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Yasiin Bey Biography

Birth Name:
Dante Terrell Smith
Birth Place:
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Profession
Actor, hip-hop artist

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 20s, 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 opposite Jeffrey Wright
  • Served as host and co-executive producer of HBO's Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry

Awards

  • 2005Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television: nominated
  • 2004Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie: nominated

Relationships

  • Maria Yepes-Smith -- Ex-wife
  • Abdul Rahman -- Father
  • Sheron Smith -- Mother