(CelebNMusic247) Mos Def Explains Name Change To Yasiin Bey:
Last year around this time Mos Def revealed that starting 2012, he was changing his name to Yasiin Bey.
Well it’s a year later CelebNMusic247 learned that Mos Def wanted to change his name and gave a deadline for the remaining life line of his old persona.
Yasiin spoke with GQ, rapper/actor Mos Def aka Yasiin Bey explained why he chose to change his name and his persona. Bey reflects his feelings towards the overexposure of his previous moniker.
Yasiin Bey said in his GQ interview:
“I began to fear that Mos Def was being treated as a product, not a person, so I’ve been going by Yasiin since ’99. At first it was just for friends and family, but now I’m declaring it openly.”
“When my paternal grandfather passed a few years back, I started to wear a shirt and tie every day, like he did. Michael Jackson’s death had a big impact on me, too. Right before the Ecstatic tour in 2009, I began wearing loafers and high-waisted pants. And that’s where my look started. … Hip-hop is the last true folk art. I got involved with Ale et Ange because it represents hip-hop in a way that isn’t pandering. It’s nice to see something that’s elegant, skillful, and raw.”
