Collector’s Corner: yasiin bey (formerly Mos Def) - ‘The Ecstatic’ 2026 Reissue
I’m so excited to kick off the return of one of my favorite features Collector’s Corner! In this series, we try to collaborate with artists to discuss seminal records in their discography! Sometimes these are special edition vinyls or deluxe reissues. I am honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with one of our favorite hip hop artists of all time, yasiin bey (formerly Mos Def)!
For this feature, I will be checking out the long out of print landmark album The Ecstatic, which bey reissued last month. First, I have to say thank you to yasiin bey, Grandstand Media, and Rhymesayer Entertainment for making this happen! Without further ado, let’s get to it!
(Photo Credit: Cognito)
Background
The Ecstatic represents bey’s fourth release in his storied discography and dropped back in 2009 on label Downtown. The record is a strong entry in the conscious hip hop legend’s career, and features some deep themes including global issues (especially the war in Iraq), love, spirituality, Pan-Islam, and black internationalism. bey recorded most of the seminal work in Los Angeles, though a couple of tracks were laid down in Virginia and New York City. The record was nomnitated for. GRAMMY and features a proverbial who’s who of producers including Madlib, J Dilla, Oh No, Preservation, Mr Flash, Chad Hugo (of The Neptunes), and Georgia Anne Muldrow. It also has two features including hip hop royalty of Slick Rick and Talib Kweli.
bey has decided to make the record available for streaming exclusively on Quboz, a diamond in the rough streaming service which advocates for superior sound quality and equitable pay practices for artists featured on the service. These qualities all track with bey’s tendency to make choices rooted in principle and I applaud him for this choice. The reissue has been released physically in collaboration with Rhymesayer Entertainment. The album was named after Victor LaValle’s novel, which a dark humor book.
The Music
The sound bey achieved mixed conscious hip hop lyricism, the legend’s activist mindset, and features sonic influences from Afrobeat, soul, jazz, reggae, as well as Latin and Middle Eastern sounds/textures. The album has also said to have taken influence from the sampling style of the late, great MF DOOM. The album features 16 tracks across approximately 45 minutes.
As previously mentioned, the album features a smorgasbord of musical styles, including Middle Eastern influences, such as that found on “The Embassy”. bey is at perhaps his pinnacle from a flow perspective, as he drops dynamic bars with a clinical accuracy, even doing some in Spanish on “No Hay Nada Mas”. While bey’s vocal style may seem “laid back” I prefer to think of it as velvety smooth, and I think it juxtaposes perfectly with the content of his words, which is often politically charged and fire.
I cannot discuss the music without talking about how well bey partners up with Slick Rick on “Auditorium” where bey and Slick Rick touch on issues in the post war on terror world. The Ecstatic also features samples with audio from a 1964 speech one of our favorite civil rights leaders and thinkers Malcolm X. The speech from Malcom X stresses the need for revolutionary mindsets to achieve change and a thank you to those that see this need regardless of color and background. Additionally, the record features Turkish protest singer Selda Bağcan, and an Arab-language scene from the 1966 film The Battle of Algiers. The album also features a dedication to god in Arabic, as he’s known to do on his other work.
“History” also has a feature from one of my favorites Talib Kweli, which is so well done and perfectly placed near the end of the record. I also loved Georgia Anne Muldrow’s vocals on “Roses” where bey utilizes his vocals and flow to sing and rap in a track that features piano and some great beats.
(Photo Credit: Michael La Torre)
The Reissue
The new reissue vinyl features some slick packaging that implements some matte imagery that pairs nicely with glossy text. The album is a duo LP. It’s a translucent red, which fits the theme of the packaging throughout. The red against the black/white imagery just pops as it plays on my table and sits in my record holder. The record plays masterfully on my Pioneer turntable and I think bey’s sound and sonic influences play well in the analog format.
The reissue of the record can be had for about $35 providers to purchase it, see here. Frankly, the price is a small one to pay for the amount of music you get and the care that bey and company put into this reissuing of this work. I have to say thank you again to bey, Grandstand, and Ryhmesayers Entertainment for hooking me up with this one. It joins my massive vinyl collection and will be a treasured part of my hip hop section for years to come!
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