Yasiin Bey

Born: 1973-12-11

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".


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as Left Ear
Released: 2003-05-30

Charlie Croker pulled off the crime of a lifetime. The one thing that he didn't plan on was...

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Something the Lord Made

as Vivien Thomas
Released: 2004-05-30

A dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas.

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as Mos Def
Released: 2006-08-04

The fastest man on four wheels, Ricky Bobby is one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. A...

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16 Blocks

as Eddie Bunker (as Mos Def)
Released: 2006-03-01

An aging cop is assigned the ordinary task of escorting a fast-talking witness from police...

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Begin Again

as Saul
Released: 2013-09-07

Gretta, a budding songwriter, finds herself alone after her boyfriend Dave ditches her. Her life...

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as Ford Prefect
Released: 2005-04-28

Mere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, Arthur Dent is...

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Monster's Ball

as Ryrus Cooper
Released: 2001-06-07

A prison guard begins a tentative romance with the unsuspecting widow of a man whose execution...

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as Dead Romeos
Released: 1991-03-08

Seeking to raise his credibility as an actor and to land a role as a tough cop on a new show,...

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I'm Still Here

as Mos Def
Released: 2010-09-10

I'm Still Here is a portrayal of a tumultuous year in the life of actor Joaquin Phoenix. With...

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Showtime

as Lazy Boy
Released: 2002-03-14

A spoof of buddy cop movies where two very different cops are forced to team up on a new reality...

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Life of Crime

as Ordell Robbie
Released: 2013-09-14

Two common criminals get more than they bargained for after kidnapping the wife of a corrupt...

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Amy

as Self
Released: 2015-07-03

A documentary on the life of Amy Winehouse, the immensely talented yet doomed songstress. We see...

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Cadillac Records

as Chuck Berry
Released: 2008-12-05

The story of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in 1950s Chicago, and the exciting but...

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as Mike
Released: 2008-01-20

A man whose brain becomes magnetized unintentionally destroys every tape in his friend's video...

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Brown Sugar

as Chris Anton 'Cav' Vichon
Released: 2002-10-05

Sidney and Dre can attribute their lifelong friendship and the launch of their careers to one...

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Bamboozled

as Mau Mau: Big Blak Afrika
Released: 2000-10-06

TV producer Pierre Delacroix becomes frustrated when network brass reject his sitcom idea....

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Next Day Air

as Eric
Released: 2009-02-06

Two inept criminals are mistakenly delivered a package of cocaine and think they've hit the...

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The Woodsman

as Sgt. Lucas
Released: 2004-12-24

After twelve years in prison, Walter returns home. His family has abandoned him, save for his...

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Journey to the End of the Night

as Wemba
Released: 2006-04-21

In a dark and decadent area of São Paulo, the exiled Americans Rosso and his son Paul own a...

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Dave Chappelle's Block Party

as Self - (as Mos Def)
Released: 2005-09-12

The American comedian/actor delivers a story about the alternative Hip Hop scene. A small town...

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Dave Chappelle: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize

as Self
Released: 2020-01-07

An outstanding lineup of entertainers gathers in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall to salute Dave...

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

as Self
Released: 2011-07-08

Having forged a 20-year run as one of the most innovative and influential hip hop bands of all...

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Ghosts

as Dante
Released: 1997-09-04

In the town of Normal Valley, an eccentric magician named Maestro entertains the local children...

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Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap

as Himself
Released: 2012-06-15

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP is a feature length performance documentary about the...

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Carmen: A Hip Hopera

as Lt. Miller
Released: 2001-05-08

An engaged Philadelphia policeman falls in love with a beautiful woman while dealing with a...

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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'

as Self
Released: 2005-09-05

An in-depth examination of the complete production of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005).

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Gorillaz: Reject False Icons

as Mos Def
Released: 2019-12-16

Focused on the life of the band and their collaborators over the 3 vital years in which they...

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Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme

as Himself
Released: 2000-04-14

From neighborhood ciphers to the most notorious MC battles, "Freestyle: the Art of Rhyme"...

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Civil Brand

as Michael Meadows
Released: 2003-08-29

Forced to work under slave-like conditions in a "prison for profit" program, the inmates of a...

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Island of the Dead

as Robbie J
Released: 2000-11-14

Stranded on a deserted island, a group of people struggle to survive against a swarm of...

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

as Self
Released: 2003-01-01

This documentary praises comedian Richard Pryor by showing fragments of various shows Pryor made...

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French Tour

as Focé
Released: 2016-11-16

Far’Hook is a 20-year-old rapper. Following a violent dispute with a rival, he’s forced to leave...

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You're Watching Video Music Box

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2021-12-03

The untold story of the world’s longest running video show, Video Music Box. A hip hop mainstay...

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Lackawanna Blues

as The Bandleader
Released: 2005-02-12

In a story fueled by rhythm and blues, a young boy's life is shaped by love and the stories of a...

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Where's Marlowe?

as Wilt Crawley
Released: 1998-10-01

After making a disastrous 3-hour documentary on New York City's water supply, two young...

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Gil Scott-Heron: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

as Himself
Released: 2003-04-14

Gil Scott-Heron was one of the most influential musicians and poets of the last 50 years. In Don...

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In Prison My Whole Life

as Self
Released: 2008-01-18

William Francome is a fairly typical, white middle-class guy. Typical except for the fact that...

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God Bless the Child

as Richard Watkins
Released: 1988-03-21

Single mother, Theresa Johnson, becomes homeless, loses her job and tries to survive with her...

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Prince Among Slaves

as Narrator
Released: 2008-02-04

Abdul Rahman, an African prince who was sold into slavery, spent four decades in servitude...

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Part of Me

as Himself
Released: 2023-01-30

This is the story of the appreciation, respect and fondness of musician, actor and activist...

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Hargrove

as Self
Released: 2022-06-12

Jazz trumpet legend Roy Hargrove, deemed by his peers as a musical prophet, up close and...

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Rap Sheet: Hip-Hop and the Cops

as uncredited
Released: 2006-01-01

A documentary on the secret dossiers that police, FBI, and task agencies have compiled on...

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Peculiar Contrast, Perfect Light

as uncredited
Released: 2021-01-21

My Blackest self, whose whitest death, is luxury. I am no stranger anymore. The world is love to me.

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The Making of Plastic Beach

as Mos Def
Released: 2010-03-03

A documentary about the production, recording and development of Gorillaz' third studio album,...

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The Boondocks

as uncredited
First aired: 2005-11-06

When Robert “Granddad” Freeman becomes legal guardian to his two grandsons, he moves from the...

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Dexter

as Brother Sam
First aired: 2006-10-01

Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police also leads a secret...

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House

as Lee
First aired: 2004-11-16

Dr. Gregory House, a drug-addicted, unconventional, misanthropic medical genius, leads a team of...

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Real Time with Bill Maher

as Self
First aired: 2003-02-21

Each week Bill Maher surrounds himself with a panel of guests which include politicians, actors,...

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The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

as Self
First aired: 2005-01-03

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish...

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Saturday Night Live

as Self - Musical Guest
First aired: 1975-10-11

A late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. The...

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Spin City

as Monty
First aired: 1996-09-17

Workaholic Mike Flaherty is the Deputy Mayor of New York City, serving as Mayor Randall...

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Tony Awards

as Self - Performer
First aired: 1956-04-01

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award,...

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The View

as Self
First aired: 1997-08-11

ABC Daytime's morning chatfest, currently featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin,...

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Jimmy Kimmel Live!

as uncredited
First aired: 2003-01-26

Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and...

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The Proud Family

as Mos Def (voice)
First aired: 2001-09-15

Follow the adventures and misadventures of Penny, a 14-year-old African American girl who's...

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My Wife and Kids

as uncredited
First aired: 2001-03-28

Michael Kyle is a loving husband and modern-day patriarch who rules his household with a unique...

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Chappelle's Show

as uncredited
First aired: 2003-01-22

Dave Chappelle's singular point of view is unleashed through a combination of laidback stand-up...

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HBO First Look

as Self
First aired: 1992-06-12

HBO First Look is an American television show on HBO that chronicles up and coming movies. It...

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jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy

as Self (archive footage)
First aired: 2022-02-16

The lives of an emerging superstar and a filmmaker intertwine in this intense, intimate...

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Brooklyn South

as uncredited
First aired: 1997-09-22

An American ensemble police drama series following the life of police officers from the 74th...

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The Cosby Mysteries

as uncredited
First aired: 1994-01-31

The Cosby Mysteries was an American television mystery series that starred Bill Cosby. It is the...

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Here and Now

as uncredited
First aired: 1992-09-19

Here and Now is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from September 19, 1992 to...

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You Take the Kids

as Raymond Kirkland
First aired: 1990-12-15

You Take the Kids is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from December 1990 to January 1991....

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