Mos Def Bio
Yasiin Bey, born Dante Terrell Smith on December 11, 1973, in Brooklyn, New York, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and activist. Formerly known by his stage name Mos Def, he is a prominent figure in conscious and alternative hip hop, recognized for his politically charged lyrics and his ability to balance a respected music catalog with a steady stream of film and television roles.
Bey first gained recognition as one half of the acclaimed rap duo Black Star alongside Talib Kweli, and for his solo debut Black on Both Sides (1999). In 2011, he legally adopted the name Yasiin Bey, retiring the Mos Def moniker, but his legacy as a defining voice of late 1990s and early 2000s New York hip hop remains firmly intact.
Early Life and Background
Yasiin Bey was born Dante Terrell Smith on December 11, 1973, in Brooklyn, New York City, to Sheron Smith and Abdulrahman Smith. The eldest of 12 children and step-children, he was raised primarily by his mother in Brooklyn, while his father lived across the river in New Jersey. Growing up in 1980s New York City during the crack epidemic, he witnessed widespread gang violence, theft, and poverty in his neighborhood.
His father, Abdulrahman Smith, was initially a member of the Nation of Islam before later following Imam Warith Deen Mohammed into mainstream Sunni Islam. Bey himself was not exposed to Islam until the age of 13. He attended Philippa Schuyler Middle School in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where he developed an early love for acting, but dropped out of high school during his sophomore year after returning from filming the sitcom You Take the Kids in Los Angeles.
To stay clear of the dangers of his environment, Bey threw himself into plays, Off-Off-Broadway productions, and local arts programs. He also credits his younger brother Ilias Bey, also known as Denard Smith and later performing as DCQ, as his earliest partner in hip hop, after a childhood car accident left a lasting impression on him.
Path to Music
Yasiin Bey began his music career in 1994, forming the group UTD, or Urban Thermo Dynamics, with his younger brother DCQ and high school friend Ces. He soon emerged as a solo artist, contributing guest verses to releases by De La Soul and Da Bush Babees, and releasing his own first single, Universal Magnetic, in 1997 on Rawkus Records.
That same period, he partnered with fellow Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli to form the duo Black Star. The group signed to Rawkus Records and released their debut album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, in 1998. Mostly produced by Hi-Tek, the album included the singles Respiration and Definition, which both charted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and established Bey as a major new voice in alternative hip hop.
Yasiin Bey Career
Early Career (1994–1999)
After years of underground work, Bey released his solo debut album, Black on Both Sides, in October 1999 through Rawkus Records. The single Ms. Fat Booty charted, and the album reached No. 25 on the Billboard 200. The project was met with critical acclaim and quickly positioned him as one of the most promising rappers to emerge in the late 1990s.
Before his breakthrough as a recording artist, Bey had also built an early résumé as a child actor, appearing in television movies, sitcoms, and theater. At 14, he appeared in the 1988 ABC TV movie God Bless the Child starring Mare Winningham, and he later played the oldest child in the 1990 family sitcom You Take the Kids.
Breakthrough (1999–2006)
Bey’s breakthrough continued with his second solo album, The New Danger, released in October 2004 on Geffen Records. The album, which featured the Black Jack Johnson Band, reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and remains his most commercially successful release. Its single Sex, Love & Money charted and earned a Grammy Award nomination. He closed out his Geffen tenure with True Magic in 2006.
On the acting side, the 2000s were equally productive. He played a reluctant rapper in Brown Sugar, was nominated for an Image Award and a Teen Choice Award, took the role of Lt. Miller in the MTV movie Carmen: A Hip Hopera, and joined Jeffrey Wright on Broadway for Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog, winning a Special Award from the Outer Critics Circle. He also appeared in The Italian Job, hosted HBO’s Def Poetry Jam from 2002 to 2007, and won Best Actor, Independent Movie at the 2005 Black Reel Awards for The Woodsman.
His 2004 portrayal of Vivien Thomas in HBO’s Something the Lord Made earned him nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, along with an NAACP Image Award win. He also played Ford Prefect in the 2005 film adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, appeared in 16 Blocks and Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, voiced himself on The Boondocks, and portrayed Chuck Berry in Cadillac Records, earning further Black Reel and Image Award nominations.
Notable Works and Milestones
Among Yasiin Bey’s most celebrated works are the Black Star album Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998), his solo debut Black on Both Sides (1999), and his fourth studio album The Ecstatic (2009). His influence is widely recognized, with About.com ranking him No. 14 on its Top 50 MCs of Our Time, The Source placing him No. 23 on its Top 50 Lyricists of All Time, and AllMusic calling him one of hip hop’s brightest hopes entering the 21st century.
Yasiin Bey Award Nominations
Yasiin Bey has earned multiple career nominations across music, television, and film. He is a Primetime Emmy Award nominee for his performance in Something the Lord Made, and a Golden Globe Award nominee for the same role. He has received Grammy Award nominations for his music, and additional Black Reel and Teen Choice Award nominations for projects including Cadillac Records and Brown Sugar.
Yasiin Bey Awards Won
Bey has collected notable wins for both his music and his acting. He is a Black Reel Awards winner for his leading role in The Woodsman and an NAACP Image Awards winner for Something the Lord Made. He also shared a Special Outer Critics Circle Award with Jeffrey Wright for their joint performance in Topdog/Underdog on Broadway.
Yasiin Bey Family
Bey is the eldest of 12 children and step-children, raised primarily by his mother, Sheron Smith, in Brooklyn, while his father, Abdulrahman Smith, lived in New Jersey. His mother, who managed part of her son’s career, was a motivational speaker and authored the book Shine Your Light: A Life Skills Workbook, which details her experience raising him as a single mother.
Personal Life
Bey married Maria Yepes in 1996 and filed for divorce in 2006. He has six children, including the R&B singer and record producer Laila Smith, known professionally as Laila!. In January 2016, he was ordered to leave South Africa and not return for five years after overstaying an expired tourist visa, and he was later placed on South Africa’s undesirable persons list after being allowed to depart in November 2016.