Classic Review: Black on Both Sides by Mos Def

 

    If Mos Def’s Black on Both Sides was released today, it might be considered the most relevant and important album to the landscape of the socioeconomic and political issues facing the Black community right now. Issued in 1999, the record is a mixture of old school boldness and new school poetics, with tones of classic funk rock sounds and late 90s hip hop swagger. This album is like Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly if it was thrown into a time machine and laced with Mos Def’s signature exuberance and vibrant, Brooklyn bred stylistic qualities. While running somewhat long at over and hour and containing hit or miss vocalization from Mos, this project is arguably one of the forgotten gems that never truly got the credit it deserved. Black on Both Sides is a record that can be applied to endless eras of Afrocentric struggles, playing out like a timeless diary written with the trials and tribulations of a man struggling to understand the world unfolding around him.

    The themes Mos Def is trying to convey are immediately apparent as the record starts, with the cut “Hip Hop” acting simply as a reflection of who they are and how Black people feel. The production on this track contains delicate piano keys and some proudly colorful horn synths combined with New York style percussion to form a groovy instrumental. Mos raps with full-fledged aggressive energy and a commanding mic presence, captivating the listener with his one of kind flow and sonic delivery. He raps “Speech is my hammer, bang the world into shape, Now let it fall,” signifying his belief that his words on this record are going to be what hopefully sheds light on the situations he feels like his brethren face. Later he raps “We went from picking cotton to chain gang line chopping, To beat bopping, to hip hopping.” This is a very clever line, insinuating that for Black people, they went from one bad situation which was slavery, to a modern day equivalent of being locked up for egregious reasons. The next line he says that musically it was sort of the same situation, conveying that “beat bopping” and “hip hopping” was also a similar transformation, perceived as having little to no difference between them. “Mathematics” is one of the final cuts on here and Mos Def formulates a track where he equates the struggles of African Americans to what he calls a “numbers game” and how systematic racism is “simple mathematics.” The production is engaging and serious, with rock hard drums and a devilish bassline. He isn’t trying to downplay the severity of it by likening it to numbers, but rather highlighting the ridiculousness of the oppressors’ injustice and how absurd numbers of Blacks are incarcerated. This is evident on lyrics such as “Young teens in prison greens facing life numbers, Crack mothers, crack babies and AIDS patients, Young bloods can’t spell but they can rock you at PlayStation, This new math is what the motherfuckers ask, You want to learn how to rhyme, you better learn how to add, It’s mathematics.” These lines also show that the current plights facing African Americans, such as drugs and a lack of education, are some of the systematic injustices that are plaguing them as well. Other lyrics like “Stiffer stipulations attached to each sentence, Budget cutbacks but increased police presence, And even if you get out of prison living, Join the other 5 million under state supervision” further show how fed up Mos is with the way his community is treated.

    The other face of this record are the emotions and culture rich qualities Mos Def wants to speak on that he feels are vital to his existence and his brothers and sisters. The track “Ms. Fat Booty” is well, a track about a girl with obvious physical characteristics that Mos wants to hit on. While that seems disrespectful, you have to remember that Mos is ultimately trying to convey the sense of pride he feels in Black beauty and that this ritual of courting he chronicles on the track is one that we as humans attempt to do. The songs production is driven by samples of Aretha Franklin’s track “One Step Ahead,” with the chorus taking vocals directly from the song. The instrumentation is funky and soulful to the point of addictive in nature, with riveting orchestral chords and some gorgeous piano melodies hidden in the background. The cut “Love” is the metaphorical side to the emotional coin that “Ms. Fat Booty” fulfills on the physical aspect. “Love” features deep percussion and some live instrumentation that manifests into the angelic keys and chords reinforcing the feelings Mos Def experiences. He raps “After us, I see most proceed to be trees, Sproutin’ leaves givin’ breeze to the we who believe, I emcee, which I must cultivate the Earth, Straight back, straight back, heartbeats and hard work.” Here Mos is telling us he wants to give back to others because he feels that they have worked hard for him and his wellbeing. The track continuously refers to Love and how it is principal to his existence and that of his friends and family. “UMI Says” is a beautifully jazzed up track with some soulful percussion and piano melodies that sound as if they could be the chorus of an angel. The track has Mos singing and while it is not terrible, it is nothing spectacular but still passable. The message of the track though makes up for this fault ten-fold, with UMI being his grandmother and having her say “Shine your light on the world.” This cut along with “Ms. Fat Booty” and “Love” thematically form this three pronged sphere of emotion that encapsulates this records “other side” with the message Mos Def wants to articulate, with Black on Both Sides being just that; one of influences from the outside affecting African Americans and the other one on the inside affecting themselves and the world around them.

    Other cuts such as “Habitat” and “Brooklyn” are odes to his upbringing and about making your way and seeking out a home. “Habitat” features a catchy hook and some infectious delivery from Mos, combined with melancholic, oddly funky synths and heavenly piano melodies. “Brooklyn” is probably the most accessible track on this project, with tried and true percussion sounds and easy going synth melodies, with Mos Def delivering a raucous, infatuating flow. Other highlights come on “New World Water,” a political track about the poverty facing the Black communities, spiked with daunting synths and waterfall piano chords. The last track “May-December” is pure live instrumentation, strangely enough sounding like the best elevator music ever created, injected with tones of blues and jazz that is accentuated by the steady rhythm the percussion creates.

    Black on Both Sides is a vital project in the landscape of hip hop and rap. There was a lot of pressure on Mos to give us a record that was quality through and through after his time in the hip hop group Black Star and he did so with flying colors. This album is emotional and witty, while being deathly serious and full of proud character that exemplifies the African American community so thoroughly and with unyielding passion. A record that could be released today and be considered one of the greatest of the generation, Black on Both Sides is a crucial album that will live on and on, always relevant and a necessary reminder of the experiences Mos Def believes make him the man he is and continually shape him as time goes on.  

Score: 9/10