Eight Gigs: Yasiin Bey

Brooklyn-based rapper Yasiin Bey is a longtime force in underground hip-hop culture. Throughout the '90s and until recently, Bey was known as Mos Def. He formed the hip-hop duo Black Star with Talib Kweli, and in '98, the two released their debut album Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star—whose tracks “Definition” and “Respiration” made VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip-Hop list. As Mos Def, he's worked with a variety of performers like Kanye West, the Roots, Gorillaz and even French electronic dance duo Justice. In 2011, Mos Def announced that he changed his name to Yasiin Bey and has since performed and appeared in films under his new identity. 1417 R Street, www.facebook.com/MosDef.