Salkewicz - Mos Def

Mos Def or Yassin Bey was originally born as Dante Terrell Smith Is a rapper, producer, actor, and producer.  Born in Brooklyn NY, He adopted the stage name Mos Def as his interest in the music industry developed in the 90s when he formed his first musical group.  A child actor, his presence in the music industry was potentially bolstered by his knowledge of acting and self-presentation.  His father introduced him to Islamic sentiment and he took the Shahada, or declared his faith to Islam at the age of 19.  Influenced by the rampant violence and injustice that he witnessed as a child, Mos Def formed a performance persona from an activist standpoint.  By developing his career in the plight of Brooklyn during the crack epidemic,  Mos Def became a voice of reason in an otherwise ignorant and violent world.  His activism centers mostly around police violence and community action.  While his music is not the most widely noted, its impact on many of the artists he encountered and his audience is widespread and wholesome.  Mos Def may not be the leading artist of the times, but its hard to argue it wouldn't be a good thing if it was.