Growing and gaining respect ever since ‘94 MOS DEF has finally emerged with his long-awaited solo debut, Black on Both Sides. We saw the Black Star shine bright as a member of Urban Thermo Dynamics (U.T.D.), which only released two tracks My Kung Fu and Manifest Destiny back in ’94. Then even brighter in ’96 with appearances on De La Soul's album "Stakes Is High" (Big Brother Beat) and also on The Bush Babees album "Gravity" (The Love Song and S.O.S).

In ’97 we started to hear more from him with the hip-hop anthem "Universal Magnetic", which appeared on Soundbombing 1, and just about everyone’s mix tape. I really started to pay close attention to MOS DEF when he did "Traveling Man", which appeared on DJ Hondas self produced album HII in early ’98. Heads really wanted to hear a solo effort from MOS after him and his partner Talib Kweli formed one of the illest duo’s of all time, Black Star.

After the Black Star album dropped people were waiting on both Kweli and MOS to drop some shit solo. And MOS DEF was first out the gate with his album. Black on Both Sides is a welcome mat to enter the life of MOS DEF. There are a variety of different producers on the album. Ali Shaheed Muhamed (formerly of ATCQ), Psycho Les (The Beatnuts), DJ Premier (Gang Starr), Diamond (DITC) and others. Each producer helps MOS tell his story in a different way.

With tracks like "Got", MOS talks about the changes that Hip-Hop and the urban culture is going through. "There’s hunger in the streets that is hard to defeat/ many steal for sport but more steal to eat/ Cats heavy at the weigh-in and they playin’ for keeps/ Don’t sleep they roll up in your passenger seat/ There is universal law whether rich or poor/ Some say life’s a game to more life is war/ So put them ego’s to the side and get off them head trips/ Cause some cats pull out the heater and make you headless."

Dope lines continue to stand out with the track "New World Water." MOS delivers graphic lines that tend to make us think about the past. "Fools done upset the old man river/ Made him carry slave ships and fed him dead niggaz." MOS reminds me of Gill Scott Heron with poetic type lines like that.

MOS does a nice duo with is partner Talib Kweli, "Know That." Once again ill poetics are delivered. "The streets is watching me/ I watch back that’s policy/ Moving with my odyssey like blood through the artery/ Navigate the treacherous/ I make it seem effortless."

MOS DEF gives us what he have been waiting for, what most artists make sure they don’t give now a days…. THE TRUTH. If you don’t have the album Black on Both Sides, get it. If you are limited on funds and can’t copp it, save your lunch money. Just make sure you have it in rotation ASAP, you won’t be disappointed because we all know MOS DEF represents MOS DEFinitnely.