The Ecstatic is artistic, in a time when the genre needs it more than ever.
Though his vigor falters toward the end, The Ecstatic remains by far his strongest, most deeply felt work in ages.
Not since his Rawkus days of Black on Both Sides has Mos Def sounded quite this hungry.
We probably haven’t heard Mos this fired up since 1999’s Black on Both Sides – the rapper is obviously engaged with his material.
The Ecstatic is Mos Def maintaining his vigor and skill as an MC while allowing the beats to evolve into new and strange forms.
The Ecstatic is undoubtedly a crate-digger's wet dream. But far more importantly, it also offers a thrillingly accessible demonstration of hip-hop's limitless creative possibilities.
The Ecstatic begins with the Middle Eastern/rock-music-influenced Supermagic and doesn't let up on the sound clashes until the very end. Production by Madlib, Oh No, J Dilla, and Mr. Flash (yes, the Ed Banger Records Mr. Flash) keeps The Ecstatic's instrumental canvas as multi-textured and eclectic as they come.
The Ecstatic is solid from front to back, but it's not always entirely cohesive. The production is uniquely executed, with the beats often focusing more on sample placement than drums and bass, but it's this lack of a low-end that sometimes makes your head nod in backwards directions.
The Ecstatic is easily his finest full-length since Black on Both Sides, his 1999 solo debut.
A mind-bending, low-key triumph, the kind of magnetic album that takes around a dozen spins to completely unpack.
The Ecstatic feels like the album Mos has always wanted and intended to make. It’s experimental and progressive without being too left-field and isolating. It’s hip-hop without being a photocopy of what he’s released in the past. Simply put, it’s Mos being Mos: Equal parts oddball and genius, even with his flaws.
Outspoken and even prone to some fairly loony conspiracy theorising, The Ecstatic thankfully does not become such a platform, and is a refined selection of strong tracks, which skilfully tread the balance between tight beats and forthright exclamations.
Overall, this is a return to form that should at the least reintroduce Mos Def to the critical limelight, and remind people that when he wants to be, he’s still one of the best hip-hop MCs around.
He may no longer be the novelistic observer of Black on Both Sides or the fearless explorer of The New Danger, or even the wised-up star of True Magic, but The Ecstatic is still imbued with all that and not making a big deal out of it, perhaps the first truly mature thing Mos Def has ever admitted.
With leftfield collaborations with Slick Rick on one side and the reedy-feely Georgia Anne Muldrow on the other, The Ecstatic isn’t the concentrated wonder that is Black on Both Sides, but it’s a refreshing bounce back from the precipice of the Land of Sellout.
While The Ecstatic isn’t what its Black On Both Sides ancestor from a decade ago was, it’s easily Mos Def’s best work since then. It has the ambitious free-wheeling that he’s went for in his career since, but with results that let the listener have just as much fun as he is.
It’s a surprise and a pleasure to report that much of ‘The Ecstatic’ is – whisper it – simply good, honest hardcore hip-hop given a twist by MD’s slurred, inebriated delivery and use of odd imagery.
With shadowy beats from Madlib and the late J Dilla, plus dense rhymes about Darwin and a rough Brooklyn upbringing, Mos Def's fourth solo album is both mildly strange and a clear step up from his dismally undercooked 2007 record, True Magic.
YOU ARE HIDING A (good) ALBUM, LET THAT RECORD COME HOME
DEADBEAT MOTHERFUCKER PLAYING BORDER PATROL, YUGGGH
Mos Def's last album before changing his name to Yasiin Bey, The Ecstatic, is a testament to the rapper's incredible talent and skill. It's a masterful blend of old-school production and modern flow that showcases Mos Def's lyrical genius. On tracks like "History" and "Casa Bey," Mos Def shines with his signature delivery and intricate wordplay. The album also features incredible production from Madlib, Preservation, The Neptunes, and J Dilla that brings the music to life in ... read more
My bigger reviews kinda flop but who cares? Im gonna write down my thoughts and hope that more people get to listen to this album (maybe make some people also relisten).
Everyone knows the feeling where it just feels like that you lived through the present situation before. Its called Deja Vu. But did you ever had the same feeling by remembering everything while listening to music? - I had and that feeling gave me one album. Welcome to my favourite solo album by Mos Def:
**𝚃𝙷𝙴 ... read more
The Ecstatic is the comeback Mos Def needed, yet it feels like no one knows about this project because of how hard to access it is. This project comes just 10 years after Black on Both Sides, Mos Def's genre defining debut after his short stint with Black Star. This album is surprisingly versatile as there is even a song spoken in Spanish that is surprisingly well done even for such a drastic genre switch. The album oozes so much creativity as each song truly feels like it has its' own ... read more
Taking a note to listen to this. Might listen to his first album before this, but from what songs I can remember this was very good.
1 | Supermagic 2:32 | 91 |
2 | Twilite Speedball 3:02 | 84 |
3 | Auditorium 4:34 feat. Slick Rick | 99 |
4 | Wahid 1:39 | 84 |
5 | Priority 1:22 | 88 |
6 | Quiet Dog Bite Hard 2:57 | 82 |
7 | Life in Marvelous Times 3:41 | 81 |
8 | The Embassy 2:45 | 85 |
9 | No Hay Nada Mas 1:42 | 82 |
10 | Pistola 3:02 | 85 |
11 | Pretty Dancer 3:31 | 87 |
12 | Workers Comp. 2:02 | 81 |
13 | Revelations 2:03 | 85 |
14 | Roses 3:41 feat. Georgia Anne Muldrow | 90 |
15 | History 2:21 feat. Talib Kweli | 94 |
16 | Casa Bey 4:32 | 93 |
#7 | / | Spin |
#8 | / | Treble |
#15 | / | PopMatters |
#17 | / | Rolling Stone |
#23 | / | Slant Magazine |
#24 | / | Q Magazine |
#27 | / | Consequence of Sound |
#27 | / | Drowned in Sound |
#29 | / | No Ripcord |
#40 | / | Pitchfork |