Mos Def Names His Favorite Artists In Extended Interview With MSNBC’s Ari Melber

Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) talks favorite musicians, Dave Chappelle and new art exhibit in extended interview with MSNBC’s Ari Melber

Interview highlights include:

ON HIS FAVORITE ARTISTS

Bey lists some of the artists he is currently listening to, including Kendrick Lamar, who is referenced in the art exhibit, and: Earl Sweatshirt, Blu, JPEGMafia, Kelsey Lu, Blood Orange, Robert Glasper, Eubie Blake, The Tony Williams Lifetime,and Emahoy Maryam (Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou)

ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH DAVE CHAPPELLE

Bey discusses his friendship and collaborations with comedian Dave Chappelle, noting they are “born in the same year” and have a special connection: “He’s my best friend… one of my dearest friends for life — it’s another type of bond between me and that guy.”

ON HIS APPROACH TO NEW MUSIC IN HIS ART EXHIBIT

Bey discusses his new art installation in depth, outlining his goal to provide “a more dynamic experience than simply downloading [new songs] from a device,” while acknowledging that releasing his music in an exhibit, and not through streaming services, is “antithetical to the prevailing attitudes and practices” in today’s music industry. He added: “This is a proposal about how to interact and experience ideas… [while] the premium is on ‘the now’ … it’s a meditative, reflective sort of experience.”

Content and featured image courtesy of MSNBC/The Beat with Ari Melber

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Tags: Ari Melber, art exhibit, Dave Chapelle, Interview, Mos Def, MSNBC, yasiin bey

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