The renowned actor and rapper, Mos Def is widely known for his hip hop songs that depict a social themes and consciousness. Fans also identify his memorable performances in Hollywood flicks such as Guide to the Galaxy, The Italian Job and Monster’s Ball.
Although commonly known as Mos Def, the rapper cum actor’s actual name is Dante Smith. Def was born in Brooklyn, New York on December 11, 1973. He belonged to a large family of 12 siblings that included step brothers and sisters. While Mos Def grew up with his mother along with several other children, some of his other siblings lived and grew up with their father. Growing up in the New York of 1980s, Mos Def was exposed to a lot of incidents of violence, crime and also addiction. However, instead of adapting the bad from this environment, Mos Def was keen on framing out a better future for himself. He wanted to be good and do well. He worked hard to steer his life away from drugs and violence aiming towards his passion, arts. By the time, he was 9, he had developed a liking for the hip hop genre of music and theatre. His first acting performance was in a school play while he was in grade 5. Later, he enrolled in Phillipa Schuyler Middle School, a performing arts institution. He then moved on to another similar school, Talent Unlimited High School. He landed his first real acting job during his freshman year in the TV movie God Bless the Child. Soon after Mos Def obtained more roles including the series, You Take the Kids and The Cosby Mysteries. It was also during this time that Mos Def was introduced to the New York hip hop scene.
In 1997, Mos Def released his first solo single, Universal Magnet that instantly became an underground hit. The single also helped him gain a record deal with Rawkus Records. He then collaborated with Talib Kweli and produced the most critically acclaimed rap album of the year. A year later, Mos Def released his own debut solo album that made him an overnight star. His most famous singles were Mathematics and Ms. Fat Body. People
