Rewind: Mos Def 'Black on Both Sides' (Part 2)

Welcome to our second look at Mos Def's 'Black on Both Sides'.

Ayatollah produced the beat for the Talib Kweli and Mos Def team up 'Know That'. The track samples 'Anyone Who Had a Heart' from Dionne Warwick's Burt Bacharach and Hal David produced 1963 album of the same name. Mos Def's excellent track 'Brooklyn' uses a sample from Roy Ayers' Ubiquity project's 'We Live in Brooklyn, Baby' in addition to David Porter's 'I'm Afraid the Masquerade is Over'. Marley Marl's 'The Symphony' posse cut is the source for DJ Etch-A-Sketch's beat for Mos Def's 'Habitat'. Finally, Mos' track with Q-Tip 'Mr. N----', produced by D-Prosper and Mos Def, samples Ramsey Lewis' 'Sun Goddess' and Gil Scott-Heron's 'A Legend in His Own Mind'.

The album received high reviews, respect from the underground, and modest chart success. Mos Def would not record another solo effort until 2004's 'The New Danger', which signaled a dramatic change in his music. Check back for more coverage of Mos Def as well as Black Star in future posts on this blog.

The Lowdown:
Mos Def 'Know That', 'Brooklyn', 'Habitat', and 'Mr. N----'
from 'Black on Both Sides' (1999) (MP3/CD)
Dionne Warwick 'Anyone Who Had a Heart'
from 'Anyone Who Had a Heart' (1963) (MP3/CD)
Roy Ayers Ubiquity' 'We Live in Brooklyn, Baby'
from 'He's Coming' (1972) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
David Porter 'I'm Afraid the Masquerade is Over'
from 'Victim of the Joke?' (1971) (MP3 not available/CD)
Marley Marl 'The Symphony'
from 'In Control, Vol. 1' (1987) (MP3/CD not available)
Ramsey Lewis 'Sun Goddess'
from 'Sun Goddess' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Gil Scott-Heron 'A Legend in His Own Mind'
from 'Real Eyes' (1980) (MP3 not available/CD not available)