Black On Both Sides (1999) Mos Def brags that he makes the "treacherous look effortless" on "Know That," and his solo debut is a tightrope walk across diverse hip-hop styles.… Mos Def Hip-Hop/Rap
Music Review

Black On Both Sides (1999)

Mos Def
Reviewed by Matt Diehl | Nov 05, 1999
EW's GRADE
A-

Details Lead Performance: Mos Def; Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap

Mos Def brags that he makes the ''treacherous look effortless'' on ''Know That,'' and his solo debut is a tightrope walk across diverse hip-hop styles. He even throws in hardcore punk and a verse of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' ''Under The Bridge.'' Merging old-school bravado with new-school poetics, the Brooklyn legend spouts incisive Afrocentric reality that takes all sides into account. A-

Originally posted Nov 05, 1999 Published in issue #511 Nov 05, 1999 Order article reprints