The name "Mos Def" derived from this musician/actor's favorite phrase; when people would ask him to hang out, the answer was invariably "most definitely!" Regarded as one of hip-hop's most introspective and insightful artists, Mos Def has shaped a career that transcends music genres and artisitc medium. A child of hip-hop's golden era, the native Brooklynite spent his childhood imbedded in the culture surrounding him as well as absorbing knowledge from across the music spectrum. With the release of "Universal Magnetic," Mos Def became an underground favorite, leading to his legendary collaboration with Talib Kweli. The two formed the group Black Star whose debut album "Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star," would become one of the most critically acclaimed hip-hop albums. Mos Def followed his group album with the release of his 1999 solo debut "Black on Both Sides," which was certified gold and credited by critics as bringing hip-hop back to its soapbox root.
As with his music, Mos Def has demostrated insight and passion in his acting career, appearing in Spike Lee's "Bamboozled" (2000), MTV's "Carmen: A Hip Hopera" (2001), the critically acclaimed "Monster's Ball" (2001), and the romantic comedy, "Brown Sugar" (2002) for which he received an NAACP Image Award nomination. That same year, he completed his Broadway debut in the Tony nominated, Pulitzer Prize-winning, "Top Dog/Underdog." In addition to performing, Mos Def hosted, co-executive produced and served as musical director for the HBO series, "Def Poetry Jam," as well as served as a writer, producer and actor on the MTV sketch comedy series "The Lyricist Lounge" (2000). In 2003, Mos Def successfully added comedy relief to the crime action feature, "The Italian Job," which starred Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron, and he appeared in the hard-hitting women-in-prison drama "Civil Brand." After psychologically antagonizing Kevin Bacon’s convicted child molester in “The Woodsman” (2004), he played the cynical, hard-drinking galactic hitchhiker Ford Prefect in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxay” (2005), the long-awaited film adaptation of Douglas Adams’ famed sci-fi novels.
- Also Credited As:
Dante Beze, Dante Smith, Dante Terrell Smith, Leaf Phoenix, Mos Def
- Born:
Dante Terrell Smith on December 11, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, USA
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Job Titles:
Actor, Musician
Family
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Brother: Abdul Rahman. Works for brother as his full-time DJ and assistant
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Brother: Anwar Superstar.
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Father: Darrell Toler.
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Sister: Ces Smith.
Significant Others
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Wife: Maria Yepes. Married from 1996-2006; have two daughters together
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Companion: Beyonce Knowles. performed with the group Destiny s Child; July 2002 Beyonce stated that she did not have a boyfriend.
Milestones
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1990 Television debut in the CBS series You Take The Kids
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1993 Cast in the ABC television drama God Bless The Child
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1994 Cast in NBC series The Cosby Mysteries starring Bill Cosby
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1996 Made his major label debut with a cameo on De La Soul s Stakes Is High
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1997 Had a two-episode recurring role on Brooklyn South (CBS)
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1998 Acted on episodes of NYPD Blue and Spin City (both ABC)
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1998 Debut album under the group name Black Star
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1998 Made feature debut in Where s Marlowe?
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1999 Made solo album debut
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2000 Featured in Spike Lee s Bamboozled
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2000 Starred on MTV s The Lyricist Lounge Show, mixing comedy sketches, hip-hop and urban poetry
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2001 Had a supporting role in the feature drama Monster s Ball
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2001 Starred opposite Destiny s Child singer Beyonce Knowles in MTV s Hip Hopera: Carmen
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2002 Cast as a hip hop star in the romance feature Brown Sugar
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2002 Made Broadway debut in Topdog Underdog
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2003 Had memorable role in the classic remake The Italian Job
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2003 Portrayed the head of a smuggling ring in the feature drama Showtime
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2004 Starred opposite Alan Rickman in the HBO drama Something the Lord Made a dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas; received an Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Lead Actor (Mini Series or TV Movie)
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2004 Starred with Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick in The Woodsman ; premiered at sundance
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2005 Starred in the HBO original movie Lackawanna Blues based on Ruben Santiago-Hudson autobiographical one man show
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2006 Co-starred with Bruce Willis in 16 Blocks, a real time action thriller directed by Richard Donner
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2008 Portrayed Chuck Berry in the musical biopic Cadillac Records
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Lauched his first group, Urban Thermal Dynamics
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Made his stage debut in the fifth grade
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Served as host, co-executive producer and musical director for Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry series