Black On Both Sides (1999) was rapper Mos Def's first solo record and his best so far. The success of that album and his collaboration with Talib Kweli, Black Star, offered great career prospects, but it was probably his passion for experimentation that killed him, because The New Danger (2004) was less well received. True Magic (2006) was conceived as a 'quickie' to settle contract bonds and was
… therefore not taken seriously. Perhaps with the feeling that he had something to make up for, Mos went back into the studio to give us The Ecstatic in 2009. Expectations were high, because Mos Def potentially belongs to the greats. Unfortunately, a slight disappointment followed, as a number of beats - namely those of Oh No, Madlib and J. Dilla - already existed and have been used before. Nevertheless, it is a very solid album, with some highlights here and there, including the Spanish No Hay Nada Mas, which could possibly be regarded as The Ecstatic's Umi Says (one of the classics on Black On Both Sides). (GL)more
