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Mos Def Tickets

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About

MOS DEF / YASIIN BEY IN CONCERT:

As one of hip hop's most revered lyricists, Mos Def never ceases to surprise and impress with his dexterous flow. On stage, he cuts a stylish figure, effortlessly displaying his wordsmithing skills, charismatic energy, and boundless positivity while paying tribute to cultural icons like Mohammed Ali. Whether performing with longtime collaborator Talib Kweli or rolling solo, Mos makes sure crowds are bumped, grinded, and fully educated in the "fundamental mathematics" of his intricate verses, laying it down as only he can on tracks like "Ms. Fat Booty" and "Body Rock." With a highly anticipated new album in the works, Mos will treat fans to another dose of cerebral hip hop on his 2014 tour dates.

BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:

Dante Terrell Smith, best known by his stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey, is a Brooklyn-born rapper, actor, and producer. His hip hop career began in the early '90s with local alt-rappers Da Bush Babees and De La Soul, with whom he collaborated before releasing his debut single "Universal Magnetic." In 1998, he teamed up with Talib Kweli to form the duo Black Star, whose debut LP is considered a contemporary classic and major influence over the "backpack rap" scene. As a solo artist, Mos Def has released four albums to critical and commercial acclaim, firmly establishing his reputation as one of the genre's most stylish lyricists. Reuniting with Talib Kweli for several highly anticipated Black Star shows in 2014, Mos has fans eagerly awaiting more as rumors of new material mount.

FANS WHO BOUGHT TICKETS SAY:

"This was a dreamy, uplifting, soul-satisfying, freaky, funky time well spent!"

"I've always wanted to see MOS DEF/Yasiin Bey in concert. He didn't disappoint... Great energy..!"

"Mos is 100% in the moment and his show was an intimate experience with a nearly sold out crowd of true Mos Def fans. Great ambiance, music, flow -- and who knew Mos could step and dance like he did."

Reviews

Rating: 3.9 out of 5 based on 229 reviews
  • MOS DEF

    by SDOTT on 9/20/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 2 out of 5

    Wow, where do i start? The show was just ok, def not worth the 45$ I spent to get in!! The opening acts were horrible and got booed off the stage.. Kweli was great, the only light on the night.. He came out did his thing and you could tell the crowd was involved.. Mos Def diddent even bother to come out till 12:30, and at that point the crowd was only half there and not live at all.. I was totally disappionted with his whole act, and ended up leaving after about 4 songs!!

  • Blackstar is Undeniable!

    by nukix on 9/20/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 4 out of 5

    Unforgettable performance by the dynamic duo. The talent that the mighty Mos Def possesses is unsurpassed. What a spectacular show.

  • loved it!

    by curlymeow on 9/20/09Paramount Theatre-Oakland - OaklandRating: 4 out of 5

    first off, the paramount is a gorgeous venue. when you throw in 2 amazing artists you really can't go wrong. erykah's voice was amazing as usual and it was interesting to see her with the cannabinoids. mos def tore it up and i loved when erykah came out at the end for a duo!

  • Magnifique!!!

    by lasiren on 9/20/09Sonar Club - BaltimoreRating: 5 out of 5

    Couldnt have asked for a better night...the ONLY bad thing I could say is that it took a long time for the concert to start. Mos Def was gracious enough to walk right up to me and speak before the show. It was irreplacable to have the opportunity to tell an artist I've respected for so long that his music is appreciated. The opening acts went from bad to good, started off with Soulcannon, a Baltimore group. Whosane was decent, Medina Green was very good. Jay Electronica was a good performer, funny, and is an artist I'd definitely like to hear more from.Nice opera voice lol. He also was down to earth and was more than happy to take a picture and speak, much respect for that. Talib Kweli was incredible, my favorite artist of all time so it was enthralling seeing him perform for the first time. Mos rocked it as well, on the drums and the mic. They were both feeding off the crowd's good energy and it made for beautiful sets, individually and especially together. Thank you guys for an amazing night!

  • Life in Marvolous Time! THE ECSTATIC

    by Rome013 on 9/19/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 5 out of 5

    this show was truly ecstatic and one of the best hip hop shows i've been to, if not.. the best. Mos did an unbelievable job ending the ecstatic tour in philadelphia. the show started at 8:30 and me and my crew didn't leave until 2:30. The opening acts warmed up the crowd, Jay Electronica got close and personal with the audience, Talib did a heart-pumping set on his own, then came the main attraction.. Big Mos him self kickin it off with him playing the drums and rappin at the same time. Then the Blackstar duo reunited and did an amazing set together, Mos started wrappin up the show with a few shout outs to people such as Kanye West and doing covers to unforgettable songs such as Billie Jean by the late Michael Jackson. And finally ending everything in a dramatic drum solo. i would really recommend anyone thats a true hip hop head to go see Mos whenever he goes on tour again. He definitely wont disappoint you.

  • ILLLLLLLLLLLL!

    by neizus on 9/18/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 5 out of 5

    Mos Def have always been, and will forever be THE MAN in my book!

  • Mighty Mos...

    by EverythingManMS on 9/18/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 4 out of 5

    ..... and Talib Kweli definitely represented to the fullest. The opening acts weren't that great. The sound quality was good. The atmosphere was ripe. Overall, solid show.

  • Mos Held it Down

    by AbaSababa on 9/18/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 4 out of 5

    The show was a great venture into the real hip hop scene that's so often forgotten these days. Talib was tight, Mos was an incredible entertainer and the production was top notch.

  • too many opening acts

    by PaulPablo on 9/18/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 2 out of 5

    assault on the ears. i've noticed a pattern at hip-hop shows. a lot of performers that are loud and sometimes suck before the main event. by tie time Mos was ready to come on I had had enough.

  • BLACKSTAR!!

    by Torunksu on 9/18/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 5 out of 5

    This was a really good show. Medina Greene wasn't as good as i would've liked, however Jay Electronica definitly brought his lyrics with him. Talib Kweli was amazing hes always good. Same with Mos Def. I heard all of my favorite songs, which is very rare for any show for me. Then Mos and Talib did a few Blackstar songs together. The set lasted a long time as well, it was well worth my money. Sorry for the low quality pic, its hard to catch Mos and Talib standing still on thier own let alone at the same time.

  • Mos Def was a spiritual expierence

    by BigMotherfuckingLou on 9/18/09Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 5 out of 5

    I was lucky enough to cross paths with Mos Def's mixer at an undisclosed location and we hit it off immediatly.He offered to me (2 ) All Access passes for my friend and I and we had a blast.Mos Def is and will always be a TRUE man in the game. His range of knowledge and to be able to put it all in one tight package of energy was worth it's weight in gold.

  • Mos Def Disapppointed

    by DrRob on 9/18/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 2 out of 5

    I love Mos Def and Talib Kweli, so when i heard they were touring together I had to go. Talib Kweli did well but the crowd wasnt really feeling it, I guess they were waiting for Def. After Kweli finished, it took Mos Def 45 minutes to come on stage. By this time it was really late in the night and everyone was losing interest. He started out playing some decent stuff, threw hip-hop in there, then the moment everyone was waiting for - he brought out Talib Kweli for some Blackstar reunion. However, they only played the first verse of Definition, entirety of re-definition, and maybe another song. Then back to Mos Def. At this time there was a steady stream of people leaving. Walking out on Mos Def?!? how could you?? however, as the set went on, Def played all his really slow jams. Hard to dance to when you have no energy left because it's 1:30am. People still were constantly walking out. 4 of my friends left but i had to stay to see him finish. Still more slow songs, I began to lose interest too. Finally I just had to leave also... For such an experienced entertainer, he sure didnt know how to keep a crowd there. Stop playing your slow songs at your concerts!! one or two maybe.. but you gotta keep your fans pumped up and awake. Very surprisingly disappointing...

  • Electric, Ecstatic

    by BHold on 9/18/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 5 out of 5

    From start to finish, this was one of the best shows I have ever seen, and definitely the most action-packed. Black Landlord, a local band who opened the show, hit the stage hard with a unique blend of rock, funk, and hip hop, grabbing the crowd's attention with some humorous lyrics and dynamic stage presence. A cloud of mixed reactions arose when the front man took his shirt off and flaunted his plus-sized mid-section. DCQ came up next and, as the crowd gradually grew in size, he impressed many with his mix of spoken word and rapping. In the midst of his humble, conscious preaching, not once did I hear him mention that Mos Def is his brother. I really wish those two had done at least one song together; but regardless, his half-hour set was the right way to start up an unforgettable night of Brooklyn hip hop. Well, I should say Brooklyn with a splash of New Orleans hip hop. I had never heard of Jay Electronica, but I'll be keeping an eye out for this guy again in the future. His comedic interludes rounded out his set and made for yet another highly entertaining half-hour. Then, after a long break, one of my favorite rappers finally took the stage. Talib Kweli came out swinging hard, bringing out everything from Reflection Eternal hits to Ear Drum favorites. By the time his set ended, I felt like I had gotten more than my money's worth. But we still had Headliner Smith to wait for.... And did we! According to my one friend, it was a whole hour between the end of Kweli's set and the time Mos Def set foot on the stage. The "Fear Not of Man" intro must have played for over ten minutes before he came out. But when he did, he made it well worth the wait. This was the first time I have seen Mos, another of my favorite rappers, perform live. I have to say that, having seen a lot of concerts, Mos Def is one of the greatest performers of all time. He killed everything with his energy, from banging on the drums to belting out a slowed-down "Billie Jean" - and let's not forget his message in defense of Kanye: he admitted the time and place was inappropriate, but seconded the sentiment that racism still permeates popular music. The man of the hour kept us there until after two in the morning, but I didn't mind. The set breaks could have been much, much shorter, but each set was fresh, upbeat, and engaging. I can't wait to see what Mos brings to town next time.

  • Too lengthy

    by Schoolyardfiend on 9/18/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 3 out of 5

    There were too many opening acts. The transitions between Jay Electronica and Talib Kweli was nice and kick and kept the energy high. Of course there was tons and tons of energy when Mos Def came out, but Mos Def took way too long to come to the stage after Kweli's set. Jay Electronica had a great stage presence and interacted extrodinarily well with the audience and his music was great. Talib's set was excellent as well. Mos Def's songs went on for too long. He's a great artist with great talent, but we needed some more energy bursts at quicker intervals because he came on after midnight and we had been there since 9pm.

  • Fantastic!!!

    by misstoya70 on 9/18/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 5 out of 5

    Jay Electronica, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli put on an energy filled show from beginning to finish. Loved it!!!!!!

  • I was ecstatic after watching The Ecstatic !

    by Superskunk on 9/18/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 5 out of 5

    Great show at a bargain price since it lasted over 6 hours. A great local band named Black Landlord opened with a tremendous set. Even though they didn't have their trumpet section it was still the same great fun and energy from Landlord. Medina Green and Usain both had great sets. Then it was time for Talib Kweli, who always makes sure the crowd is having fun and stays involved in the show. Once again he didn't fail to bring his high level of energy, excitement, and unbelievable lyrical skill. Mos Def closed the show with a 2 hour set that didn't disappoint. He's a natural entertainer that added a little drum playing to his rhyming and singing. He brought Kweli out in the middle for a 4 song Black Star reunion, which was what the crowd was hoping and waiting for the most, and they certainly weren't disappointed. The Mos Def line "Me and Kweli close like Bethlehem and Nazareth" was definitely appropriate last night. Great show all around, thanks to everyone involved !

  • Mighty Mos is a gift from heaven

    by ForrestC on 9/18/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 5 out of 5

    As you can tell, Mos Def was mind blowing. One of the most amazing shows i've ever seen. I loved the fact that it was obvious that he was having fun too. Also, seeing him and Talib Kweli together was magical. I really didn't like the opening acts (weren't that good and there were too many of them). In the end though, the long wait was more than worth it. Mos Def is a must see.

  • Mos Def was great!!

    by KHADDEERABB on 9/18/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 4 out of 5

    Great show and wonderful music, loved they way all the acts came together at the end to perform. UNITY!!!

  • Mos Def is the Best Live Performer

    by highklass69 on 9/18/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 5 out of 5

    The acostics in the Electric Factory is Philadelphia are awesome to begin with, but Talib Kwali and Mos Def put on an great, great show. They exceeded even my wildest expectations. I would recommend seeing this guys any day of the week, it is worth it!

  • MOS & TALIB were great.....but....

    by cdel618 on 9/18/09The Electric Factory - PhiladelphiaRating: 3 out of 5

    The opening acts were absolutely terrible, with the exception of the first, of four. Talib Kweli didn't come on until 10:30, performed for a half hour, then it took another half hour to 45 minutes for Mos Def to come out. It was after 1 am & Mos Def was still performing. I think it was ridiculous how long it took for set up between acts and how long it was drug out. I had to leave before Mos Def finished performing because I had to be up at 6:30 am for work. I don't know if they performed together or not. I'm pretty pissed that I missed the end of the show & most likely Blackstar performing together for the first time in a long time.