Mos Def “The Ecstatic”
Standouts - “Twilite Speedball,” “Priority,” “Quiet Dog,” “Roses”

With “The Ecstatic,” Mos Def’s fifth CD, he has managed to do what he couldn’t quite do on his last two. He has combined the musicality of “Black on Both Sides” with the realness of “Black Star.” With this album he seems to find the perfect blend of the two, which can be heard throughout the CD. From the jazz/calypso fused “Pistola” to the Banda Black Rio samba beat on “Casa Bey,” to the J-Dilla produced hip-hop gem “History,” this disc is excellent.