Mos Def Joins ‘Dexter’

According to TheHollywoodReporter,

Mos Def has finalized a deal for a multi-episode arc on the sixth season of Dexter,

Also appearing in the 6th season of the hit Showtime series “Dexter” are Colin Hanks, who will play his archnemesis this time around, Jonny Lee Miller, Julia Stiles and Peter Weller.

This is a great look for our MC, musician and actor friend Mos, since Dexter got an average of 5 million views per episode last season.

[Mos Def’s acting career and videos after the jump.]

For those unfamiliar with Mos Def aka Dante Smith’s work outside of Hip Hop, he was born in and raised in Brooklyn New York and has been nominated for 2 Grammys, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, a Golden Satellite award, an MTV VMA, an NAACP Image Award and a Source Award among others.

From his Hip Hop related work as writer/producer/actor on MTV’s Lyricist Lounge show, to his non-hip hop related performances in the movies Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, MTV’s Carmen: A Hip Hopera, Monster’s Ball, Showtime, Brown Sugar, Paramount Pictures’ The Italian Job, the critically acclaimed HBO movie Something the Lord Made, The Woodsman, the sci-fi thriller comedy The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy in the starring role as the unlikely hero “Ford Prefect”, Mos Def most definitely takes his acting seriously.

Mos was also in the play “Topdog Underdog” co-starring with veteran actor Jeffrey Wright, which won the Pulitzer Prize. He won a Peabody Award for his work on the HBO series “Russel Simmon’s presents Def Poetry“, on which he was not only the host, but also Musical Director for 28 episodes and c0-executive producer for 44 episodes. After TopDog Underdog’s success, Mos won an Obie Award for another Suzan Lori Parks play, “Fucking A“, which ran off-Broadway.

For anyone who was ever curious as to why Mos Def’s musical releases were so few and far in between, now you know. He’s been busy! Besides all the movies, cable television series and Broadway and off-Broadway plays, Mos has managed to record albums for his solo career, his collaboration with Talib Kweli “BLACKSTAR“, and his work as lead singer of the rock group Black Jack Johnson. But before he ever was a solo artist, you might remember him from the groups U.T.D’s (Urban Thermo Dynamic Set) and Medina Green.

So here’s a trivia question for you: Which did Mos Def first get into, music or acting?

Well, young Flaco (his other nickname) actually studied both, at Talent Unlimited High School, where he majored in Musical Theater and was probably freestyling to beats banged on the lunchroom table at the same time. The MC, musician and thesbian continued his education at NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, a special college which allows you to create your own program of interdisciplinary studies.

Which field did he break into first?

According to his entry in Wikipedia,

[Mos Def] began his professional acting career at the age of fourteen, appearing in the TV movie God Bless the Child, starring Mare Winningham. He then played the oldest child in the short-lived family sitcom, You Take the Kids, starring Nell Carter and Roger E. Mosley. His most notable acting role before his music career was that of Bill Cosby‘s sidekick on the short-lived detective show, The Cosby Mysteries.

So there you have it, got his start with Nell Carter and Bill Cosby. If you said acting, you guessed it!

I am a huge Dexter fan (no homo) and can’t wait for next season. I wonder will Mos be a witness, potential victim, police officer?  I’m also looking forward to a new album, either solo or a BlackStar. A few guest appearances on Kanye’s albums and a free verse here or there have held fans over, but we are ready for the next Mos Def installment.  Last September it was announced that he had joined the roster of Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music (Common, Big Sean,Cyhi the prince,Pusha T, et .). I need some more Hip Hop from the maestro. Mos needs it too. Look at how happy he looks performing “World Premiere” last month on The Daily Habit (video below). The mic and suit kinda remind me of him rockin’ Luis Jordan’s “Caldonia” in Lackawana Blues. Shout out to Madlib (production), FuelTV and DailyHabitMusic.

* Check me out in this video clip of Blitzkrieg, A.L. Skills, Ken Boogalou, PackFM and myself (GMS), in a freestyle cypha in Central Park about 10 years ago. Shout out to DJ Organic (Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme). More videos below.
– GMS

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