Mos Def: Hip Hop

Continuing my focus on the music of 1999, my selection for best rap album of that year is Black on Both Sides by Mos Def. 1999 was a good year if you like ‘90s rap, but not a great year. I don’t have any rap albums in my top 10 because none of the best hip hop albums are my favorites of the year, but artists such as MFDoom (his debut), Blackalicious (their debut), The Roots, Slick Rick, and others all released good records. There is one album, however, that is universally recognized as the best of the year. The solo debut by Mos Def, Black on Both Sides, is a fantastic album. Moving directly out of his work with Talib Kweli in 1998 as the group Black Star, Mos Def’s flow on his debut is fresh, the beats and samples are the perfect mix of jazz, soul, and hip hop, and the lyrics are rap poetry. If I was going to include a rap album in my top 10, this would be it. 

To learn more about Mos Def, check out his Wikipedia page.

To listen to all of the songs of the day, check out the Radio Faux Show Song of the Day playlist.

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