On his third solo LP, True Magic (Geffen), Mos Def returns to rhyming and showcasing some of his soulful crooning. Mos Def makes what he feels and, while that may discourage his early fans, he continues to make socially important music.
On “Dollar Day,” a song many of us have heard, Mos Def takes the famous southern Nolia Clap beat and makes a heartfelt dedication to Katrina. On a handful of other tracks, Mos further investigates the troubles of street life and the worth of human life. He comes across sincere on the confessional “Ur The One” about a lost love, and on “There Is A Way” he is able to capture the feeling of his live show with positive chanting and song.
The production for the most part is solid – with names like Kanye, Pharrell, and Minnesota – though there are definitely beats and samples we have heard before. This drags down the album some.
Mos Def definitely conjures up originality, but why does he have to use beats and samples that have been done before? It makes the album feel like a mixtape at times, but overall Mos makes True Magic worth the listen.