Black on Both Sides
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| Black On Both Sides | ||
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| Studio album by Mos Def | ||
| Released | October 12, 1999 (US) | |
| Genre | Alternative Hip hop, East Coast Hip hop | |
| Length | 71:21 | |
| Label | Rawkus/UMVD | |
| Producer(s) | Mos Def Diamond D 88-Keys DJ Premier Ayatollah Mr. Khaliyl Ali Shaheed Muhammad Weldon Irvine Psycho Les DJ Etch-A-Sketch Ge-ology D Prosper David Kennedy |
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| Professional reviews | ||
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| Mos Def chronology | ||
| Black Star (1998) |
Black on Both Sides (1999) |
The New Danger (2004) |
Black on Both Sides is an alternative rap album by Mos Def, released on October 12, 1999 (see 1999 in music). Intended as a return to the roots of hip hop, the album was hailed as a classic soon after its release, and went on to ship Gold in sales.[1] The album's blend of socio-political rhymes with jazz and other unusual sources of samples endeared Mos Def to listeners uninterested in gangsta rap.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Performer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Fear Not of Man" | Mos Def | Mos Def |
| 2 | "Hip Hop" | Diamond, Mos Def (co-producer) | Mos Def |
| 3 | "Love" | 88-Keys | Mos Def |
| 4 | "Ms. Fat Booty" | Ayatollah | Mos Def |
| 5 | "Speed Law" | 88-Keys | Mos Def |
| 6 | "Do It Now" | Mr. Khaliyl | Busta Rhymes, Mos Def |
| 7 | "Got" | Ali Shaheed Muhammad | Mos Def |
| 8 | "Umi Says" | David Kennedy, Mos Def | Mos Def |
| 9 | "New World Water" | Psycho Les | Mos Def |
| 10 | "Rock N Roll" | Psycho Les, Mos Def (co-producer) | Mos Def |
| 11 | "Know That" | Ayatollah | Mos Def, Talib Kweli |
| 12 | "Climb" | DJ Etch A Sketch, Mos Def (co-producer), Weldon Irvine (co-producer) | Mos Def, Vinia Mojica |
| 13 | "Brooklyn" | David Kennedy, Ge-ology, Mos Def | Mos Def |
| 14 | "Habitat" | DJ Etch A Sketch | Mos Def |
| 15 | "Mr. Nigga" | D. Prosper, Mos Def (co-producer) | Mos Def, Q-Tip |
| 16 | "Mathematics" | DJ Premier | Mos Def |
| 17 | "May-December" | 88-Keys, Mos Def | Mos Def |
[edit] Instrumentation
- "Fear Not of Man"
- Bass: Mos Def
- Congas: Mos Def
- Keyboards: Weldon Irvine
- Percussion: Mos Def
- "Hip Hop"
- Bass: Mos Def
- Keyboards: Mos Def
- Scratches: DJ Etch A Sketch
- "Umi Says"
- Fender Rhodes: will.i.am
- Hammond organ: Weldon Irvine
- "Rock N Roll"
- "Mr. Nigga"
- Congas: Mos Def
- Percussion: Mos Def
- "May-December"
- Bass: Mos Def
- Piano: Weldon Irvine
- Vibraphone: Mos Def
[edit] Samples
- "Fear Not of Man" samples from "Fear Not for Man" by Fela Kuti.
- "Hip Hop" samples from "The Warning Pt II" by David Axelrod.
- "Love" samples from "Porgy" by Bill Evans and interpolates "I Know You Got Soul" by Eric B. & Rakim"
- "Ms. Fat Booty" samples from "One Step Ahead" by Aretha Franklin.
- "Speed Law" samples from "Promise Her Anything But Give Her Arpeggio" by Big Brother & The Holding Company, "And That's Saying a Lot" by Christine McVie.
- "Know That" samples from "Anyone Who Had A Heart" by Dionne Warwick.
- "Brooklyn" samples from "What Are You Doin' the Rest of Your Life" by Milt Jackson, "We Live In Brooklyn Baby" by Roy Ayers, "I'm Afraid the Masquerade Is Over" by David Porter and interpolates "Under the Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers.
- "Mr. Nigga" samples from "A Legend in His Own Mind" by Gil-Scott Heron and Brian Jackson & "Sun Goddess" by Ramsey Lewis.
- "Mathematics" samples from "John Blaze" by Fat Joe, "On and On" by Erykah Badu, "Baby I'm-A Want You" by The Fatback Band, "Funky Drummer" by James Brown, "For All My Niggaz & Bitches" by Snoop Dogg (vocal portion performed by Lady of Rage), "Criminology" by Raekwon (vocal portion performedby Ghostface Killah) & "Body Rock" by Mos Def.
[edit] Album singles
| Single cover | Single information |
|---|---|
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"Ms. Fat Booty"
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"Umi Says" |
[edit] Personnel
- Weldon Irvine - Piano, Arranger, Keyboards, Producer, String Arrangements
- Jane - Design
- The Beatnuts - Producer
- Busta Rhymes - Performer
- Diamond D - Producer
- DJ Premier - Producer
- David Kennedy - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
- Ali Shaheed Muhammad - Producer
- Vinia Mojica - Vocals
- Q-Tip - Performer
- Mos Def - Bass, Percussion, Conga, Drums, Keyboards, Producer, Vibraphone, Executive Producer
- Kiku - Design
- Talib Kweli - Performer
- 88 Keys - Producer
- Etch-A-Sketch - Producer
- Shaka - Executive Producer
- Psycho Les - Producer
- Johnny Why - Guitar, Engineer
- Calabazitaz Tiernaz - Photography
- Alvaro Gonzalez-Campo - Photography
- Ayatollah - Producer
- Ge-Ology - Producer
[edit] Album Chart Positions
| Year | Album | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | |||
| 1999 | Black On Both Sides | #25 | #3 | |
[edit] Singles Chart Positions
| Year | Song | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | ||
| 1999 | "Ms. Fat Booty" | — | #54 | #20 |
[edit] References
| Mos Def |
|---|
| Studio albums |
| Black Star (1998) | Black on Both Sides (1999) | The New Danger (2004) | True Magic (2006) |
| Singles |
| "Definition"/"Twice Inna Lifetime" | "Respiration"/"Respiration (Flying High Mix)" | "Ms. Fat Booty"/"Mathematics" | "Umi Says"/"Universal Magnetic" | "Sex, Love & Money"/"Ghetto Rock" |
| See Also |
| Soulquarians | Native Tongues Posse | Black Star | Def Poetry | Selected filmography |
