Yasiin Bey

Mos Def, born Dante Terrell Smith and known as Yasiin Bey by his Muslim name (born 11 December 1973 in Brooklyn, New York City), is an American rapper, actor and producer. Best known for his music, Mos Def began his hip-hop career in 1994 alongside the group Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD), then took part in albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. He then formed the duo Black Star with the rapper Talib Kweli and appeared on their eponymous album in 1998. He became a major force in the underground hip-hop scene in the mid-1990s during his time with the Rawkus Records label. In 1999, Mos Def released his first solo album, Black on Both Sides, through Rawkus and Priority Records. It was followed by The New Danger (2004), True Magic (2006) and The Ecstatic (2009).

Before his music career, Mos Def became popular as a child actor, appearing in television series, sitcoms and stage plays under the name Dante Beze. At the age of 14, he starred in the TV film God Bless the Child, broadcast on ABC in 1988. He also appeared in You Take the Kids,. In 1995, he played the role of Dante in The Cosby Mysteries. From the early 2000s, Mos Def became known for films such as The Creator's Gift, H2G2: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 16 Blocks, Be Kind Rewind, The Italian Job, The Very Black Show and Brown Sugar. In February 2016, he announced in a voice message addressed to Kanye West that he would end his career following the release of his last album later in 2016.