Yasiin Bey is among the rare amount of American-born emcees with permanent residencies overseas. Often a critic of the American political system and the treatment of its citizens, the rapper formerly known as Mos Def recently sat down with Beats By Dre and spoke about being limited creatively in his native land.
“As an artist and as a human being, working in the way that I work in the world today,” he explained. “It’s really America’s a very challenging place for me. Sure there’s great business opportunities, familiarity and all that. But given the current social, political, economic climate, it’s very difficult. Unnecessarily difficult. To create to the degree of fullness, the type of robust, type of creativity that I like to have, it’s very difficult for me to produce that here.”
Bey would go onto explain that he still values his support from home but feels he is most comfortable elsewhere.
“Earth is a very big and open place,” he said. “That doesn’t mean I don’t value my family or my audience here in America. It’s just that I needed to take some time to put myself in environments where I felt good… Human beings are a lot more complex and dynamic than, ‘This guy is this one thing, that girl is this one thing,’ and my music has always been about showing that dynamic.”
Last year, it was reported that Yassin Bey was banned from re-entering the United States for unspecified reasons. It was later found that he emigrated to Europe on his own free will and has since returned to America for performances.
Watch the full interview segment below:
Americans don’t have the patience for art any more. Not even just art, they don’t have the patience for anything. They’re so blood thirsty for the next thrilling thing that if something doesn’t blow them away every second then they’re on to the next thing. Mayweather/Pacqiao for example. A beautiful extravaganza, with two brilliant boxers in a chess match. Nobody in America is impressed. Why? nobody got killed or knocked out, not enough blood, it took too long, blah blah blah. Everyone is in such a hurry to do nothing in America. A bunch of spoiled ass kids really, with a fucked up perception of life and a delusional sense of self-importance. And yes, I’m from this mothafucka and I’m not going anywhere. That doesn’t mean I can’t tell it like it is.
Shut the fuck up. I bet you’re either foreign or an old ass man. Gtfoh.
Shut up. I bet you’re either foreign or an old ass man. Gtfoh.
Shut up. I bet you’re either foreign or an old head. Gtfoh.
Who the hell is this? #freegucci
Gucci Mane releasing a new album soon. #staygucci #freegucci
Guwop stay making art. #freegucci
This nigga ain’t got nothing on general gucci. #freegucci #atlwaiting
Where are the gucci articles? #freegucci this nigga is irrelevant smh.
I admire Yassin for recognizing the nonsense and readjusting in order to maintain a unique perspective. We need more artist to be disobedient in this fuckery. America was wack from the beginning and I look forward to hearing his new material. His remake of Don’t Like was fire.
Fuck Yasiin Bey Gucci Mane is the realest ever
Jeezy-one of his boys was kilt by gucci. fake thug
Jay-Z-nigga never did anything on the skreet
Nas-all he ever did was get a parking ticket LMAO
Mobb Deep-small midget feggit gangsters.
Young Thug-makes cleveland ave his set look like feggits
Biggie Smalls-a nerd and ain’t did shit
Kendrick Lamar-raps about other people’s life he watched from the sidelines
Game-lived the life of his brother LMAO
Waka Flocka-lived a privlidged life.
Yo Gotti-bitch made
Gucc Mane killed a man and beat a murder case. All his raps are reality raps. Free gucci brrr.
Fuck Yasiin Bey Gucci Mane is the realest ever
Jeezy-one of his boys was kilt by gucci. fake thug
Jay-Z-nigga never did anything on the skreet
Nas-all he ever did was get a parking ticket LMAO
Mobb Deep-small midget feggit gangsters.
Young Thug-makes cleveland ave his set look like feggits
Biggie Smalls-a nerd and ain’t did shit
Kendrick Lamar-raps about other people’s life he watched from the sidelines
Game-lived the life of his brother LMAO
Waka Flocka-lived a privlidged life.
Yo Gotti-bitch made
Gucc Mane killed a man and beat a murder case. All his raps are reality raps. Free gucci brrr.
Fuck Yasiin Bey Gucci Mane is the realest ever
Jeezy-one of his boys was kilt by gucci. fake thug
Jay-Z-nigga never did anything on the skreet
Nas-all he ever did was get a parking ticket LMAO
Mobb Deep-small midget feggit wannabe gangsters.
Young Thug-makes cleveland ave his set look like feggits
Biggie Smalls-a nerd and ain’t did shit
Kendrick Lamar-raps about other people’s life he watched from the sidelines
Game-lived the life of his brother LMAO
Waka Flocka-lived a privlidged life.
Yo Gotti-bitch made
Gucc Mane killed a man and beat a murder case. All his raps are reality raps. Free gucci brrr.
Fuck Yasiin Bey Gucci Mane is the realest ever
Jeezy-one of his boys was kilt by gucci. fake thug
Jay-Z-nigga never did anything on the skreet
Nas-all he ever did was get a parking ticket LMAO
Mobb Deep-small midget feggit wannabe gangsters.
Young Thug-makes cleveland ave his set look like feggits
Biggie Smalls-a nerd and ain’t did shit
Kendrick Lamar-raps about other people’s life he watched from the sidelines
Game-lived the life of his brother LMAO
Waka Flocka-lived a privlidged life.
Yo Gotti-bitch made
Gucc Mane killed a man and beat a murder case. All his raps are reality raps. Free gucci brr
I like the part about Kendrik Lamar and wahts with the track King Kunta, That song’s whack and a shame.
Fuck Yasiin Bey Gucci Mane is the realest ever
Jeezy-one of his boys was kilt by gucci. fake thug
Jay-Z-nigga never did anything on the skreet
Nas-all he ever did was get a parking ticket LMAO
Mobb Deep-small midget feggit wannabe gangsters.
Young Thug-makes cleveland ave his set look like feggits
Biggie Smalls-a nerd and ain’t did shit
Kendrick Lamar-raps about other people’s life he watched from the sidelines
Game-lived the life of his brother LMAO
Waka Flocka-lived a privlidged life.
Yo Gotti-bitch made
Gucc Mane killed a man and beat a murder case. All his raps are reality raps. Free gucci br
Fuck! I thought you died or something.
The supreme overlord of rap Gucci can never die. Burrr!
I hope he comes out with an album speaking on what he feels because I actually liked his first album and black star but nothing from him afterwards. So if that helps him with creativity that’s awesome because his topics used to be very deep, and they were able to catch my attention.
One of the most talented, thought provoking artist I bump. In my top 4 with 2pac, Nas, and Krs One. Shine your light, Mos!
Fuck Yasiin Bey Gucci Mane is the realest ever Jeezy-one of his boys was kilt by gucci. fake thug Jay-Z-nigga never did anything on the skreet Nas-all he ever did was get a parking ticket LMAO Mobb Deep-small midget feggit wannabe gangsters. Young Thug-makes cleveland ave his set look like feggits Biggie Smalls-a nerd and ain’t did shit Kendrick Lamar-raps about other people’s life he watched from the sidelines Game-lived the life of his brother LMAO Waka Flocka-lived a privlidged life. Yo Gotti-bitch made Gucc Mane killed a man and beat a murder case. All his raps are reality raps. Free gucci br
nig nog
He’s jealous because YMCMB didn’t sign him
Stop the bullshit Mos.
You’re skipping out on North America cus you can’t afford the child support payments anymore. Take care of your current kids in Canada and the US and stop trying to knock up 3rd world broads.
Now THIS is the truth.
This is a great point.
yes or maybe you are 3 people who gossip ?
about whats none of your buisness?
europe is 3rd world in your head?
you got it all figured out..
I would pretty much do the same thing… Child Support is a slavery system that doesn’t help the child at all but the mother. You want him to pay child support so she can go get her weave done and spend his money at the club?
@lol
You’re right to an extent but this dumbass thinks he’s the Shawn Kemp of the rap game. Has multiple kids with multiple momma’s and tried to ditch them all and when he couldn’t figure out a legal way of doing in North America, finds Islam and cla
Lol – Word? Slavery system? You probably call anything you don’t want to do, “slavery”. What a cunt.
Pretty much the general concense. I feel the same time Yassin Bey that you have to keep up the times too. Artist are dropping music every 1 to 2 year. I know quality over quantity. Musically you have to put yourself out there. Don’t get me wrong you really don’t have nothing to prove. You have two classics down that will go down in hip hop history but you dont have to make the fan suffer either. Just my two cents
Mos Def is legend. The way he raps calm and intelligent, triumphantly brilliant music from black on both sides album and black star album with talib, dont tell me you know anyone with a similar style that put it down like Mos. Legend
Allah Yasiin Bey AKA Mos Def
Q: How many of his kids has Dante ever raised?
A: Get at me in Africa, bitches!!
Q: How many of his kids has Dante ever raised?
Q: Was Dante so broke ass broke in America he couldn’t afford rubbers?
Q: What kind of example for black artists is he setting anyway?
Once you speak out against 9/11 and the police state you become an enemy of the state.
Black on Both Sides broke down everything going on today 15 years ago.