Steff will keep the posts flowing. She runs the MosDefinitely Forums, knows her stuff, and has info hook-ups close to Mos Def himself. So if anything changes, it will only be for the good, since now the info will come straight from the source.

Thanks to Steff. Make her feel welcome. I’ll be back in a couple weeks…

If any readers out there are going to the show, send me your photos and videos of the show!

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

(thanks Steff)

• 11/21/2005 – Gainesville, FL
• 11/27/2005 – Atlantic City, NJ
• 12/02/2005 – Northampton, MA
• 12/03/2005 – Toronto??? ... TBD
• 12/04/2005 – Cleveland, OH
• 12/07/2005 – Detroit, MI
• 12/08/2005 – Indy or Champaign… IN or IL…TBD

Keep an eye on the official site to see if the tour will land in your city or not. They way this tour has gone, however, there’s no telling what’s going to happen. If I was lucky enough to have a ticket to a show, I’d call the club the night of to make sure things were still on.

No, the irony of this song appearing on a site with flowers in its logo is not lost on me.

Here is the full text of Talib’s post:

As many of you know, Mos Def is taking some time off from the Breed Love Odyssey tour. I do not know what Mos is going through, but whatever it is, it is enough to make him not perform. As someone who loves the stage, he’s got to be having a tough time right now, and I pray that whatever he’s going through will end okay. Dante is my friend, and whatever he needs, we will always have his back.

With that said, I would like to make an apology to the fans who were looking forward to a Black Star show. Dante and I together on stage is a beautiful thing and I am just as disappointed as any fan that it is not happening. But let me tell you what IS happening. There are 3 incredibly talented acts and a dedicated production crew and we’ve been busting our asses to make this show successful and great. THE SHOW WILL GO ON. We will miss Mos, but the shows have been powerful even before he hits the stage. Pharoah, K’Naan, Jean Grae, and myself are committed to enhancing our show to make it even more powerful. We are still on the road, the tour has not been cancelled, but we do need help from the fans. If you appreciate live hiphop and recognize the work that we put down, keep buying tickets to go see the Breed Love Odyssey tour. Tell your friends and get them to go too. Let these promoters know that you still want a show. We have a chance to build something for artists who exist outside of mainstream hiphop. The record industry would have you believe that our type of hiphop does not sell. If this tour dies, we will have proven them right. This is not abut the money. None of us were making any real money, this is about presenting a united front and celebrating a culture that we care about.

Now you might be thinking “I wanted to see Mos Def or Blackstar, so why should I come if I’m not seeing that?” Well first,

– you should come for K’Naan, an exciting MC/poet/singer/songwriter from Somalia. He lives in Toronto and his crew is on stage with guitars, drums, and computers. His voice is powerful and melodic, and the commentary in his music is searing. After his performance you will definitely want to cop his CD, which we are selling at the shows. – Jean Grae, a NY rap legend hits the stage next. Ms. Grae is the best female MC since Ms. Hill. She raps circles around the vast majority of MC’s, and her stage show is clever, raw and fun without sacrificing any realness. Jean is signed to my label Black Smith Music Corp. We are doing big thingsand you can see it live, see it first. History is being made on this stage. – Next, you know not to miss a chance to see Pharaoh Monche, one of hiphop’s best, grace the stage. Pharaoh has records that you will lose your mind to. All kinds, not just “Simon Says.” He is a free agent and has lots of new energy and material. His background vocalists La and Showtime KILL it every night.

Seeing Pharaoh, Jean, and I on stage is like what it felt like to be at Lyricist Lounge in 1998. During my set, I will be doing the whole catalog. There will be special guests in every city and I will invite the other performers back on for a session too. We will make this work, it will be interactive, fun, and a great concert experience you will never forget. For those who have already purchased tickets, we all thank you from the bottom of our hearts. For everyone, we promise we will give you your money’s worth.

– Talib Kweli

Right About Now
in stores November 22nd

Previously, everyone got 10 free hours of streaming, but then had to pay $36/year. Pandora has also upped the functionality, adding favorites, better feedback for getting stations just right, and other small tweaks.

So, now you can check out all Mos Def Radio you want for free!

Mos Def will play the role of the lead character, Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, an engaging and multifaceted detective in Los Angeles. He will be joined by talented actor Jeffrey Wright, who plays Easy’s sidekick, “Mouse.”

The film, which has not yet started production, will be done with HBO films. Mosley states that they are “making the deal as we speak” in the NPR interview.

...Mos Def took a jab at Marion “Suge” Knight, the controversial head of Death Row Records. The svelte and far-from-intimidating rapper said he was looking for Knight and wanted to know “who shot my man?”

This isn’t the first time Mos has publically pointed the finger at Knight and tried to jumpstart the questioning of what happened to Tupac and other fallen rappers. At a show in Los Angeles this summer, Mos apparently sang, “Tell them who shot my man, Suge. Tell them who shot my man, Suge. Who shot Biggie, Pac and Jam Master Jay?”

I’m sure Mos has his reasons for wanting to do this, but Suge doesn’t exactly have a peaceful past or much of a tolerance for slights. Let’s hope these tirades by Mos ends up with long-sought answers behind the murders of B.I.G. and Tupac coming to the surface and not with another bloody chapter in the “rap wars.”

This self-explanatory television show was around before there was this Internet thing and seemingly before there was MTV. (See that round thing in the image? That’s a record, not a CD.)

So, since MTV sucks now and we do have the Internet, I’m bringing FNV back for 2005… Mos Def-style, of course.

• Mos & Talib live at the Current TV launch party
• Brown Sugar (Extra Sweet) feat. Faith Evans – (QuickTime)
• Ghetto Rock – (QuickTime)

A gritty thriller of betrayal beyond redemption set against the harsh backdrop of a South American city defined by drugs, money, sex, and corruption, Journey to the End of the Night pits a tortured son against his father as they separately develop plans to escape the desolation of their lives through a lurid underworld. – Ropes of Silicon

If you missed the live performance, have no fear. The internet is here:

Streaming Video | Download Video

Download MP3

Some people have reported problems with the downloads on this site. If you experience problems, please provide details in the comments for this post. Thanks.

The rumors of Mos focusing on his acting must be true, because he reminds us:

;-)

I wonder what the guys over at Hip Hop Blogs think of Mos wearing this shirt.