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Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

70

Gender

Male

Birthday

1973-12-11 (52 years old)

Place of Birth

Brooklyn, New York, USA

Also Known As

Black Star

Flaco Bey

Dante Bezé

Bizet Dante

Smith Dante

Dante Smith

Mos Def

Crooklyn Dodgers

Dante Smith-Beze

Yasiin Bey

Biography

Yasiin Bey (/jæˈsiːn ˈbeɪ/; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def, is an American retired rapper, singer-songwriter, and actor. Regarded as one of hip hop's most introspective and insightful artists, Mos Def, has shaped a career that transcends music genres and artistic medium. With the release of "Universal Magnetic" (1996), he became an underground favorite in the hip-hop world, leading to his legendary collaboration with Talib Kweli. The two formed Black Star whose debut album, Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star, would become one of the most critically acclaimed hip-hop albums. He followed with his 1999 solo debut, Black On Both Sides, which was certified gold and credited by critics as bringing hip hop back to its soapbox roots. He was a former child actor in television films, sitcoms, and theater, and continued acting as an adult after launching his rap career. He appeared in Spike Lee's Bamboozled, MTV's Carmen: A Hip Hopera, 2002's critically acclaimed Monster's Ball, Showtime, and the 2002 romantic comedy Brown Sugar, for which he received an NAACP Image Award nomination. He hosted Def Poetry Jam from 2002 to 2007. He completed his Broadway debut in 2002 in the Tony-nominated, Pulitzer Prize-winning, Topdog/Underdog. He then re-teamed with Topdog playwright, Suzan Lori Parks and director George Wolfe for the off-Broadway play Fucking A, for which he earned an Obie Award. In 2003, he starred in The Italian Job alongside Ed Norton, Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron. In 2004, he starred opposite Alan Rickman in the critically acclaimed HBO movie Something the Lord Made, for which he received a 2004 Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie. He was also nominated for both a Golden Globe Award (Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture) and Golden Satellite Award (Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television) for the same role. He continued his music career by releasing his highly anticipated and critically acclaimed sophomore solo release, The New Danger (2004). The first single, "Sex, Love and Money" earned him a 2005 Grammy nomination for Best Alternative/Urban Performance, and the album has been certified gold by the RIAA. The following year, he appeared alongside Bruce Willis in the crime thriller 16 Blocks (2006), in Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, and had a cameo appearance in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Also in 2006, he released his third solo album, True Magic. The next year, he appeared in the 2007 PBS historical documentary, Prince Among Slaves, and in 2008 he played the role of Chuck Berry in Cadillac Records. In 2009, he released the album The Ecstatic, which proved to be his second highest-charting album to date. He then appeared in the urban comedy Next Day Air, and (as himself) in the 2010 mockumentary film I’m Still Here, starring Joaquin Phoenix. Mos Def announced in September of 2011 that he changed his name to Yasiin Bey, and would go by it henceforth. In the first month of 2016, Bey declared his retirement from both the film and music industries. In 2014, About.com listed him 14th on its "50 Greatest Rappers of All Time".

Known For

Acting

Dave Chappelle's Block Party

2005

Dave Chappelle's Block Party

as

Self - (as Mos Def)

Monster's Ball

2001

Monster's Ball

as

Ryrus Cooper

16 Blocks

2006

16 Blocks

as

Eddie Bunker

Be Kind Rewind

2008

Be Kind Rewind

as

Mike

Civil Brand

2003

Civil Brand

as

Michael Meadows

Something the Lord Made

2004

Something the Lord Made

as

Vivien Thomas

The Hard Way

1991

The Hard Way

as

Dead Romeos

I'm Still Here

2010

I'm Still Here

as

Mos Def

Bamboozled

2000

Bamboozled

as

Mau Mau: Big Blak Afrika

The Italian Job

2003

The Italian Job

as

Left Ear

The Woodsman

2004

The Woodsman

as

Sgt. Lucas

Ghosts

1997

Ghosts

as

Dante

Brown Sugar

2002

Brown Sugar

as

Chris Anton 'Cav' Vichon

Carmen: A Hip Hopera

2001

Carmen: A Hip Hopera

as

Lt. Miller

You're Watching Video Music Box

2021

You're Watching Video Music Box

as

Self (archive footage)

Next Day Air

2009

Next Day Air

as

Eric

Part of Me

2023

Part of Me

as

Himself

God Bless the Child

1988

God Bless the Child

as

Richard Watkins

Where's Marlowe?

1998

Where's Marlowe?

as

Wilt Crawley

Lackawanna Blues

2005

Lackawanna Blues

as

The Bandleader

Island of the Dead

2000

Island of the Dead

as

Robbie J

Life of Crime

2013

Life of Crime

as

Ordell Robbie

Begin Again

2014

Begin Again

as

Saul

Hargrove

2022

Hargrove

as

Self

Cadillac Records

2008

Cadillac Records

as

Chuck Berry

French Tour

2016

French Tour

as

Focé

Amy

2015

Amy

as

Self

Prince Among Slaves

2008

Prince Among Slaves

as

Narrator

Showtime

2002

Showtime

as

Lazy Boy

Split Images

1992

Split Images

as

Curtis Roy

Coachella

2006

Coachella

as

Self (Interviewee)

A Man's Story

2011

A Man's Story

as

Self

Chappelle's Show

Chappelle's Show

as

Self - Black Star

Spin City

Spin City

as

Monty

The View

The View

as

Self

Here and Now

Here and Now

as

Alonzo

You Take the Kids

You Take the Kids

as

Raymond Kirkland

Dexter

Dexter

as

Brother Sam

House

House

as

Lee

Tony Awards

Tony Awards

as

Self - Performer

jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy

jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy

as

Self (archive footage)

The Proud Family

The Proud Family

as

Mos Def (voice)

Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live

as

Self - Musical Guest

Production

Crew

Directing