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D.L. Chandler is a known hip hop critic who writes reviews for Okayplayer.com, and is also an artist himself, Mash Comp from the hip hop group Dumhi. He recently did a cool twitter based review of Ecstatic, Mos Def’s latest album, which I thought was an interesting use of 140 characters. I went through and reordered it based on the tracklisting. Check it out below and follow him on twitter. @DLC123.

01. Supermagic (Produced by Oh No)
Mos Def “The Estatic” Tweet Review - “Supermagic” - Oh No’s track is amazing & MD amicably matches the intensity. Just beats & rhymes. Dope.

02. Twilite Speedball (Produced by Chad Hugo & Mos Def)
Mos Def “The Estatic” Review - “Twilite Speedball” - Chad Hugo’s track goes in, but Mos Def isn’t bringing the goods lyrically. mas o menos.

03. Auditorium (featuring Slick Rick, Produced by Madlib)
Mos Def “The Estatic” Review - “Auditorium” - Perhaps the disc’s strongest track, bolstered highly by Slick Rick’s cameo. MD’s verse is dope

04. Wahid (Produced by Madlib)
Mos Def “The Estatic” Review - Wahid - Madlib’s track is dope per usual & MD’s vocal are high in the mix, supreme clarity. Subject tho? Eh.

05. Priority (Produced by Preservation)
Mos Def “The Estatic” Review - Priority - MD sounds comfortable here, song’s 2 short. Preservation’s track is enjoyable. Great song here.

06. Quiet Dog (Produced by Preservation)
Mos Def “The Estatic” Review -Quiet Dog Bites Hard - Preservation on the track again. MD slays this. Topically messy, sonically pleasing.

07. Life In Marvelous Times (Produced by Mr. Flash)
Mos Def The Ecstatic Review - Life In Marvelous Times - MD’s grimiest sounding performance yet. Attempts to sound epic, seems contrived. Meh

08. The Embassy (Produced by Mr. Flash & Mos Def)
Mos Def The Ecstatic Review - The Embassy - interesting if overlong intro. fantastic beat. MD rhymin’ to be rhymin’ but it SOUNDS DOPE.

09. No Hay Nada Mas (Produced by Preservation)
Mos Def The Ecstatic Review - No Hay Nada Mas - MD rapping in Spanish? The track is smooth and sparse enough but uninteresting song.

10. Pistola (Produced by Oh No)
Mos Def The Ecstatic Review - Pistola - perhaps the 2nd best song on the LP. Oh No’s beat helps. MD helps himself by spitting direct. Heat.

11. Pretty Dancer (Produced by Madlib)
Mos Def The Ecstatic Review - Pretty Dancer - A rare clunker from Madlib. MD does his best to make it happen but it nevr does. Needs 2 grow.

12. Workers Comp (Produced by Mr. Flash)
Mos Def The Ecstatic Review - Workers Comp - Mr. Flash is a problem. MD takes this song all over the place. Might need 2 sit with this one.

13. Revelations (Produced by Madlib)
Mos Def The Ecstatic Review - Revelations - ‘Lib’s beat is so INCREDIBLE. MD adds on w/ perhaps my fave verse from him on the LP. Greatness.

14. Roses (Georgia Anne Muldrow featuring Mos Def)
The Ecstatic Review - Roses - I prefer the original but beautiful song here. Georgia Anne Muldrow fans rejoice. Good pairing.

15. History (feat. Talib Kweli, Produced by J Dilla)
Mos Def The Ecstatic Review - History - Dilla’s beat is amazing & Kweli delivers a STRONG verse. The song is very good. 3rd best easily.

16. Casa Bey (Produced by Mos Def)
The Ecstatic Review - Casa Bey - didni’t like it @ first. grew to @ least tolerate it. dope video tho. weird song. fits the vibe tho

In all, The Ecstatic is one of the LP’s you have to really sit with and absorb. It’s prolly @ best as a headphone/long trip LP. It made me go back and appreciate “True Magic” I didn’t think that was possible. Better than New Danger tho (to me) Mos Def fans will like/love it but HEAR that he’s not giving full lyrical effort. He’s become reliant on style & voice. Sonically, the beats match Mos Def well. He’s never flat out wack. Singing has always put me off tho. Never loved that.

My last words on The Ecstatic - less than triumphant return for Mos Def. Brilliant moments, flashes of lyrical ability. Lots of meandering.

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