Wednesday, September 5, 2007

TUMI & MOS DEF: THE PERFECT COLLABORATION?



By Nick Kaoma

When we ran a poll recently asking readers to choose 2 artists that they thought would make a perfect collaboration, we were not too surprised by the eventual results.

The poll gave options of the following artists a) Mdu & Arthur b) Mos Def & Tumi c) Chomee & Lil’ Kim d) Arno Carstens & Lenny Kravitz e) Spikiri & Snoop Dogg.

76% of the votes went to the second option, Mos Def & Tumi, and anyone with an ounce of logic can see why that combination might make for a mouth-watering collaboration.

What makes things so potentially incredible is the fact that Mos and Tumi share similar music styles and principles – they both distil a sense of social awareness through their music and both practice Islam. Mos Def is of course a well-respected hip hop god-figurine of some sort who has both enlightened and captivated hip hop audiences since his introduction to the scene a decade or so ago; this despite the fact that he hasn’t managed to rack up sales tantamount to his peers.

Born Dante Smith in Brooklyn, New York, Mos Def commenced his rap career as a member of the Native Tongue Posse collective and also made memorable guest appearances on albums by De La Soul and Da Bush Babees. In 1998, he collaborated with fellow Rawkus Records artist Talib Kweli to release Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star, an album that is considered a classic in hip hop quarters.

The following year, he released Black on Both Sides, an equally envelope-pushing album that featured astoundingly lyrically nuanced joints. He further cemented his rep in the industry with killer starring spots on the influential Lyricist Lounge and Soundbombing compilations.

He has since released two lukewarm albums, namely The New Danger and True Magic.

Tumi, on the other hand has been quite a revelation and a breath of fresh air in the notoriously staid SA music scene. After releasing two albums under the Tumi & The Volume banner and one recently in a solo capacity, Tumi has solidified himself as a chillingly talented music force that treats music boundaries as a starting point and not as a finishing point.

Both Tumi and Mos have shown a knack for creating songs that are politically and socially charged, a trait that as noble as it is, often propels myopic music critics and fans to put them in a box that can often limit their future creative output.

Having said that, a collabo track, preferably produced by Nyambz, Hi-Tek or even Kanye West would be illier than anything I can imagine. Somehow I have the feeling that this fantasy of ours might take place sooner than expected, but for now here are some comments from other industry people who would also give the keys to their cars to see this collabo come to fruition (okay, maybe not!):


“On this collabo, Mos Def would have definitely met his match. I know Tumi personally and he’s got an amazing work ethic; the way he listens to a beat and tries to figure out how best to go around it is his hallmark. On the other hand I’ve always been a fan of Mos Def; he is of course extremely lyrical just like Tumi and he always manages to record unbelievable joints time and time again. I would love to see them rhyming on a beat that would have been collaboratively put together by Mizi and Nyambz and I would urge them to make a beat that they like, be it jazz, funk or hip hop influenced. With that type of recipe they should record a track that should be forever respected, a track that will stand the test of time”
Lee Kasumba, Yfm DJ and hip hop enthusiast

“A Mos Def & Tumi collaboration would be the coming together of two great artists who are generally underrated. If they were to seriously put their minds together, I definitely think they would record something monumental, deep but appealing. I like the contrast in the artists with Mos Def having more pop appeal (especially because of his acting) while on the other hand Tumi is your favourite artist’s favourite artist and has no interest whatsoever in featuring in a Hunk of the Year type of celebrity list, he’s purely in it for the music and good music at that. I would tap Timbaland to produce the song simply because I feel he is the one who would be able to produce the most experimental, ethereal beat that could provide a welcome challenge for both MCees”
Lesley Mofokeng, Sunday Times entertainment journalist


“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to get that these 2 black stars of Islamic faith would make an almost perfect motif. These native tongues will mos def have you raising the volume. Drop some Jay Deelicous champion sounds, and its an instant classic!!!”
Melisizwe Noni, MC and member of 5th Floor


“From an MCs point-of-view, both artist's content are consciously-driven and I’ve been aware lately that they involve a lot of instrument session-players when they put together their songs, which is an idea that I think can lay ground for a classic. Another factor is that Tumi is able to adapt to international styles judging by the latest international-based producers he worked with on his latest album (Music From My Good Eye). And as for Mos Def, I’m pretty much sure that judging by his previous works, he'd be able to adjust his thoughts into an African state of mind and at the same time basing them on his own experiences.

Overall I think they both dope MCs and needless to say that I look up to them a lot; they are versatile and can execute concepts well.
Unathi July, hip hop promoter and member of ILL-Literate-Skill


So feel free to leave comments below, and let us know if you believe a Tumi and Mos Def collabo will be as dope as we think?

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