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MOS DEF – “BLACK ON BOTH SIDES” 25TH ANNIVERSARY IVC EDITION
“Not since the emergence of A Tribe Called Quest and Q-Tip … has hip-hop seen an MC as intelligent, as lyrically proficient, and as baby-butt smooth as Mos Def,” Pitchfork wrote upon the release of the rapper’s landmark debut album Black on Both Sides.
As one-half of Black Star with Talib Kweli, Mos Def had already laid the groundwork for his lyrical mix of socioeconomic and political commentary and relatable personal struggles and victories. With his solo album, his status as hip-hop torchbearer and vox populi was solidified. Songs about environmental destruction and corporate greed (“New World Water”) cultural appropriation (the Bad Brains-channeling “Rock N Roll”) and racism (“Mr. OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE”) nimbly sidled against odes to romantic pursuits (“Ms. Fat Booty”) and the genre itself (“Hip-Hop.”)
It's a masterclass in intricate wordplay and conscientious storytelling; a visionary album whose nods to reggae, soul, pop, jazz and rock helped expand the musical vocabulary of hip-hop. “Heady yet humble showcase for underground hip-hop’s most charming revolutionary,” Rolling Stone wrote when placing Black on Both Sides on the 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All time. “A deep, radical thinker who could still hang on the stoop.”
This 25th Anniversary IVC Collector’s Edition has an alternative cover featuring monochrome art with matte finish. It features a 2LP gatefold jacket, custom printed sleeves, a 2-sided lithograph insert of the original front and back cover and is pressed on translucent black ice vinyl with a clear stripe. It is individually numbered and limited to 3,000 copies.
Limited slots are available in the Interscope Vinyl Collective. Subscribe now to guarantee your copy of "Black On Both Sides" IVC Edition, or sign up below for early access to start your subscription on October 1st.
