Marcus Moore on Mos Def's "Black on Both Sides" (1999)

Heat Rocks

Show: Heat Rocks Guest: Marcus Moore

The Album: Mos Def's Black on Both Sides (1999)

Writer Marcus Moore, currently a senior editor at Bandcamp, happened to be coming through to Los Angeles for his first time ever and we took advantage by inviting him to join us to talk about Mos Def's debut album, Black on Both Sides. Coming out just a year after Mos and Talib Kweli created a new generation of conscious hip-hop fans with their Black Star collaboration, Black on Both Sides was also the culmination of a coming-out party for the Brooklyn rapper/actor that began earlier in the decade as he began racking up all manners of outstanding cameo spots.

During our convo with Marcus, we got into Mos' portrait of Brooklyn, how his singing took everyone for a (pleasant) surprise, why "Ms. Fat Booty" wasn't necessarily representative of the album as a whole and whether or not Mos ever was able to exceed the excellence of his debut.

More on Mos Def and Black on Both Sides:

• "If Mos Def’s “Black On Both Sides” Came Out Today, It Might Be Considered The Blackest Album of All Time" (Very Smart Brothas)
• Original 1999 review for The AV Club

More on Marcus Moore:

• Marcus' upcoming book on Kendrick Lamar
• His review of Yasiin Bey's December 99th (Pitchfork)
• Bandcamp | Twitter

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Black on Both Sides unless indicated otherwise):

• Know That
• Umi Says
• Nas: NY State of Mind
• Biggie: Live Freestyle 1995
• Mos Def: BET's The Cypher
• Mos Def, Q-Tip, Tash: Body Rock
• UTD: My Kung Fu
• De La Soul: Big Brother Beat
• Ms. Fat Booty
• Jay-Z: Jigga What, Jigga Who
• The Roots: You Got Me
• Techn9ne: Questions
• Reflection Eternal: Fortified Live
• Love
• dialogue from 16 Blocks
• Rock N Roll
• Public Enemy: Fight the Power
• Rock N Roll
• Love
• New World Water
• Boogie Down Productions: Beef
• Fela Kuti: Water No Get Enemy
• Climb
• Umi Says
• Aretha Franklin: One Step Ahead
• Ms. Fat Booty
• Roy Ayers: We Live In Brooklyn
• Brooklyn
• Ms. Fat Booty
• Mathematics
• May-December

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