The New Danger is definitely a breath of fresh air in today’s realm of repetitive hip hop music. Mos Def’s sophomore release comes more then four years after his instant classic debut album, Black on Both Sides. This album seems to be more of a Black Jack Johnson (Mos Def’s band) than a Mos Def solo album. The New Danger is not strictly a hip hop album; it combines elements from jazz, blues, funk, and rock too. This album may a few spins before getting used to the beats, and being able to appreciate it for what it truly is. The first single is the hip hop Sex, Love, Money, Produced by Kanye West, and gets very catchy after listening to it a few times.

This album was a huge experiment on Mos Def’s part, and many people will be disappointed, especially people who were hoping for another Black On Both Sides. Maybe it’s because he has already got two hip hop classics under his belt that he felt he could try something new. Its possible to say he went too far out of the hip hop spectrum on this one, yet it should not be completely avoided because of it. Lyrically, Mos Def is still burning the mic on most tracks, but on some of the more rock tracks, he barely rhymes at all. Still there are about 8 hip hop/R&B tracks, while the others are more rock and jazz/soul. For example, on The Rape Over , Mos Def rhymes over Jay-Z’s, and if you listen closely, the whole song rhymes with Jays original diss track.

If your still uncertain about purchasing this album, take a listen to the tracks at www.amazon.com. Open-mindedness is a must for listening to this album, but dont't take my word for it, go out and buy it and support the artist!

Written By: AJ47