 5 Feedback
"Here Comes the Champ" Dan the Automator, Anwar Superstar Dan the Automator Presents 2K7
"We Get Down" Hi-Tek, Bootsy Collins, Raphael Saadiq Hi-Teknology²: The Chip
"Let It Go" Little Brother & DJ Drama Separate But Equal
2007 "Hey Baby" Stephen Marley Mind Control
"Drunk and Hot Girls" Kanye West Graduation
"Good Night"
"Brooklyn in My Mind" 9th Wonder, Jean Grae, Memphis Bleek The Dream Merchant Vol. 2
"Light (Can You See It?) DJ Krush Suimou Tsunenimasu
"Love Rain (Head Nod Remix)" Jill Scott Collaborations
"Love Rain (Coffee Shop Mix)"
"D.A.N.C.E. (Benny Blanco Remix)" Justice, Spank Rock
2008 "No Particular Place to Go" Cadillac Records: Music from the Motion Picture
"Rising Down" The Roots, Styles P, Dice Raw Rising Down
2009 "America" K'naan, Chali 2na Troubadour
"Mountain Sunlight" Jazz Liberatorz Fruit of the Past
"On the Vista" BlakRoc BlakRoc
"Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)"
2010 "Party Done" Medina Green Save the Children
"Sweepstakes" Gorillaz, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble Plastic Beach
"New York Is Killing Me (Remix)" Gil Scott-Heron ?
"Sweetest Fruit" Baraka Blue SoundHeart
"Breakfast" Curren$y Pilot Talk
"The Day" (also featuring Jay Electronica)
"Prowler 2" (also featuring Jean Grae, Jay Electronica & Joell Ortiz) Ski Beatz
"Arials" (also featuring Curren$y, Whosane, Terri Walker & Stalley)
"Cream of the Planet"
"Taxi" (also featuring Whosane)
"Lord Lord Lord" (also featuring Swizz Beatz, Raekwon & Charlie Wilson) Kanye West G.O.O.D. Fridays
"Don't Look Down" (also featuring Lupe Fiasco & Big Sean)
2012 "The Very Best" Dee-1, Mannie Fresh Save the Children
2015 "Back Home" ASAP Rocky, ASAP Yams, Acid At. Long. Last. ASAP
2016 "R.E.D." A Tribe Called Red We Are the Halluci Nation
2017 "Buy My App" Denmark Vessey & Azarias Buy My Drugs
2018 "Kids See Ghosts" Kids See Ghosts Kids See Ghosts
2019 "Education" MadGibbs, Black Thought Bandana
2020 "Breathe" Navy Blue Song of Sage: Post Panic!
2022 ”Stars” J.I.D The Forever Story

Videos

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Negus is Yasiin Bey’s fifth studio album, entirely produced by Lord Tusk, Steven Julien, and ACyde and was recorded in London in 2015. Negus was exclusively premiered during Art Basel in Hong Kong on March 29, 2019. According to a press release, the album will never receive a physical or digital release but will be displayed at sound installations around the world.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "About Mos Def". MTV.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  2. ^ Kellman, Andy (October 19, 2004). "The New Danger review". allmusic. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  3. ^ "Manifest Destiny [2004]". AllMusic.com. 2004. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  4. ^ Birchmeier, Jason (2009). "Mos Def > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  5. ^ "Yasiin Bey released his newest album and all I got was a Polaroid of myself". 29 March 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Mos Def Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Mos Def Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  8. ^ "Mos Def Chart History: Rap Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  9. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 29th June 2009" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. June 29, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-09-02. Retrieved June 28, 2020 – via Pandora Archive.
  10. ^ Peak positions in Canada:
  11. ^ "Discographie Mos Def". lescharts.com (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  12. ^ "Discographie Mos Def". hitparade.ch (in German). Hindu Medien. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  13. ^ a b c Peak chart positions for albums in the United Kingdom:
  14. ^ a b c d "| HipHopDX". Archived from the original on 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  15. ^ a b "Gold & Platinum: Mos Def". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  16. ^ "British certifications – Mos Def". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 15, 2022. Type Mos Def in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  17. ^ "Yasiin Bey released his newest album and all I got was a Polaroid of myself". 29 March 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  18. ^ a b "Mos Def Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  19. ^ a b c "Mos Def Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  20. ^ a b c "Mos Def Chart History: Rap Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  21. ^ "Mos Def Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2020.