Regardless of how one might feel about the career turns and changes that have gone along with following Mos Def, it can't be argued that he possesses a ridiculous amount of talent and seems to be the mouth piece of a certain segment of hip hop culture. Whether or not desired, that position was solidified by around 2000 after a number of consecutive recorded successes. Mos Def's not always been granted a fair shake in the media - but then again, he didn't have to endorse any products. But sometimes it comes down to business. And everyone's gotta eat, so to keep food on his plate as well as his mind clear of the rapid shot thoughts that must be flying around in there, Mighty Mos is set to release The Ecstatic on June 9^th.

Via Downtown Music, the emcee, actor and poet's slated to release his fourth proper full length since '99. And over that decade, it seems that Mos Def has undergone a subtle shift in persona. Beginning with the release of a disc by Blackstarr - which also included Talib Kweli and production by Hi-Tek - Mos had set out to create a thoughtful companion to some of rap's more carnal works. And on the positive reception of that disc as well as his first full length, Black on Both Sides, the rapper ushered in the new millennium.

These two early successes set a rather high bar for Mos to continually meet. And on his two subsequent full lengths, 2004's The New Danger as well as True Magic in 2006, the multi-talented performer encountered some resistance on the part of the media and fans. With his talents scattered across disciplines, Mos attempted to include as many as possible over those two albums. And on the earlier disc, accompanied by Black Jack Johnson - a reference to the boxer as well as Miles Davis - the emcee delved into an uncomfortable hybrid of rock, soul, blues and hip hop. For such an attempt, it could have been worse, but Mos' fan base simply wanted a bit of the old boom bap. They may have had to wait out a few years of acting, but to a certain extent, The Ecstatic is the answer.

"Pistola," touching upon violence and daily life in a place that Mos may have grown up, begins with him singing the hook before delving into the meat of the track. Checking Criminal Minded in the first verse, the track can be seen as a return to the precepts of hip hop. Bolstered by a vibraphone sample, the song still possesses some bizarre production including Mos speaking the hook underneath him singing it, which is unsettling and throws the rhythm off a bit. But even if that's perceived as a misstep, fans can understand the approach as Mos trying to move past a traditional track.

The guest spots, including an appearance by Slick Rick further The Ecstatic's tie to traditional hip hop. "Auditorium" again finds Mos Def speaking on what he's witnessed in the BK. And seeing as the greatest story teller of the genre appears on the track, Mos attempts to frame not just his track, but the entire album in a sort of social explication of a specific segment of the population.