Some of the lyrics honestly seem and as if Mos Def was in a rush, and thats really not like him. And that's not just because I am Arabic! haha.no I genuinely think using Arabic and Indian music for samples makes the album feel more abstract and unique. And to top it all off, it ends with a beautifully sad and soothing little piano solo.Īnother thing I like about the album is its use of Eastern samples (mostly provided by the legendary Madlib and his brother Oh No) and weird guitar riffs (check out the Chad Hugo produced 'Twilite Speedball'). In my opinion, the best track on the album is the closer, 'Casa Bey', because it has a wonderful mix of a fast-paced catchy instrumental that Mos somehow manages to keep up with and lines that jump out at you again and again (You can't stop my go/ I was born to be where I am/ Bright light from a Distant Star).
The best line in the album, in my opinion, comes from this song, when Mos says "we are alive in amazing times/ delicate hearts, diabolical minds'. 'Life in Marvelous Times' is a reflective song which sets up the second half of the album, looking briefly at Mos Def's journey from the projects in Bed-Stuy to where he is now. 'Quiet Dog' (produced by Preservation) has an insane percussion beat and Mos Def reminds us why he is considered one of the top MC's in the game. The highs of the album, in my view, are the tracks Quiet Dog (Bite Hard), 'Life in Marvelous Times', 'History' (featuring Talib Kweli) and the closer, 'Casa Bey'. Having bought this album and listened to each track multiple times, I can honestly say its easily his best since Black on Both Sides, but still somewhat short of the extremely high standards he set with his solo debut.
After, let's face it, two album flops (especially True Magic), Mos Def has clearly struggled to put out quality music that he blessed us with beforehand (Black Star with Talib Kweli, Black on Both Sides).
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