Vinia mojica mos def biography
How Mos Def Chronicled the Plight of Black People and Championed Afrocentricity on His Album Black on Both Sides
Breaking down wordsmith Mos Def’s seminal album and why it’s still relevant today.
The term Afrocentric is centred on, emphasizing, or showing the influence of African people, black history and culture.
Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) was born Dante Smith in Brooklyn, New York. Def got his start in music working with the (now) relatively obscure rap group Bush Babees and his short-lived family rap trio UTD.
Def’s big break came in when he landed a feature on De La Soul’s ‘Stakes Is High’ album. Before going solo, Def was in the seminal rap duo with Talib Kweli called ‘Black Star’.
As a duo, Black Star only released one album before going their separate ways. Fortunately, the one album they did release laid the foundation for the makings of classics albums for years to come.
Def’s album ‘Black on Both Sides’ was released at the turn of the millennium on October 12, The album featured guest spots from the likes of; Vinia Mojica, Talib Kweli, DJ Premier, Busta Rhymes and Q-Tip.
On the album, Mos Def spits socially conscious bars to the backdrop of jazzy, eclectic and experimental production.
On ‘Mathematics’, Def tells the listener that the white unemployment rate is nearly more than triple for black. Sadly, the truth in Def’s sentiment remains true over 20 years later. Later on, Def raps;
““Stiffer stipulations attached to each sentence / budget cutbacks but increased police presence.””
With the BLM movement in full swing with the aid of social media. Def’s subject matter is reflective of how people of colour have been facing injustice for aeons with little improvement.
Songs like ‘Mr. Nigga’ further elaborate on Def’s overarching message on the album.
Her recording career began in with the song "Acknowledge Your Own History", from the Jungle Brothers' album Done By the Forces of Nature. It would be the beginning of her association with the Native Tongues Posse – which would produce De La Soul's hit "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" – and continue with A Tribe Called Quest and later with its second generation of Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Hi-Tek and Common. Mojica also made numerous appearances on Heavy D's album Nuttin' But Love () and his single, "Water Bed Hev"; collaborated with French hip hop group Alliance Ethnik in and ; and made guest appearances on albums by Heltah Skeltah, Rahzel, and Pete Rock. Outside of hip hop, she has also recorded and performed with Mary J. Blige, Youssou N'Dour and Arto Lindsay, as well as downtempo artists like Cibo Matto, DJ Spinna, and, in , Jneiro Jarel. In Mojica collaborated with French hip hop and electro artist DJ Mehdi (credited as Espion) on "Anything Is Possible", a track later remixed by Château Flight. In , Mojica finally released her debut single, "Guilt Junkie" (with the B-side "Sands of Time"). American hip hop musician Vinia Mojica Musical artist Vinia A. Mojica (born March 14, ) is an American singer from Queens, New York. She is best known for her collaborations with the Native Tongues collective and other hip hop artists. Her recording career began in with the song "Acknowledge Your Own History" from the Jungle Brothers' album Done by the Forces of Nature. It was the beginning of her association with the Native Tongues Posse — which would produce De La Soul's hit "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" — and continue with A Tribe Called Quest and later with its second generation of Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Hi-Tek and Common. Mojica also made numerous appearances on Heavy D's album Nuttin' But Love () and his single "Water Bed Hev"; collaborated with the French hip hop group Alliance Ethnik in and ; and made guest appearances on albums by Heltah Skeltah, Rahzel, and Pete Rock. Outside of hip hop, she has also recorded and performed with Mary J. Blige, Youssou N'Dour and Arto Lindsay, as well as downtempo artists like Cibo Matto, DJ Spinna, and, in , Jneiro Jarel. In , Mojica collaborated with French hip hop and electro artist DJ Mehdi (credited as Espion) on "Anything Is Possible", a track later remixed by Château Flight. She worked and toured with pianist Andy Milne in his band as a lead vocalist. In , Mojica finally released her debut single, "Guilt Junkie" (with the B-side "Sands of Time"). studio album by Mos Def Black on Both Sides is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Mos Def, released on October 12, , by Rawkus and Priority Records. Released after his successful collaboration Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star,Black on Both Sides emphasizes live instrumentation and socially conscious lyrics. On February 2, , the album was certified Gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), following sales in excess of ,&#;copies. The album features a mix between established and rising producers. DJ Premier provides the instrumental track for "Mathematics". Diamond D is credited for "Hip Hop". Ali Shaheed Muhammad, known mostly as a member of A Tribe Called Quest, produced the seventh song "Got". Psycho Les of The Beatnuts produced "New World Water" and "Rock N Roll". Jazz legend Weldon Irvine provided additional production to "Climb". Ayatollah produced "Ms. Fat Booty" and "Know That". Keys produced "Love" and "Speed Law" and co-produced the instrumental outro "May–December" with Bey himself. David Kennedy (the second swing of "Brooklyn" and "Umi Says" produced with Bey), Mr. Khaliyl ("Do It Now"), DJ Etch-A-Sketch ("Climb" and "Habitat"), Ge-ology (The first swing of "Brooklyn") and D. Prosper ("Mr. Nigga") round out the other contributors. Bey received production assistance on most of the album's tracks. His sole production credit comes at "Fear Not of Man", but he provided additional production to four tracks ("Hip Hop", "Rock N Roll", "Climb" and "Mr. Nigga") and co-produced three ("Umi Says", "Brooklyn" and "May–December"). On the song "Brooklyn", a three-movement piece dedicated to Mos's neighborhood in Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York, Bey rhymes three verses over three different beats. The first beat is an original composition produced by Ge-ology, while the sec ““You can laugh and criticize Michael Jackson if you wanna / Woody Allen, molested and married his step-daughter / same press kicking dirt
Vinia A. Mojica (born March 14, ) is a singer-songwriter from Queens, New York City, United States of America. She is best known for her collaborations with the Native Tongues collective and other hip hop artists. Life and career[]
Discography[]
Vinia Mojica
Birth name Vinia A. Mojica Born () March 14, (age&#;54)
Queens, New York, U.S.Genres Hip hop, R&B Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter Years active – (active)
–present (unknown)Labels Fruitmeat, Giant Step Life and career
Discography
References
External links
Black on Both Sides
Music
Production
Early versions