Mos Def

Brooklyn MC and actor born Yasiin Bey whose debut Black on Both Sides is a cornerstone of alternative hip-hop — a lyricist who elevated the intellectual and ethical standard of the genre.

Origin

Brooklyn, New York

Genre

Hip-HopRap

Pantheon Standing

List Name	Rank	Populist	Credentialed	Combined	Status
Top 50 Hip Hop Artists of All Time	—	—	—	—	Active

The Cultural Record

Discography

Excuse Me, This Is the Yah Mos Def2008

Plays Ugly for Suckers2005

EP & Mixtape

Demo2005

Rank History

Voting Active

Ranking history for Mos Def will appear here as votes are cast and positions shift over time.

Often Compared To

Nas

Hip-Hop / Rap — Queensbridge, New York · 1992–

Queensbridge poet who dropped Illmatic at 20 — one of the most perfect debut albums in any genre — and has continued releasing critically acclaimed work for 30+ years.

Nicki Minaj

Hip-Hop / Rap — Port of Spain, Trinidad / Queens, New York · 2004–present

Trinidad-born Queens rapper who became the best-selling female rapper of all time, shattering record after record while establishing that women could compete at any level in hip-hop.