Hip-hop was at a very hectic place in the late '90s. The genre lost both Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. because of violence; there was a schism growing. Hip-hop was quickly moving away from the street narratives, urban tales and social activism to favor its rise to mainstream. People didn't want struggle; they wanted the high life brought to them through catchy songs -- lyricism or not. Bad Boy
Brooklyn-born emcee Mos Def -- or Yasiin Bey as he calls himself these days -- dropped his 'Black on Both Sides' LP in 1999, and of course the prideful Brooklynite had to include a track dedicated to his city.
On 'Brooklyn,' Mos speaks on the positives of coming up in the borough...
In celebration of the Easter holiday, Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def) released 'Black Jesus,' his collaboration with legendary Cash Money producer Mannie Fresh. The Brooklyn rapper initially unveiled the song during his recent performance in Phoenix.