Under the radar for a decade, the artist formerly known as Mos Def is back. He talks about rejection, revival, and his new partnership with the AlchemistIt’s the penultimate night of Paris fashion week, and at Le Trianon, a storied 1,000-capacity music hall beneath Montmartre, Yasiin Bey – the artist formerly known as Mos Def – is holding court. “Fashion week is exhausting, especially when you be swagging this hard,” grins the dandyish MC and sometimes streetwear designer. “People see me and be like: ‘What’s the event?’ Today. Life is the event.”Bey is showcasing his new project, Forensics, a partnership with DJ and producer the Alchemist (Eminem, Nas, Earl Sweatshirt). Over beats steeped in psychedelia and spiritual soul, Bey skips between the personal and political with profundity, as has long been his gift. This is Bey’s deepest, most focused work in years, from Ondasz, a meditation on resistance that finds Bey reflecting: “I don’t know if Goliath made David afraid / But I d...
Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, has returned to the music scene with his new project, *Forensics*, collaborating with DJ the Alchemist. Performing at Paris Fashion Week, the album blends psychedelic and spiritual soul elements, exploring themes of resistance and personal tribute, such as in "Ondasz" and "Kidjani." Bey, whose career began with Black Star and *Black on Both Sides*, criticized the exploitative nature of the music industry, leading him to retire from the industry in 2016. Resuming his career under his birth name, Yasiin Bey, he now releases his work independently to avoid mainstream streaming platforms, offering *Forensics* directly through his website.
