![]() ![]() I liked how the end of “History” had Mos Def rapping onto my favorite track on the CD, “Casa Bey.” That was just. brilliant and the flow matched perfectly. The Ecstatic is definitely something for Mos Def fans and hip hop fans all over the world to enjoy. I genuinely think this album has an abstract and unique style – the reasons I became a Mos Def in the beginning.After, let's face it, two album flops (especially True Magic), Mos Def has clearly struggled to put out quality music that he blessed us with beforehand (Black Star with Talib Kweli, Black on Both Sides). Having bought this album and listened to each track multiple times, I can honestly say its easily his best since Black on Both Sides, but still somewhat short of the extremely high standards he set with his solo debut. The highs of the album, in my view, are the tracks Quiet Dog (Bite Hard), 'Life in Marvelous Times', 'History' (featuring Talib Kweli) and the closer, 'Casa Bey'. 'Quiet Dog' (produced by Preservation) has an insane percussion beat and Mos Def reminds us why he is considered one of the top MC's in the game. 'Life in Marvelous Times' is a reflective song which sets up the second half of the album, looking briefly at Mos Def's journey from the projects in Bed-Stuy to where he is now. The best line in the album, in my opinion, comes from this song, when Mos says "we are alive in amazing times/ delicate hearts, diabolical minds'. In my opinion, the best track on the album is the closer, 'Casa Bey', because it has a wonderful mix of a fast-paced catchy instrumental that Mos somehow manages to keep up with and lines that jump out at you again and again (You can't stop my go/ I was born to be where I am/ Bright light from a Distant Star). And to top it all off, it ends with a beautifully sad and soothing little piano solo.Īnother thing I like about the album is its use of Eastern samples (mostly provided by the legendary Madlib and his brother Oh No) and weird guitar riffs (check out the Chad Hugo produced 'Twilite Speedball'). And that's not just because I am Arabic! haha.no I genuinely think using Arabic and Indian music for samples makes the album feel more abstract and unique. Some of the lyrics honestly seem and as if Mos Def was in a rush, and thats really not like him. The song 'Workers Comp.', for example, seems plain silly to me and doesn't meet the standard of some of the other tracks. ![]() But all in all, I had to say its a close-to-perfect Mos Def album. Hopefully he'll keep it up for his next album, which is, apparently, a collaboration with Jay Electronica.should be interesting :) In conclusion, you may not hear any of the songs from this album on the radio because of their quirkiness, but let me assure you this is a definite buy for fans of Black Dante, like myself. I have to admit I passed it off as mediocre when I listened to it for the first time. It took a good couple spoonfuls before it hit me, and once you're open to this album the hits go straight to the stomach. ![]()
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