Ann Arbor, MI - The ensemble that takes the stage Monday on Monday at Hill Auditorium is being billed as the Mos Def Big Band. The big question that hip-hop fans may have is about the “big band” moniker - which usually suggests something in a jazzy vein.

But hard-core Mos fans needn’t worry that this is going to be some hybrid of hip-hop and Count Basie. The “big band” appellation in this case is a reference to the fact that Mos will have a number of live musicians onstage, including horn players. That’s a departure from many hip-hop shows, which typically comprise just the rapper, a DJ and someone triggering computerized samples.  

“I saw Mos do the big-band show in New York last year,” said Mark Jacobson, program director for the University Musical Society, which is presenting the show. “And he had a full rhythm section, plus brass instruments, in addition to a DJ. So it was a really full sound.”

What makes this show unique is it’s a one-time-only performance - and that Mos Def chose the Detroit area to do it. That’s because the show is a tribute to hip-hop producer J Dilla (real name James Yancey), who was probably the most prolific hip-hop producer to come out of Detroit.

J Dilla died in February of 2006, at the too-young age of 32, from complications caused by lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease. The show will also feature guest MCs and producers who were associated with J Dilla.

Some of the proceeds will be contributed to the J Dilla Foundation, to raise funds to continue J Dilla’s legacy through supporting lupus research and serving underprivileged children in the arts.

“Mos Def is just so widely respected as an artist and musician and actor,” said Jacobson. “What speaks to me about Mos is not just his music, but the nuances of his delivery. I think his audience really feels that. He’s a great communicator, and he’s a really infectious presence onstage - he really draws you in.”

Mos Def made his first splash in 1996, when he released his “Universal Magnetic” album. That led to his collaborations with Talib Kweli. The pair teamed up to form Black Star, whose work drew raves from the hipster urban critics. He’s released several albums since then, including his latest, “True Magic,” in 2006.

He has also made his mark as an actor, most strikingly with an understated but compelling performance in the 2004 HBO movie “Something the Lord Made,” about a black medical pioneer in the Jim Crow south - a performance that earned him nominations for an Emmy and a Golden Globe award. More recently, he did a semi-comic turn as a fretful parolee in “16 Blocks.” He’s slated to appear in three more movies in 2008.

Jacobson notes that the show is also being presented in conjunction with the University of Michigan’s Office of Academic Multi-Cultural Initiatives - and that it’s taking place on the commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.

Source:
MLive.com