Yasiin Bey

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

70

Gender

Male

Birthday

1973-12-11 (51 years old)

Place of Birth

Brooklyn, New York, USA

Yasiin Bey

Biography

Yasiin Bey (/jæˈsiːn ˈbeɪ/; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def, is an American retired rapper, singer-songwriter, and actor. Regarded as one of hip hop's most introspective and insightful artists, Mos Def, has shaped a career that transcends music genres and artistic medium. With the release of "Universal Magnetic" (1996), he became an underground favorite in the hip-hop world, leading to his legendary collaboration with Talib Kweli. The two formed Black Star whose debut album, Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star, would become one of the most critically acclaimed hip-hop albums. He followed with his 1999 solo debut, Black On Both Sides, which was certified gold and credited by critics as bringing hip hop back to its soapbox roots. He was a former child actor in television films, sitcoms, and theater, and continued acting as an adult after launching his rap career. He appeared in Spike Lee's Bamboozled, MTV's Carmen: A Hip Hopera, 2002's critically acclaimed Monster's Ball, Showtime, and the 2002 romantic comedy Brown Sugar, for which he received an NAACP Image Award nomination. He hosted Def Poetry Jam from 2002 to 2007. He completed his Broadway debut in 2002 in the Tony-nominated, Pulitzer Prize-winning, Topdog/Underdog. He then re-teamed with Topdog playwright, Suzan Lori Parks and director George Wolfe for the off-Broadway play Fucking A, for which he earned an Obie Award. In 2003, he starred in The Italian Job alongside Ed Norton, Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron. In 2004, he starred opposite Alan Rickman in the critically acclaimed HBO movie Something the Lord Made, for which he received a 2004 Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie. He was also nominated for both a Golden Globe Award (Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture) and Golden Satellite Award (Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television) for the same role. He continued his music career by releasing his highly anticipated and critically acclaimed sophomore solo release, The New Danger (2004). The first single, "Sex, Love and Money" earned him a 2005 Grammy nomination for Best Alternative/Urban Performance, and the album has been certified gold by the RIAA. The following year, he appeared alongside Bruce Willis in the crime thriller 16 Blocks (2006), in Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, and had a cameo appearance in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Also in 2006, he released his third solo album, True Magic. The next year, he appeared in the 2007 PBS historical documentary, Prince Among Slaves, and in 2008 he played the role of Chuck Berry in Cadillac Records. In 2009, he released the album The Ecstatic, which proved to be his second highest-charting album to date. He then appeared in the urban comedy Next Day Air, and (as himself) in the 2010 mockumentary film I’m Still Here, starring Joaquin Phoenix. Mos Def announced in September of 2011 that he changed his name to Yasiin Bey, and would go by it henceforth. In the first month of 2016, Bey declared his retirement from both the film and music industries. In 2014, About.com listed him 14th on its "50 Greatest Rappers of All Time".

Known For

  • Dexter

    Dexter

  • House

    House

  • The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

    The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

  • Real Time with Bill Maher

    Real Time with Bill Maher

  • Saturday Night Live

    Saturday Night Live

  • Tony Awards

    Tony Awards

  • Jimmy Kimmel Live!

    Jimmy Kimmel Live!

  • The View

    The View

  • The Boondocks

    The Boondocks

  • Spin City

    Spin City

  • My Wife and Kids

    My Wife and Kids

  • The Proud Family

    The Proud Family

  • The Italian Job

    The Italian Job

  • HBO First Look

    HBO First Look

  • Brooklyn South

    Brooklyn South

  • Monster's Ball

    Monster's Ball

  • Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

    Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

  • Chappelle's Show

    Chappelle's Show

  • Begin Again

    Begin Again

  • Something the Lord Made

    Something the Lord Made

  • jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy

    jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy

  • Life of Crime

    Life of Crime

  • Brown Sugar

    Brown Sugar

  • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

    The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

  • Journey to the End of the Night

    Journey to the End of the Night

  • Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap

    Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap

  • The Hard Way

    The Hard Way

  • Ghosts

    Ghosts

  • A Man's Story

    A Man's Story

  • The Making of Plastic Beach

    The Making of Plastic Beach

  • Next Day Air

    Next Day Air

  • September in Brooklyn: The Making of Block Party

    September in Brooklyn: The Making of Block Party

  • Cadillac Records

    Cadillac Records

  • Here and Now

    Here and Now

  • Showtime

    Showtime

  • I'm Still Here

    I'm Still Here

  • Hargrove

    Hargrove

  • Dave Chappelle's Block Party

    Dave Chappelle's Block Party

  • Peculiar Contrast, Perfect Light

    Peculiar Contrast, Perfect Light

  • Island of the Dead

    Island of the Dead

  • Coachella

    Coachella

  • Mark Twain Prize

    Mark Twain Prize

  • Be Kind Rewind

    Be Kind Rewind

  • 16 Blocks

    16 Blocks

  • Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest

    Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest

  • Don't Crash: The Documentary of the Making of the Movie of the Book of the Radio Series of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'

    Don't Crash: The Documentary of the Making of the Movie of the Book of the Radio Series of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'

  • Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme

    Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme

  • Lackawanna Blues

    Lackawanna Blues

  • The Cosby Mysteries

    The Cosby Mysteries

  • The Woodsman

    The Woodsman

  • Bamboozled

    Bamboozled

  • Gorillaz | MTV World Stage

    Gorillaz | MTV World Stage

  • Standard Operating Procedure

    Standard Operating Procedure

  • In Prison My Whole Life

    In Prison My Whole Life

  • Gorillaz: Reject False Icons

    Gorillaz: Reject False Icons

  • Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!!

    Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!!

  • Where's Marlowe?

    Where's Marlowe?

  • Carmen: A Hip Hopera

    Carmen: A Hip Hopera

  • Amy

    Amy

  • Rap Sheet: Hip-Hop and the Cops

    Rap Sheet: Hip-Hop and the Cops

  • Part of Me

    Part of Me

  • Civil Brand

    Civil Brand

  • God Bless the Child

    God Bless the Child

  • Bouncing Cats

    Bouncing Cats

  • French Tour

    French Tour

  • Split Images

    Split Images

  • You Take the Kids

    You Take the Kids

  • Prince Among Slaves

    Prince Among Slaves

  • Gil Scott-Heron: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

    Gil Scott-Heron: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

  • You're Watching Video Music Box

    You're Watching Video Music Box