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Biography: Mos Def

Mos Def may seem, to the casual observer, like a rare example of a musician successfully transitioning into acting, but in truth, his acclaimed music career did not take off until long after he'd cemented himself as a working actor. Nonetheless, the man has built both his music and film careers on a foundation of integrity, earning him critical praise and audience approval for both. His contributions to the underground hip-hop scene started with the 1996 single "Universal Magnetic," a rare example of introspection in a genre dominated by blustering and callousness. Def's film debut, however, came almost ten years before, when he appeared in the 1988 TV movie God Bless the Child at the age of 15. Then going by his birth name, Dante Terrell Smith, Mos Def landed appearances on shows like Here and Now, The Cosby Mysteries, Brooklyn South, Spin City, and NYPD Blue. The spots sustained his career throughout the '90s, as did his roles in feature films like Bamboozled and MTV's Carmen: A Hip Hopera. Slowly but steadily becoming a recognizable face in acting, Mos Def continued to take parts in high-quality films, even if this meant a lower profile for himself as an actor. His supporting roles in Monster's Ball, Brown Sugar, The Italian Job, and The Woodsman, however, garnered him attention on talent alone. In 2004, he co-starred in the HBO movie Something the Lord Made with Alan Rickman and was honored with an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, along with Rickman. By the time Def appeared in 2005's Golden Globe award-winning HBO miniseries Lackawanna Blues alongside Terrence Howard and S. Epatha Merkerson, he was a recognized and sought-after face in film. Def soon afterward donned a British accent for a leading role in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, giving audiences a taste of his comedic skills. His next role was far more dramatic in nature, however, when he played a key witness hoping to avoid assassination in Richard Donner's 16 Blocks, co-starring with Bruce Willis. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide less

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Movies (17)
TV (3)
Videos

Keep Coming Back (2009)
Cast: Steve Buscemi William H. Macy
Tags: Drama Coming-of-Age
Length: min
A sheltered teenager with a weak heart discovers that there is more to life than he ever imagined when he becomes smitten with a world-weary, alcoholic ex-stripper. Milla Jovovich stars as the exotic dancer who becomes charmed by the infatuated teen's...
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Be Kind Rewind (2008)
Cast: Danny Glover Mia Farrow Michel Gondry
Tags: Farce Comedy of Errors Comedy
Length: 101min
When a bumbling movie lover becomes magnetized while attempting to sabotage a local power plant and accidentally erases all of the videotapes in the small video store where his best friend works, the pair attempt to keep the store's loyal customer...
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Bury Me Standing (2008)
Cast: Alfre Woodard
Tags: Black Comedy Comedy Drama
Length: min
Writer/director Caran Hartsfield's lack comedy Bury Me Standing (2008) observes four family members in the wake of a 26-year-old relative's death from homicide. Mos Def and Alfre Woodard co-star. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
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Next Day Air (2009)
Tags: Comedy of Errors Crime Comedy Comedy
Length: 84min
An overnight drug shipment is sent to the wrong recipient, prompting a frantic race to recover the package before the contents are revealed in this fast-paced crime comedy starring Donald Faison, Mos Def, and Mike Epps. When Brody (Epps) and Guch...
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16 Blocks (2006)
Cast: Bruce Willis Richard Donner Sarah Jessica Parker
Tags: Crime Thriller Crime
Length: 101min
A hard-drinking, hard-living cop assigned the task of transporting a small-time criminal to the nearby courthouse finds that a simple, 16-block drive can be the longest ride of his life in director Richard Donner's urban action thriller. Hung-over,...
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In Prison My Whole Life (2008)
Cast: Mos Def
Tags: Politics & Government Culture & Society Law & Crime Biography
Length: min
Since his incarceration in 1982 for allegedly shooting a Philadelphia policeman to death, Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal has awaited execution on Death Row, vociferously protesting his innocence; he now qualifies as one of the most famous Death Row...
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Journey to the End of the Night (2006)
Cast: Scott Glenn Brendan Fraser
Tags: Thriller Crime Thriller
Length: 88min
Eric Eason's stylish sophomore film, the crime thriller Journey to the End of Night, features Scott Glenn and Brendan Fraser as a father and son who unknowingly have each bet their individual futures on a stolen suitcase. Catalina Sandino Moreno plays...
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
Cast: Helen Mirren
Tags: Sci-Fi Comedy Comedy Science Fiction
Length: 109min
Douglas Adams' oft-adapted tale of an normal guy making his way through the universe (it's already been presented as a novel, a radio serial, a television series, and a comic book) finally makes its way to the big screen in this endearingly goofy...
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Bobby Zero (2008)
Tags: Romantic Comedy Comedy
Length: min
When a struggling social satirist (Mos Def) turns to advertising work in order to pay the bills, his artistic sacrifice returns to haunt him in this adaptation of a comic play by Maurice Chauvet. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2005)
Tags: Standup Comedy Comedy Vocal Music Concerts Music
Length: 102min
In September 2004, comedian Dave Chappelle took a break from his immensely successful Comedy Central show to stage a free, unpublicized, all-star hip-hop concert in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. Inviting fans over the Internet, on the...
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Biography: Mos Def

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