Yasiin Bey (/jæˈsiːn ˈbeɪ/; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def, is an American retired rapper, singer-songwriter, and actor.
Yasiin Bey (/jæˈsiːn ˈbeɪ/; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def, is an American retired rapper, singer-songwriter, and actor.
Regarded as one of hip hop's most introspective and insightful artists, Mos Def, has shaped a career that transcends music genres and artistic medium. With the release of "Universal Magnetic" (1996), he became an underground favorite in the hip-hop world, leading to his legendary collaboration with Talib Kweli. The two formed Black Star whose debut album, Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star, would become one of the most critically acclaimed hip-hop albums. He followed with his 1999 solo debut, Black On Both Sides, which was certified gold and credited by critics as bringing hip hop back to its soapbox roots.
He was a former child actor in television films, sitcoms, and theater, and continued acting as an adult after launching his rap career. He appeared in Spike Lee's Bamboozled, MTV's Carmen: A Hip Hopera, 2002's critically acclaimed Monster's Ball, Showtime, and the 2002 romantic comedy Brown Sugar, for which he received an NAACP Image Award nomination. He hosted Def Poetry Jam from 2002 to 2007.
He completed his Broadway debut in 2002 in the Tony-nominated, Pulitzer Prize-winning, Topdog/Underdog. He then re-teamed with Topdog playwright, Suzan Lori Parks and director George Wolfe for the off-Broadway play Fucking A, for which he earned an Obie Award.
In 2003, he starred in The Italian Job alongside Ed Norton, Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron. In 2004, he starred opposite Alan Rickman in the critically acclaimed HBO movie Something the Lord Made, for which he received a 2004 Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie. He was also nominated for both a Golden Globe Award (Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture) and Golden Satellite Award (Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television) for the same role.
He continued his music career by releasing his highly anticipated and critically acclaimed sophomore solo release, The New Danger (2004). The first single, "Sex, Love and Money" earned him a 2005 Grammy nomination for Best Alternative/Urban Performance, and the album has been certified gold by the RIAA.
The following year, he appeared alongside Bruce Willis in the crime thriller 16 Blocks (2006), in Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, and had a cameo appearance in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Also in 2006, he released his third solo album, True Magic.
The next year, he appeared in the 2007 PBS historical documentary, Prince Among Slaves, and in 2008 he played the role of Chuck Berry in Cadillac Records. In 2009, he released the album The Ecstatic, which proved to be his second highest-charting album to date. He then appeared in the urban comedy Next Day Air, and (as himself) in the 2010 mockumentary film I’m Still Here, starring Joaquin Phoenix.
Mos Def announced in September of 2011 that he changed his name to Yasiin Bey, and would go by it henceforth. In the first month of 2016, Bey declared his retirement from both the film and music industries.
In 2014, About.com listed him 14th on its "50 Greatest Rappers of All Time".
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0080049
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q38875
Facebook: No data
Instagram: No data
X: No data
Filmography (Movies)
Together for Palestine
Character:Self
Release Date:17/09/2025
Gorillaz | MTV World Stage
Character:Mos Def
Release Date:03/03/2023
Part of Me
Character:Himself
Release Date:30/01/2023
Hargrove
Character:Self
Release Date:12/06/2022
You're Watching Video Music Box
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:03/12/2021
Peculiar Contrast, Perfect Light
Character:
Release Date:21/01/2021
Gorillaz: Reject False Icons
Character:Mos Def
Release Date:16/12/2019
French Tour
Character:Focé
Release Date:16/11/2016
Amy
Character:Self
Release Date:02/07/2015
Begin Again
Character:Saul
Release Date:27/06/2014
Life of Crime
Character:Ordell Robbie
Release Date:14/09/2013
Standard Operating Procedure
Character:
Release Date:07/07/2013
Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap
Character:Self
Release Date:15/06/2012
A Man's Story
Character:Self
Release Date:08/10/2011
Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest
Character:Self
Release Date:08/07/2011
I'm Still Here
Character:Mos Def
Release Date:10/09/2010
Gorillaz: Live at Roundhouse in London
Character:Mos Def
Release Date:20/05/2010
Bouncing Cats
Character:
Release Date:29/04/2010
The Making of Plastic Beach
Character:Mos Def
Release Date:03/03/2010
Next Day Air
Character:Eric
Release Date:06/02/2009
Cadillac Records
Character:Chuck Berry
Release Date:05/12/2008
Prince Among Slaves
Character:Narrator
Release Date:04/02/2008
Be Kind Rewind
Character:Mike
Release Date:20/01/2008
In Prison My Whole Life
Character:Self
Release Date:18/01/2008
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Character:Mos Def
Release Date:04/08/2006
September in Brooklyn: The Making of Block Party
Character:Self
Release Date:13/06/2006
Coachella
Character:Self (Interviewee)
Release Date:09/05/2006
Journey to the End of the Night
Character:Wemba
Release Date:21/04/2006
16 Blocks
Character:Eddie Bunker
Release Date:01/03/2006
Rap Sheet: Hip-Hop and the Cops
Character:
Release Date:01/01/2006
Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Character:Self - (as Mos Def)
Release Date:12/09/2005
Don't Crash: The Documentary of the Making of the Movie of the Book of the Radio Series of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'
Character:Self
Release Date:05/09/2005
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Character:Ford Prefect
Release Date:28/04/2005
Lackawanna Blues
Character:The Bandleader
Release Date:12/02/2005
The Woodsman
Character:Sgt. Lucas
Release Date:24/12/2004
Something the Lord Made
Character:Vivien Thomas
Release Date:30/05/2004
Civil Brand
Character:Michael Meadows
Release Date:29/08/2003
The Italian Job
Character:Left Ear
Release Date:30/05/2003
Gil Scott-Heron: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Character:Himself
Release Date:14/04/2003
Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!!
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2003
Brown Sugar
Character:Chris Anton 'Cav' Vichon
Release Date:05/10/2002
Showtime
Character:Lazy Boy
Release Date:14/03/2002
Monster's Ball
Character:Ryrus Cooper
Release Date:26/12/2001
Carmen: A Hip Hopera
Character:Lt. Miller
Release Date:08/05/2001
Bamboozled
Character:Mau Mau: Big Blak Afrika
Release Date:06/10/2000
Island of the Dead
Character:Robbie J
Release Date:08/09/2000
Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme
Character:Himself
Release Date:14/04/2000
Where's Marlowe?
Character:Wilt Crawley
Release Date:01/10/1998
Ghosts
Character:Dante
Release Date:04/09/1997
Split Images
Character:Curtis Roy
Release Date:01/01/1992
The Hard Way
Character:Dead Romeos
Release Date:08/03/1991
God Bless the Child
Character:Richard Watkins
Release Date:21/03/1988
Television Appearances
jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy
Character:Self (archive footage)
Dexter
Character:Brother Sam
The Boondocks
Character:
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Character:Self
House
Character:Lee
Real Time with Bill Maher
Character:Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Character:Self
Chappelle's Show
Character:Self - Black Star
The Proud Family
Character:Mos Def (voice)
My Wife and Kids
Character:
Mark Twain Prize
Character:Self - Musical Guest
Brooklyn South
Character:Darius
The View
Character:Self
Spin City
Character:Monty
The Cosby Mysteries
Character:
Here and Now
Character:Alonzo
HBO First Look
Character:Self
You Take the Kids
Character:Raymond Kirkland
Saturday Night Live
Character:Self - Musical Guest
Tony Awards
Character:Self - Performer
Images
