MOS DEF – THE ECSTATIC (DELUXE PHOTO BOOK + VINYL)
2026-08-17Rhymesayers brings a late-period classic in Mos Def’s storied career with this much needed reissue of his 2009 LP The Ectastic. Released a decade after his standout solo debut Black on Both Sides, it’s easy to draw parallels between the two landmarks, as both deal in rich thematic tapestries and athletic flows, but it’s The Ecstatic that sounds most like where rap was headed. Teaming up with a murder’s row of producers (i.e. Madlib, J Dilla, Oh No and Chad Hugo of The Neptunes just to name a few), who thread the jazz and soul backbone of classic NYC rap with Middle Eastern soundscapes and other experimental samples to build a sound both out of place and time. Mos Def responds in kind with barbs that attack the government-backed war machines tearing the world apart in a way that remains sadly as relevant as ever.