Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, recently sat down with GQ to talk about his name change and his sense of style and fashion. During the interview (photo by Steven Pan/GQ), the rapper explained why he decided to switch his name and how it stemmed from materialistic pressures.
“I began to fear that Mos Def was being treated as a product, not a person, so I’ve been going by Yasiin since ’99,” he said. “At first it was just for friends and family, but now I’m declaring it openly.”
Bey also explained that when his grandfather passed away a few years ago, he decided to start wearing a shirt and tie every day, just as he did. He also touched on his fashio sense, stating how he enjoys coloring outside of the lines.
“I like drawing connections between pieces and patterns that would make someone else think, ‘Those two things would never go together.’ Well, to me they do,” he said. “I don’t have advice for people on how to dress. People should dress based on what they find beautiful. My best advice: Keep your clothes clean.”
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junkie dipshit try wearing a rubber if you don’t want eight kids with eight different women HI DAD!!!
Why you mad? Whats wrong with having children from eight different women if they are all taken care of? You sound jealous or something. Read any good books lately?
yeah bey is living my dream
okay..
MOS DEF LOGIC: YEAH, I’M MOS DEF AND NOBODY GIVES A FUCK ABOUT ME, SO I WILL CHANGE MY NAME TO YASIIN BEY AND HOPE THAT SOMEBODY WILL CARE AND I WILL NOT FLOP AGAIN.
5 YEARS LATER: MISSION FAILED, STILL NOBODY CARES ABOUT ME.
SUCH A SAD STORY OF THAT BROKE ASS RAPPER.
At least you cared enough to read the article and comment on it.
he wasnt reading, i bet he just read the title, came here and talk his usual shit in the discussion
I take it you must be his fired accountant who’s upset… understandable then. If not, how do you know he’s broke? And as stated before, “you care” since you took the time to click and comment.
says the kid from his mom’s desktop computer
Yasiin has and will continue to achieve more than you ever will homeboy, keep hatin
-__________-
Are you really that stupid, or are you just trolling? “broke ass rapper”?? Making that statement just goes to show how asinine and absurd you sound…this guys has been in movies, that’s why he’s taken a step from making music and now he’s acting in Hollywood, and you think he’s broke?
How many movies have you been on? better yet, how many albums have you put out? Have you ever even made a video and uploaded it up on youtube?
Sounds like you’re just mad at the world, hating because nobody in your life really cares about you and your life is pretty pathetic and irrelevant, as it reflects in the comments you post online.
You’re lost friend.
I don’t give a damn what people call themselves just put out some good fucking music…nothing else matters!!!
The fact that you aren’t consider any intellectual or psychological rappers into one of the most metaphoric, symbolic, generation changing emcees of all time, shows you how far my music this music that i love has gone to straight shit.
considering
Factors* not rappers hahah to stoned.
One love
Yassin is an intelectual, this brother is no ordinary cat. Ever had a conversation with the man. He’ll probably be ova ya head with one simple word. He knows who he is, Do You?
Seriously, you think Yasiin Bey is an intellectual? Your standards must be really low. Just go to YouTube and take a look at “Mos Def” on Bill Maher’s Real Time. Christopher Hitchens and Salmon Rushdie were in total disbelief. “I don’t bleve dem mutha fuggahs went to da moon either”…mos def.
You’re right. Yasiin Bey has knowledge of self.
Moorish American National Hotep king!