The New Danger

The New Danger is the second studio album by American rapper Mos Def, released on October 12, 2004, by Rawkus and Geffen Records. It is the follow-up to his breakthrough solo effort Black on Both Sides (1999), after which he devoted more time into his film and stage career.[1]

The New Danger
Studio album by
Mos Def
ReleasedOctober 12, 2004
Recorded2003-04
Genre
Length74:51
Label
Producer
Mos Def chronology
Black on Both Sides
(1999)		 The New Danger
(2004)		 True Magic
(2006)

Production

Production for the album was handled by Mos Def, Kanye West, 88 Keys, Minnesota, Warryn Campbell, and Psycho Les. It also features contributions from Mos Def's rock musical project Black Jack Johnson, which was named after boxing champion Jack Johnson and consists of guitarist Dr. Know, keyboardist Bernie Worrell, bassist Doug Wimbish, and drummer Will Calhoun.[1]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic59/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Blender[4]
Entertainment WeeklyC+[5]
The Independent[6]
NME7/10[7]
Pitchfork5.4/10[8]
Q[9]
Rolling Stone[10]
SpinB[11]
The Village VoiceA−[12]

The New Danger received generally mixed reviews from critics; it holds an aggregate score of 59 out of 100 at Metacritic.[13] Blender called it "mushily sentimental, self-righteously indignant and constantly in your face",[4] while AllMusic's Andy Kellman said it was "a sprawling, overambitious mess".[3] New York magazine panned the album as "an unsatisfying muddle of protest music, black rock, and rap".[14] In The New York Times, Kelefa Sanneh wrote that the record suffered from extended soul songs that meandered, dull rock songs, and some raps such as "The Rape Over" that were devoid of Mos Def's usual "warmth and wit".[15] NME deemed some of the songs failed experiments but also highlighted "Boogie Man Song", "Modern Marvel", and "Champion Requiem" as more timeless material.[7] Rolling Stone critic Tom Moon was more enthusiastic, hailing the album as an "earthy, impressively diverse" work that showcased Mos Def's abilities to "create deeply nuanced characterizations" and "broaden the hip-hop palette without sacrificing, or selling out, its core ideals".[10] Writing for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau said while Mos Def's past records were driven by his "verbal flow", The New Danger was more interesting musically and defined by its sonic flow, which the critic described as "a shadowy, guitar-drenched tone poem of the streets".[12] In his ballot for the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll, he named it the 19th best album of 2004.[16]

Commercial performance

The New Danger was released by Geffen Records on October 12, 2004, in the United States and October 18 in the United Kingdom.[17] It debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 in its first week,[18] and by March 2014, it had sold 513,000 copies in the US.[19] In August 2017, the album was certified gold by the RIAA, indicating sales and their equivalents—streams and track downloads—of 500,000 units in the U.S.[20]

Track listing
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."The Boogie Man Song"Mos Def, Raphael Saadiq2:22
2."Freaky Black Greetings"Mos Def2:20
3."Ghetto Rock"Minnesota3:53
4."Zimzallabim"Easy Mo Bee, Mos Def3:41
5."The Rape Over"Kanye West1:34
6."Blue Black Jack" (featuring Shuggie Otis)Minnesota5:47
7."Bedstuy Parade & Funeral March" (featuring Paul Oscher)Mos Def4:32
8."Sex, Love & Money"Warryn Campbell4:09
9."Sunshine"Kanye West4:25
10."Close Edge"Minnesota3:10
11."The Panties"Minnesota4:11
12."War"Mos Def, Psycho Les3:07
13."Grown Man Business (Fresh Vintage Bottles)" (featuring Minnesota)Minnesota3:24
14."Modern Marvel"Minnesota9:19
15."Life Is Real"Molecules3:11
16."The Easy Spell"Mos Def5:32
17."The Beggar" (featuring Paul Oscher)Mos Def5:19
18."Champion Requiem"88-Keys4:52
UK Edition bonus track
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
19."The Jump Off" (featuring Ludacris)Minnesota4:21

Notes: The UK Edition bonus track is also featured on his 2007 compilation album, Mos Definite.

Charts
Chart (2004) Peak
position
French Albums Chart[21] 103
Swiss Albums Chart[22] 50
UK Albums Chart[23] 56
US Billboard 200[24] 5
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[25] 2
US Billboard Top Rap Albums[26] 1
Singles
Year Title
2004 "Sex, Love & Money"
"Close Edge"

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[27] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

References
  1. Cromelin, Richard (2004-11-28). Try Telling Him He Can't Do It All. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.
  2. "New Danger by Mos Def".
  3. Kellman, Andy. "The New Danger - Mos Def". Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.
  4. Blender. New York: 138. November 2004.CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  5. Fiore, Raymond. "Rap's Mos Valuable Player". Entertainment Weekly: October 22, 2004.
  6. Quinn, Anthony (2004-10-29). "Album: Mos Def (The New Danger)". The Independent. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.
  7. NME. London: 51. October 23, 2004.CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  8. Warren, Jamin (2004-10-18). "Mos Def: The New Danger". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.
  9. "Review". Q. October 2004. p. 124.
  10. Moon, Tom (2004-10-28). "Mos Def: The New Danger : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2008-02-03. Retrieved 2013-01-22.
  11. Caramanica, Jon (October 2004). "Reviews". Spin. p. 115.
  12. Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice: November 2, 2004. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.
  13. "Critic Reviews for The New Danger". Metacritic. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.
  14. New York, Volume 37, Issues 38-46, pg. 108
  15. New York Times review
  16. Pazz & Jop 2004: Dean's List
  17. Heaton, Dave (October 27, 2004). "Mos Def: The New Danger". PopMatters. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  18. "Billboard Bits: Mos Def, Eddie Vedder, Tim Booth". Billboard. October 21, 2004. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  19. Baker, Soren (March 7, 2014). "50 Cent Leaves Interscope: How Nas, Busta Rhymes, Ghostface Killah & Mos Def Fared After Leaving Their Longtime Label Homes". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  20. Suarez, Gary (August 31, 2017). "Mos Def's 'The New Danger' Goes RIAA Gold, 13 Years After Release". Forbes. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  21. "Discographie Mos Def". lescharts.com (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  22. "Discographie Mos Def". hitparade.ch (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  23. Mos Def albums peak chart position in United Kingdom: The New Danger: "Mos Def". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  24. "Mos Def Album & Song Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  25. "Mos Def Album & Song Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  26. "Mos Def Album & Song Chart History: Rap Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  27. "American album certifications – Mos Def – The New Danger". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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