Mos Def Speaks On Name Change to Yasiin Bey

Mos Def has come forward to speak on his name change to Yasiin Bey. I think it has been causing a bit of a confusion. Mos Def has been lyrically respected for more than a decade now, and has veered more into acting in recent times. He officially let the world know that he was going from Mos Def to Yasiin Bey last year, although he says he has been using the name as far back as 99. It will take a while for people to catch up on the name-change, but I guess it is for a good cause.


There are times when someone would invite me for a party or function and ask if I would be able to make it, and I would say- Mos Def (short for Most Definitely)- so, I guess I know one of the reasons why he would want a name-change. Read what he had to say about this below-

"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. At first it was just for friends and family, but now I'm declaring it openly," he said in an interview. "When my paternal grandfather passed a few years back, I started to wear a shirt and tie every day, like he did. Michael Jackson's death had a big impact on me, too. Right before the Ecstatic tour in 2009, I began wearing loafers and high-waisted pants. And that's where my look started. ... Hip-hop is the last true folk art. I got involved with Ale et Ange because it represents hip-hop in a way that isn't pandering. It's nice to see something that's elegant, skillful, and raw." (GQ)