Rapper and actor Dante Terrell Smith, best known today by his stage name Mos Def, was born on December 11, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York City. He has two younger brothers, both of whom are also musicians; one is Def’s full time DJ and the other an artisti in his own right, though not as popular as his older brother. He also has a younger sister, and like her three brothers is a convert to Islam, exposed as such by their father when Def was 13 years old.

Def has been rapping since he was only nine years old, having grown up during the golden age of hip-hop. His nickname is apt in that he is partially deaf in his left ear, thanks to a firearm going off too close to it. He kept the name ‘Mos Def’, however, because ‘def’ was a childhood variation for ‘cool’.

Def began rapping professionally in 1996 with the short-lived froup Urban Thermo Dynamics, performing with one brother and his sister. They had a contract but only released two singles; their debut album didn’t see the light of day until 2004. Def decided to go solo, and released his first hit, “Universal Magnetic”, which proved an underground classic almost instantly.

Def is also a longtime actor, having studied experimental theater at New York University. He began acting professionally when he was 14 when he appeared in the television production God Bless the Child, and later appeared in a short-lived sitcom called You Take the Kids. Before embarking on his rap career Def’s most notable television role was alongside Bill Cosby in his also short-lived show The Cosby Mysteries

He signed with Rawkus Records and formed the group Black Star with Talib Kweli. Their one and only album was Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star, released in 1998. Afterwards Def parted ways with Kweli and, in 1999, launched his solo debut album, Black on Both Sides. It was a hit, and in 2004 he released his second album, The New Danger

In 2002 Def began attaining more credit as an actor when he appeared in Topdog/Underdog, a Broadway musical. He was also lauded for his part in the 2003 remake of The Italian Job. He has since appeared on his own show, Def Poetry, on The Chappelle Show, on My Wife and Kids and in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. His latest role is that of a video store clerk in Be Kind Rewind alongside Jack Black.

Def came under fire prior to the release of his third solo album, True Magic, when he appeared in a commercial endorsing a sport utility vehicle. The move drew criticism from fans hoping that their rapper hadn’t sold himself out. The third album was released with little fanfare two days before New Years. In 2007 he released yet another album, Mos Definite, to more acclaim.

Def has been putting on more shows recently and sampling his soon-to-be-released album which is said to be named The Ecstatic.