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Mos Def

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Mos Def: Biography

Mos Def
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  • Birth Name: Dante Terrell Smith
  • Birth Place: Brooklyn, NY
  • Date of Birth / Zodiac Sign: 12/11/1973, Sagittarius
  • Profession: Actor; hip-hop artist
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Mos Def Fast Facts:
  • While still in high school, he got his first acting role in the 1988 made-for-TV movie God Bless the Child.
  • In 1989, he landed a regular role as Nell Carter's son on the short-lived CBS sitcom You Take the Kids.
  • In his early twenties, he changed his stage name to the shortened version of his favorite saying- "most definitely."
  • With the help of his brother and sister, he formed his first group, called UTD (Urban Thermo Dynamics). In 1994, the group released a single, "My King Fu."
  • Released his first album, a collaborative effort titled Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are...Black Star in 1998. His solo album, Black on Both Sides, debuted one year later.
  • In 1999, along with his rap duo partner, Kweli, he bought Nkiru Books and developed the Brooklyn-based bookstore into a not-for-profit company that supported literacy.
  • Appeared on Broadway in 2002 in the two-character play Topdog/Underdog with fellow actor Jeffrey Wright.
  • Served as host and co-executive producer of HBO's Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry.
  • Mos Def Relationships:
  • Abdul Rahman - Father
  • Maria Yepes-Smith - Ex-wife
  • Sheron Smith - Mother
  • Mos Def Awards:
  • 2004 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie - Nominee
  • 2005 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Nominee

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