Mos Def's Career, Still Arcing Upward

Fresh Air | By Terry Gross

Published March 3, 2006 at 11:56 AM EST

Rapper and actor Mos Def is co-starring in the new film 16 Blocks. Recently he played a cop in the indie film The Woodsman, also starring Kevin Bacon. Mos Def's most recent rap album is The New Danger.

Def has appeared in the films Bamboozled, Monster's Ball, and Brown Sugar. An Obie winner, Mos Def made his Broadway debut with the play Topdog/Underdog.

This interview originally aired on Dec. 22, 2004.

Terry Gross

Combine an intelligent interviewer with a roster of guests that, according to the Chicago Tribune, would be prized by any talk-show host, and you're bound to get an interesting conversation. Fresh Air interviews, though, are in a category by themselves, distinguished by the unique approach of host and executive producer Terry Gross. "A remarkable blend of empathy and warmth, genuine curiosity and sharp intelligence," says the San Francisco Chronicle.

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