Yasiin Bey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yasiin Bey |
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Yasiin Bey performing at the 2012 Ilosaarirock festival
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Dante Terrell Smith |
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| Born | December 11, 1973 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1987–present |
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Yasiin Bey (born Dante Terrell Smith on December 11, 1973), also known as Mos Def, is an American rapper and actor. He is famous for his smart lyrics and for talking about important social and political issues. These include topics like police unfairness and the lives of African Americans in the United States.
Yasiin Bey started his career in 1994. He joined a rap group called Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD) with his siblings. He also appeared on albums by other artists. In 1996, he formed the group Black Star with Talib Kweli. Their first album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998), had popular songs like "Definition".
His first solo album, Black on Both Sides (1999), was highly praised. His fourth album, The Ecstatic (2009), was also very successful. In 2014, a music website called About.com ranked him as the 14th greatest rapper of all time.
Before his music career, Bey was a child actor. He appeared in TV shows and movies. Some of his well-known films include The Italian Job and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He also acted in TV series like Dexter. From 2002 to 2007, he hosted a show called Def Poetry Jam.
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Early Life and Growing Up
Yasiin Bey was born Dante Terrell Smith on December 11, 1973. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York City. His mother raised him, and he was the oldest of 12 children.
He learned about Sunni Islam when he was 13 years old. His father was part of the Nation of Islam at first. Yasiin Bey is good friends with other Muslim hip-hop artists like Ali Shaheed Muhammad.
Bey went to Philippa Schuyler Middle School. There, he found his love for acting. He dropped out of high school in his second year. Growing up in New York City in the 1980s, he saw a lot of gang violence and poverty. He stayed away from these problems by focusing on plays and art programs.
Music Journey
Yasiin Bey started his music career in 1994. He formed a group called UTD (Urban Thermo Dynamics) with his younger brother and a friend. In 2004, they released their only album, Manifest Destiny.
Starting with Rawkus and Black Star
In 1996, Bey began his solo music journey. He worked with famous groups like De La Soul. In 1997, he released his first solo song, "Universal Magnetic".
Bey then signed with Rawkus Records. He formed the rap group Black Star with Talib Kweli. Their album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, came out in 1998. This album had popular songs like "Respiration" and "Definition". These songs did well on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Solo Success and New Labels
Bey's first solo album, Black on Both Sides, was released in 1999. It reached number 25 on the Billboard 200 chart.
In 2002, Geffen Records took over Rawkus Records. Geffen released Bey's second solo album, The New Danger, in 2004. This album was very successful, reaching number 5 on the Billboard 200. One of its songs was even nominated for a Grammy Award. His last solo album with Geffen Records was True Magic, released in 2006.
New Music and Name Change
In 2007, Bey announced a new album called The Ecstatic. It was released in 2009. He worked with famous producers like Madlib on this album.
Bey also appeared on songs with Kanye West. He was featured on West's albums The College Dropout and Graduation. In 2010, he joined GOOD Music, Kanye West's record label.
In September 2011, the rapper announced a big change. He legally changed his name to Yasiin Bey. He said he wanted to be seen as a person, not just a product. He also felt it was time to grow and move forward. Yasiin is a name from the Qur'an, which is important to him as a Muslim.
Later Career and Retirement Talk
In 2012, Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli started working on new Black Star music again. In 2016, Bey announced he was retiring from music and acting. He said he would release one final album that year. He also wanted to work in the fashion industry.
However, his retirement plans seemed to change. He performed at shows in 2017. In 2018, he announced a new Black Star album with Madlib. In 2019, he debuted an album called ንጉሥ (Negus). He said this album would only be heard at special art shows, not released digitally.
In 2021, he started a podcast called "The Midnight Miracle". In 2022, the new Black Star album, No Fear of Time, was finally released.
Acting Career
Early Acting Days
Before he became a musician, Yasiin Bey was a child actor. He appeared in TV movies, sitcoms, and plays. Sometimes he used the name Dante Beze. When he was 14, he was in the TV movie God Bless the Child (1988). He also played a role in the sitcom You Take the Kids in 1990. In 1995, he was Bill Cosby's helper in The Cosby Mysteries. He even had a small part with Michael Jackson in his short film Ghosts (1996).
Movies, Plays, and TV Shows
After small roles, Bey played a rapper in the movie Brown Sugar. He was nominated for awards for this role. In 2001, he was a crooked cop in the MTV movie Carmen: A Hip Hopera.
In 2002, he acted in the Broadway play Topdog/Underdog. He and his co-star won a special award for their performance. He played Left Ear in the 2003 film The Italian Job.
On TV, Bey appeared on NYPD Blue and Chappelle's Show. He also hosted the HBO show Def Poetry. He won an award for his role as Detective Sgt. Lucas in The Woodsman (2004). For his role in the HBO film Something the Lord Made, he was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe. He also played Ford Prefect in the 2005 movie The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
In 2006, Bey was in the movie 16 Blocks with Bruce Willis. He also had a voice role in the TV series Boondocks. In 2008, he starred in the movie Be Kind Rewind with Jack Black. He also played Chuck Berry in the film Cadillac Records.
In 2009, he appeared in an episode of House. His performance was highly praised. In 2011, he had a role in the TV series Dexter.
In 2016, he announced his retirement from acting. However, he was still planned to star in a science fiction movie called The Disconnected.
Social and Political Views
Yasiin Bey is known for his activism. In 2000, he helped organize the Hip Hop for Respect project. This project spoke out against police brutality.
He has often used his platform to discuss important social issues. In 2005, he released a song called "Katrina Clap". This song criticized the government's response to Hurricane Katrina. He even performed the song in front of Radio City Music Hall and was arrested for not having a permit.
In 2006, Bey visited the City of God in Brazil. He learned about the social problems there for a documentary series. In 2013, he appeared in a short film about forced-feeding methods at the Guantanamo Bay detention camps.
In 2018, Bey helped open an art exhibition in the South Bronx. The gallery aimed to connect hip-hop and fine art. It showcased artists from backgrounds that are often overlooked. The goal was to show that "all art is equal."
Impact and Influence
Yasiin Bey is highly respected in the music world. About.com ranked him as one of the top rappers of all time. The Source magazine also listed him as one of the top lyricists.
He has inspired many hip-hop artists, including Lupe Fiasco and Kendrick Lamar. He has also influenced artists outside of hip-hop, like English singers Adele and Amy Winehouse.
Personal Life
Yasiin Bey married Maria Yepes in 1996. They divorced in 2006. He has six children, including the singer Laila Smith.
His mother, Sheron Smith, helped manage his career. She wrote a book about her experiences as a single mother raising him. She passed away in 2023.
In 2016, Bey was asked to leave South Africa. He had been living there illegally on an expired visa. He was also charged with using an unrecognized World Passport. He was allowed to leave South Africa in November 2016 but was not allowed to return.
Music Albums
Here are some of the albums Yasiin Bey has released:
Solo Albums
- Black on Both Sides (1999)
- The New Danger (2004)
- True Magic (2006)
- The Ecstatic (2009)
- ንጉሥ (Negus) (2019)
Group Albums
- Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (with Talib Kweli, as Black Star) (1998)
- Manifest Destiny (with Ces and DCQ, as UTD) (2004)
- December 99th (with Ferrari Sheppard, as Dec 99th) (2016)
- No Fear of Time (with Talib Kweli, as Black Star) (2022)
Awards and Nominations
Yasiin Bey has been nominated for many awards for his music and acting. These include:
- Grammy Awards: Nominated for Best Urban/Alternative Performance, Best Rap Solo Performance, Best Rap Album, and Best Music Video.
- Golden Globe Awards: Nominated for Best Actor in a TV movie.
- Primetime Emmy Awards: Nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie.
- NAACP Image Awards: Nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Actor in a TV Movie.
- Black Reel Awards: Won Outstanding Actor in an Independent Film for The Woodsman.
Images for kids
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Yasiin Bey performing at the 2012 Ilosaarirock festival
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Yasiin Bey's signature
See also
In Spanish: Mos Def para niños
