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Black on Both Sides
Studio album by Mos Def
Released	October 12, 1999 (US)
Genre	Alternative Hip hop, East Coast Hip hop
Length	71:21
Label	Rawkus/UMVD
Producer	Mos Def Diamond D 88-Keys DJ Premier Ayatollah Mr. Khaliyl Ali Shaheed Muhammad Weldon Irvine Psycho Les DJ Etch-A-Sketch Ge-ology D Prosper David Kennedy
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link RapReviews.com link The Source link Pitchforkmedia link
Mos Def chronology
Black Star (1998) Black on Both Sides (1999) The New Danger (2004)

Black on Both Sides is an alternative rap album by Mos Def, released on October 12, 1999 (see 1999 in music). Intended as a return to the roots of hip hop, the album was hailed as a classic soon after its release, and went on to ship Gold in sales.^[1] The album's blend of socio-political rhymes with jazz and other unusual sources of samples endeared Mos Def to listeners uninterested in gangsta rap.

Black On Both Sides was one of many Hip-Hop albums that underwent last minute changes. On the song "Brooklyn", a three-movement piece dedicated to Mos' place of origin in Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York, Mos rhymes three verses over three different beats. The first two beats are original compositions, while the last verse is set to the instrumental of the late great Notorious B.I.G.'s 1995 single Who Shot Ya? However, "Brooklyn"'s original sounscape took its concept a bit further. On the original version, the first and third verses are set to the instrumentals of two other 1995 New York rap hits, Incarcerated Scarfaces by Raekwon as well as Give Up the Goods (Just Step) by Mobb Deep, respectively. The "Who Shot Ya?" verse with the same vocal take on the released version, is placed in the middle. It is assumed that the use of these instrumentals could not be cleared for various reasons. One of many being the possibility that the samples used in the original instrumentals were only licensed to be used specifically for those compositions, and any further licensing would require the original artists' permission (therefore requiring more money on both sampling parties' ends), or any other number of various music industry troubles. This said version circulates online frequently.

Also, DJ Premier originally used a different sample than the one featured on the released version of "Mathematics", which was decidedly entered into clearance. When clearance failed, DJ Premier crafted a different instrumental for the song.

The album's cover is a tribute to Miles Davis' album, Tutu.

• "Fear Not of Man"
  • Bass: Mos Def
  • Congas: Mos Def
  • Keyboards: Weldon Irvine
  • Percussion: Mos Def
• "Hip Hop"
  • Bass: Mos Def
  • Keyboards: Mos Def
  • Scratches: DJ Etch A Sketch
• "Umi Says"
  • Fender Rhodes: will.i.am
  • Hammond organ: Weldon Irvine
• "Rock N Roll"
  • Bass: Mos Def
  • Drums: Mos Def
  • Guitar: Johnny Why
• "Mr. Nigga"
  • Congas: Mos Def
  • Percussion: Mos Def
• "May-December"
  • Bass: Mos Def
  • Piano: Weldon Irvine
  • Vibraphone: Mos Def

• "Fear Not of Man" samples from "Fear Not for Man" by Fela Kuti.
• "Hip Hop" samples from "The Warning Pt II" by David Axelrod, "Time's Up" by O.C..
• "Love" samples from "Porgy" by Bill Evans and interpolates "I Know You Got Soul" by Eric B. & Rakim"
• "Ms. Fat Booty" samples from "One Step Ahead" by Aretha Franklin.
• "Speed Law" samples from "Promise Her Anything But Give Her Arpeggio" by Big Brother & The Holding Company, "And That's Saying a Lot" by Christine McVie.
• "Know That" samples from "Anyone Who Had A Heart" by Dionne Warwick.
• "Brooklyn" samples from "What Are You Doin' the Rest of Your Life" by Milt Jackson, "We Live In Brooklyn Baby" by Roy Ayers, "I'm Afraid the Masquerade Is Over" by David Porter (This from use of the instrumental to The Notorious B.I.G.'s Who Shot Ya?), and interpolates "Under the Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers.
• "Mr. Nigga" samples from "A Legend in His Own Mind" by Gil-Scott Heron and Brian Jackson & "Sun Goddess" by Ramsey Lewis.
• "Mathematics" samples from "John Blaze" by Fat Joe, "On and On" by Erykah Badu, "Baby I'm-A Want You" by The Fatback Band, "Funky Drummer" by James Brown, "For All My Niggaz & Bitches" by Snoop Dogg (vocal portion performed by Lady of Rage), "Criminology" by Raekwon (vocal portion performedby Ghostface Killah) & "Body Rock" by Mos Def.

Single cover	Single information
	"Ms. Fat Booty" Released: 1999 B-side: "Mathematics"
	"Umi Says" Released: June 26, 2000 B-side: "Universal Magnetic"

• Weldon Irvine - Piano, Arranger, Keyboards, Producer, String Arrangements
• Jane - Design
• The Beatnuts - Producer
• Busta Rhymes - Performer
• Diamond D - Producer
• DJ Premier - Producer
• David Kennedy - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
• Ali Shaheed Muhammad - Producer
• Vinia Mojica - Vocals
• Q-Tip - Performer
• Mos Def - Bass, Percussion, Conga, Drums, Keyboards, Producer, Vibraphone, Executive Producer
• Kiku - Design
• Talib Kweli - Performer
• 88 Keys - Producer
• Etch-A-Sketch - Producer
• Shaka - Executive Producer
• Psycho Les - Producer
• Johnny Why - Guitar, Engineer
• Calabazitaz Tiernaz - Photography
• Alvaro Gonzalez-Campo - Photography
• Ayatollah - Producer
• Ge-Ology - Producer

1. ^ http://www.riaa.com/gp/database/search_results.asp