Yasiin Bey, who many know by his former name Mos Def, comes out of retirement to share a new song with his fans. “Dec 99th – N.A.W.” features Bey singing melodic bars about needs and wants over a sinister beat as he proclaims, “I hope you got what you need.”
The track was produced by Bey’s close friend, Ferrari Sheppard. Together, they co-founded the website A Country Called Earth, which is also the name of the SoundCloud account that posted the song. Sheppard shared the track on Twitter and revealed that this was his first time producing a song.
Earlier this week, Bey released an apology for cancelling shows due to ongoing court cases centered around his use of a fraudulent passport while attempting to leave South Africa. “I won’t be able to make it to you guys this week,” he wrote. “I know this is the second postponement of these engagements and it’s directly related to the matters at hand here for me in South Africa which I’m working to resolve. All is well. I’m safe. I’m in good spirits.”
Back in March, Bey appeared in a South African court to face charges for using the false passport and for illegally helping his family stay in the country. He is currently out on bail, but is unable to fulfill his international tour dates at this time. Bey’s team continues to deny the charges.
Immediately following his arrest in January, Bey dropped a freestyle and message on Kanye West’s website discussing his arrest and announcing his retirement from music. He also stated that he will release one final album this year. It’s unclear whether the new song “Dec 99th – N.A.W.” is meant for the new album, but it’s definitely worth a listen. Check it out below.
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