6. Mos Def feat. Slick Rick "Auditorium"

Chop a small axe and knock a giant lopsided

I loved Black Star. Black on Both Sides is a record that profoundly changed my relationship with hip-hop. Mos Def was always an important figure for me and I waited, ever faithful, for a follow-up that would do his talents justice. When I first heard "Auditorium," I felt relief and excitement – finally, a track that could live up to everything Black on Both Sides delivered. The gorgeous sample from Madlib's Beat Konducta in India provides a lush, meditative backdrop for Mos Def and Slick Rick's complex flow. The two emcees touch upon everything from the Iraq War to writing. Ever the wordsmith, the best aspects of Mos Def's songs have always been in his lyrics and "Auditorium" is no exception. Mos Def's turns are stunning and it's a pleasure to hear the words, the rhythms fly off his tongue. Lines like "Soul is the lion's roar, voice is the siren / I swing `round, wring out and bring down the tyrant / Chop a small axe and knock a giant lopsided" are refreshing in their complexity but made all the better in Mos Def's ease in the delivery. While "Auditorium" might not quite reach the heights of a track like "Mathematics," nonetheless, it was worth the wait.



Written for Treble Zine's Top 50 Songs of 2009.