Legendary hip-hop artist yasiin bey (FKA Mos Def) returns with details of Money Christmas
yasiin bey
Today, legendary American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor yasiin bey returns with the news of a forthcoming live stream performance titled Money Christmas. Due to take place on 15th Dec at 7:00PM GMT / 8:00PM CET / 2:00PM EST, the live stream will see him debut his first new solo material in five years, following the premiere of his Negus sound installation in 2019.
Named one of greatest rappers and lyricists of all time by the likes of Forbes, Billboard, The Source, NME and more, some of yasiin bey’s top hits include ‘Oh No’, ‘Ms. Fat Booty’, ‘Umi Says’, and ‘Mathematics’. Over the course of his career bey has collaborated with many of the most prominent talents in popular, jazz and hip-hop music, including Madlib, Ye, De La Soul, Gorillaz, Robert Glasper, Chris ‘Daddy’ Dave, Derrick Hodge, Freddie Gibbs and Erykah Badu to name but a few.
Money Christmas, the next chapter in yasiin bey’s prolific career, will be broadcast live on his Bandcamp for $7.99. Thereafter, in contrast to releasing the new material through traditional channels, access to the video and downloadable music tracks will be exclusively via the purchase of a QR code issued in conjunction with limited-edition merchandise including hoodies, t-shirts, stickers and laminates to be sold on bey’s Bandcamp in due course. The material will also be released on vinyl in the coming months after the livestream.
This innovative approach to releasing new material is the first of a number of upcoming releases intended to inextricably link the acquisition of music to the artwork and supporting video footage, creating a stronger and more creative bond with fans.
The accompanying artwork for the performance - titled ’Osanta Bin Lyin’ - sees him once again collaborating with Spanish-Moroccan friend and artist Anuar Khalifi (@anuarkhalifi), whom bey has previously performed live with as well as starring in a short film titled ‘Part Of Me’ in 2023, in which he reflects on the artist’s work and life. Both Khalifi and bey are represented by The Third Line Gallery in Dubai.
yasiin bey background:
bey’s career in hip hop started under the now-forsaken stage name ‘Mos Def’ in 1994, and in 1998 he formed the duo Black Star alongside rapper Talib Kweli, releasing their eponymous debut album, featuring the singles ‘Definition’ and ‘Respiration’. In 1999 he released his solo debut, Black on Both Sides, which was widely praised, and followed by The New Danger (2004), True Magic (2006), and The Ecstatic (2009), all to critical and audience acclaim. In 2022 with Talib Kweli they released a new long-awaited Black Star album, ‘No Fear of Time’, produced by Madlib, on the podcasting platform Luminary. The album was released physically for the first time last month via Rhymesayers Entertainment.
Prior to his career in music, yasiin bey was a child actor with roles in television films, sitcoms, and theatre. Since the early 2000s, he has appeared in the films Something the Lord Made, Next Day Air, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 16 Blocks, Be Kind Rewind, The Italian Job, The Woodsman, Bamboozled, and Brown Sugar, and in television series such as Dexter and House. He is also known as the host of Def Poetry Jam, which aired on HBO between 2002 and 2007.
In 2015, yasiin bey created Negus, is a 28-minute listening experience consisting of 8 compositions recorded in London, produced by Lord Tusk, Steven Julien and Acyde. Negus is presented as an immersive sound installation, that can only be experienced in person. The recording is unavailable for purchase via digital or physical platforms. Bey designed the multitrack recording as an installation to encourage people to be fully present while listening to it.
Since then, yasiin bey has worked with long-time collaborators Dave Chappelle and Talib Kweli to create ‘The Midnight Miracle’, a podcast released on Luminary bringing the three personalities together in a new genre of audio encompassing music, conversation, debate and celebrity guests. The show won Apple Podcasts’ ‘Best Shows of 2021’ and was cited as one of the New York Times’ ‘Best 10 Podcasts of 2021’. Seasons 1 and 2 of the show were recorded during Chappelle’s legendary 2020 Summer Camp in Ohio, and later in New York, London and other locations around the globe, including a live performance at the 2022 Blue Note Jazz Festival in Napa, CA. Later in 2022 he performed with Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock on their record-breaking live US arena tour.
The forthcoming live stream performance also comes on the heels of bey’s recent BEYONDOOM tour, which saw him play across the EU, UK, NZ, and AUS paying tribute to the works of the late great MF DOOM, as well as a small run of shows celebrating the 15th anniversary of his 2009 album “The Ecstatic”. More recently bey also appeared at Artists for Aid and South Facing Festival in London, Way Out West Festival in Sweden, and Liberation Music in Barcelona earlier this year. Money Christmas nods towards 2025 and what is sure to be another unstoppable year for yasiin bey.
