Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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51 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mos Def nearly back to his best, June 8, 2009
After, let's face it, two album flops (especially True Magic), Mos Def has clearly struggled to put out quality music that he blessed us with beforehand (Black Star with Talib Kweli, Black on Both Sides). Having bought this album and listened to each track multiple times, I can honestly say its easily his best since Black on Both Sides, but still somewhat short of the extremely high standards he set with his solo debut.
The highs of the album, in my view, are the tracks Quiet Dog (Bite Hard), 'Life in Marvelous Times', 'History' (featuring Talib Kweli) and the closer, 'Casa Bey'. 'Quiet Dog' (produced by Preservation) has an insane percussion beat and Mos Def reminds us why he is considered one of the top MC's in the game. 'Life in Marvelous Times' is a reflective song which sets up the second half of the album, looking briefly at Mos Def's journey from the projects in Bed-Stuy to where he is now. The best line in the album, in my opinion, comes from this song, when Mos says "we are alive in amazing times/ delicate hearts, diabolical minds'. It really got me thinking. In my opinion, the best track on the album is the closer, 'Casa Bey', because it has a wonderful mix of a fast-paced catchy instrumental that Mos somehow manages to keep up with and lines that jump out at you again and again (You can't stop my go/ I was born to be where I am/ Bright light from a Distant Star). And to top it all off, it ends with a beautifully sad and soothing little piano solo.
Another thing I like about the album is its use of Eastern samples (mostly provided by the legendary Madlib and his brother Oh No) and weird guitar riffs (check out the Chad Hugo produced 'Twilite Speedball'). And that's not just because I am Arabic! haha...no I genuinely think using Arabic and Indian music for samples makes the album feel more abstract and unique.
The album does have its cons though. Some of the lyrics honestly seem half-a@@ed and as if Mos Def was in a rush, and thats really not like him. The song 'Workers Comp.', for example, seems plain silly to me and doesn't meet the standard of some of the other tracks. But all in all, I had to say its a close-to-perfect Mos Def album.
In conclusion, you may not hear any of the songs from this album on the radio because of their quirkiness, but let me assure you this is a definite buy for fans of Black Dante, like myself. Hopefully he'll keep it up for his next album, which is, apparently, a collaboration with Jay Electronica...should be interesting :)
thanks for reading
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
deep, dynamic, challenging, rewarding, June 15, 2009
the beats are dense and spooky. mos' flow is at times aggressive and ominous. but this is not supposed to be an easy album to listen too. Mos Def has created an album reflecting the times we live in. and for listeners brave enough to keep their ears open and and absorb multiple listens, the depth, beauty, and ecstasy of The Ecstatic will slowly begin to unfold and reveal itself. this album belongs to a newer, complex breed of 'art hip-hop' that requires the attention of a jazz album. while reception may be a tiny bit lukewarm today, 10 years from now, we will remember The Ecstatic as one of the most important hip hop discs of our time.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Black Dante, June 9, 2009
Mighty Mos drops Ecstatic another very nice album for your collection. As always Mos is on the album with dope word play, dope delivery, and lyrics that make you think. What i really liked about the album was the production. Beats by Dilla, Mad Lib, Preservation, and Mr. Flash. The beats are dope and get your head bouncing while enjoying some fire lyrics. Also the album features the great Slick Rick and my man Talib Kweli. Another liked is this album is more rapping and not so much singing. I don't mind Mos' singing but at some points in the past it was a bit too much. The only song i didn't really care for was NO HAY NADA MAS. I don't speak enough spanish to appreciate it. All in all this is a good release by Dante and should be added to your collection immediately!!!
Stand out tracks:
Auditorium
History
Priority
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is Mos Def's 
