Black On Both Sides

Rolling Stone (11/11/99, p.137) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...manages the oxymoronic feat of being a humble MC....His often nationalistic rhymes are complimented by jazzy, mostly sample-free tracks....Who says that modesty and reverence don't have their place on hip-hop hits?" Entertainment Weekly (11/5/99, p.83) - "...a tightrope walk across diverse hip-hop styles....Merging old-school bravado with new-school poetics, [Mos Def] spouts incisive Afrocentric reality that takes all sides into account." - Rating: A- Q (12/02, p.120) - 4 out of 5 - "...One of the best rap albums of recent years and not a lame skit in earshot..." Q (1/00, pp.120-22) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...A throwback to the sophisticated heyday of the Native Tongues Posse, with extra poignancy and a bracing Busta Rhymes cameo to boot." Alternative Press (2/00, pp.85-6) - 4 out of 5 - "...This is the return of the '100-percent intelligent black child'...and he's smarter and more independent than ever....Everyone who likes rap music even a little should hear what Mos has to say..." The Wire (1/00, p.67) - Included in Wire Magazine's "50 Records Of The Year ['99]" The Wire (1/00, p.80) - "HipHop's most eloquent spokesman takes his rightful place on the throne....A deeply personal project...one that takes in a vast range of emotions and scenarios....a complex and many layered work..." CMJ (11/1/99, p.3) - "...simply one of the most unhindered and aesthetically ambitious hip-hop records in recent memory..." CMJ (1/10/00, p.3) - Ranked #5 in CMJ's "Top 30 Editorial Picks [for 1999]." The Source (11/99, pp.218-220) - 4 mics out of 5 - "...the mighty Mos Def leads the charge for change....an 80-year-old couldn't make an album this mature." Mojo (Publisher) (10/02) - "...Among the genre's all-time greats..."