Mos Def proves that music has no boundaries through the compilation of songs on his latest album “The Ecstatic.”

Unwilling to settle for the typical sounds of hip hop, Mos Def crosses genres, along with borders, to incorporate music from around the world. His incredible writing abilities allow him to lyrically adapt to any style of music, especially styles that wouldn’t necessarily be thought of as hip hop.

Songs such as “Casa Bey” present a funk sound that would leave any person satisfied just by listening to the instrumentals. Add lyrics to the song and the funk increases along with a style that only Mos Def can contribute. “Quiet Dog Bite Hard” has what I like to refer to as a “organized chaos” sound to it. It gives an impression that there are hundreds of instruments going on at once, but while that may be, they are all carefully orchestrated to compliment one another. The song has a “Brazilian Carnaval” feeling to it; as if once the song starts, you have been placed in the middle of Carnaval in the popular city of Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Once again, the music itself creates a festive mood but is enhanced by the smooth lyrics that Mos Def is so well known for.

Not to stray too far away from his hip hop reputation, “The Ecstatic” includes many tunes that keep a very “hip-hop” beat; not too chaotic as some of the other songs. These songs emphasize what is being said. “Auditorium” is probably the best song for someone who enjoys a “calm, cool and collected” vibe.

By far, the best song on this album has to be “No Hay Nada Mas.” In this song, Mos Def takes it upon himself to sing/rhyme all in Spanish….yes, I said Spanish. His Spanish proves to be more than adequate as he is able to have the same impact in Spanish as he does in English.

My biggest issue with the album was the track “Roses” featuring Georgia Anne Muldrow. It might have gone a little overboard on the amount of singing. The chorus is a bit long and the song in general became exhausting to listen to after the first minute. While I hate to say anything negative about this album, “Roses” could have been left out.

Overall, Mos Def provides another record that leaves you not only satisfied musically, but also lyrically. His “spoken word” poetry style is prevalent throughout many if not all the songs. With a total of 16 tracks, “The Ecstatic” is worth the money.

–DJ Leo Chusan
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