Mos Def in the upcoming film, 16 Blocks |
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Most know the individual known professionally as Mos Def on account of his outspoken hip-hop musical talents. However, rather than underscore his prowess as an urban musician, the purpose of this column is to highlight Def's (or Dante Smith according to his birth certificate) burgeoning career as a mainstream film actor.
Earning award nominations and accolades for his cinematic and theatrical performances, it seemed very appropriate to profile Mos Def (whose adopted name means Most Definitely) in light of the upcoming release his film, 16 BLOCKS, directed by Richard Donner-starring Bruce Willis, David Morse and Alfre Woodard.
Essentially, 16 BLOCKS is the tale of what occurs during the course of what should have been a non-eventful 15-minute commute. The action | drama flick stars Bruce Willis, as the aging, by-the-book, police officer Jack Mosley, who is charged with escorting petty criminal Eddie Bunker (a hyperkinetic, head-shaven Mos Def) a distance of 16 blocks—from an NYPD lock-up to a neighboring courthouse. And, the crux of the film encompasses the barrage of obstacles, which intended to prevent Bunker from testifying at the imposing Grand Jury trial, the duo encounter along the route
Able to deftly and convincingly embody everyday characters, i.e., grand jury witness, investigating officer, etc., Def has been receiving critical and public praise for his feature film work. So good at taking on these non-descript roles, many were unaware that this hugely successful artist in the musical world, has joined the ranks of such rappers as: Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, P Diddy | Sean Combs, and Ice Cube, who have also gone on to enjoy successful, multi-dimensional careers as actors.
Beginning his film career in Spike Lee's BAMBOOZLED(2000), a cutting satire of the television industry, Def then went on to have a small role in Marc Forster's MONSTER'S BALL followed up with the memorable character of "Left Ear" in THE ITALIAN JOB (2003); and as the morally indignant Sergeant Lucas assigned to Kevin Bacon's pedophile character upon release from jail in THE WOODSMAN (2004); and in the offbeat cult favorite, THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (2005), Def was cast as Ford Prefect, an alien disguised as an out-of-work actor on an intergalactic journey.
For his work in THE WOODSMAN, while Def was nominated for several awards including: IFP/ New York's Gotham Awards (2004) for breakthrough actor; it was at the Black Reel Awards (2005) in which he finally won in the Best Actor category for his portrayal of the relentless Sgt. Lucas.
Supplementing the big screen with television cable movies, SOMETHING THE LORD MADE and LACKAWANA BLUES, and both on-Broadway 
Mos Def in The Woodsman |
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productions, Topdog\Underdog, and off-Broadway productions, "Fucking A"; Def further added to his roster of trophy nominations, besting himself a contender for both an Emmy and a Golden Globe, as well as, an Obie for the expletive F#&!-A.
As Def stated in a press statement released in conjunction with the premiere of SOMETHING THE LORD MADE, "I just want to do the best work I can, and hopefully that helps tell the story in the best way and stays true to the spirit and the dignity of the story and the people in it."
And rounding-out his diverse body of work, his television credits include: a voice-over contribution to the animated series, "Boondocks, the Story of Gangstalicious (2005) ," host of the acclaimed HBO series "Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry," in addition to previous guest roles on "Spin City," "NYPD Blue" and Comedy Central's "Chappelle's Show", as well as, a memorable Visa commercial with Deion Sanders.
As quoted on the website Belief.net, the Brooklyn-native Def (born 1973), who began his performance career as an underground performer, stated, "You're not gonna get through life without being worshipful or devoted to something. You're either devoted to your job, or to your desires."
And apparently commitment and dedication to his craft(s) are not qualities lacking in Def. An original musical artist, Def is widely considered to be one of the most insightful and conscientious voices of the new school hip-hop regime. Debuting his freshman CD "Universal Magnetic" in 1996, Def waited until the right time, eight years later in 2004, to go back into the studio to record his second release, "The New Danger."
"I'm just inspired not just by black art, but good art, representations of art that are sincere and genuine," relayed Def in a statement released by his recording label, Rawkus Records.
And staying true to his values in both the music and film world—later this year, Def can also be seen on the big screen in: JOURNEY TO THE END OF NIGHT, co-starring Brendan Fraser and Scott Glenn, this is a dramatic flick depicting Brazil's lurid underground sex industry; and THE BRAZILIAN JOB, the South American sequel to the ITALIAN JOB, in which Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron reprise their original roles.
So while attempting to clear his name with respect to some recent child support unpleasantness; Def can focus on his core area of strength, that of being an artistic renaissance man, one who is presently making a name for himself by alternating back and forth between script lines and musical notes.
Mos Def: Most Definitely one well deserving of a second look....
Mos Def on MatchFlick
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| Nancy Simon |
A Chicago-based freelance writer and film enthusiast, Nancy has an insatiable curiousity and knack for picking out talented, promising individuals.
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