It can be thought that no one will ever rival Lauryn Hill's climb to fame. She captured the hearts of mainstream, underground and true hip hop heads. However, it would seem that the 'Lauryn Hill syndrome' is spreading. Enter Mos Def: His presence has been felt ever since he signed with Rawkus records in 1995. His career has been like the building of a lego castle – slow and progressive, with each block perfectly placed. Now, 2 months prior to the millennium, Mos Def and his refined lyricism, have put forth his first solo album. The wait has been long but well worth it!

By definition, the 'Lauryn Hill syndrome' brings with it soul, energy, truth, fruitful lyrics and beats that don't grab, but embrace. Impressively, Mos Def is the hip hop artist whom I've heard come closest to achieving this level. He manages to perpetrates themes of love, black pride, water conservation, hip hop history, wack emcees and racism throughout 17 track album. This is yet another brand of 'headphone music', where lyrics flow deeper than the beat. In fact, upon first listen to "Black On Both Sides", there was only one song that stood out as an impressive track. That being, Mos Def's collaboration with Busta Rhymes one the club-ladden "Do It Now". But soon found myself singing along to "Love" and "Umi Says". Spelling out 'it's the B, to the R, the O, the O, K. LYN is the place that I stay', on "Brooklyn", which is broken into three sections. In the 3rd section, Mos Def takes Notorious B.I.G.'s "Who Shot Ya", and provides his own flow over top, paying respects to the deceased MC. "Rock N Roll" is another great song that just rips apart some of rock and rolls greats – all those who never wrote their own music, thus producing soulless material. The song ends with a great one minute punk blend to prove that anybody could end up with a hit. "New World Water" deals with the need for water conservation in a truly impressive lyrical feat. "Mr Nigga" features Q-Tip and deals with the racism that still exists in this world.

Mos Def's debut solo album is a great one. He will never gain the status of a Lauryn Hill, mainly because he was never a Fugee and has no internationally recognizable hits. Nonetheless, Mos Def will be the Lauryn Hill of the underground and should hold his head high. If you enjoy lyrical music, such as that of Black Star (Mos Def & Talib Kweli) or The Roots, then this album is a must. The beats make this album quite impressive. Otherwise, if you're in the record store and are looking to give a new hip hop artist a try, then I might suggest "Black On Both Sides". Give it a chance and you won't be disappointed.

www.brockwayent.com

(Originally posted on HipHopCanada.com)

This review was written November 2, 1999