December 3, 2007
Mos Def turns hip-hop passion into thriving business
Hip-hop master, actor, entrepreneur, and social activist Mos Def will talk about his career and how he has been able to meld his love of music with a savvy approach to business during a talk on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m. at the Advancement and Alumni Center.
Hip-hop legend and critically acclaimed actor Mos
Def will discuss his role as an entrepreneur and how he successfully
blended his flair for business and his passion for hip-hop. He will be
joined by his mother and longtime manager, Sheron Umi Smith, during a talk
on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m. at 300 East River Road.
Bakari Kitwana ’88, ’90W (MA), a prominent
author and cultural critic, will moderate the discussion. The former
executive editor of The Source magazine, Kitwana is currently an artist-in-residence at
the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture at the University
of Chicago. His 2002 book, The Hip-Hop
Generation, has been adopted as a course book
at more than 100 colleges and universities.
Mos Def became an overnight hip-hop sensation in 1996
with the release of his first single, “Universal Magnetic.” A
huge underground hit, the single led to further critical acclaim with the
1999 release of his solo album debut Black on Both Sides, which was
certified gold. He has since received several Grammy Award nominations,
most recently this year in the Best Rap Solo Performance category for
Undeniable.
Although it was his musical talents that catapulted
him to international celebrity, the Brooklyn- born Mos Def is also an
accomplished actor. Since making his professional acting debut at the age
of 14, he has appeared in numerous films (Monster’s
Ball, The Woodsman, and The Hitchhiker’s
Guide to the Galaxy), television shows
(HBO’s Def Poetry), and stage theater productions (Topdog/Underdog), earning nominations for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe.
Smith has been managing her son’s career since
he was nine years old. She lectures around the country and is the founder
of the Organization of Mothers in Entertainment.
The event is sponsored by the University’s David
T. Kearns Center for Leadership and Diversity in Science and Engineering
and the Center for Entrepreneurship. Admission is free with University ID
and $5 for the general public. Tickets are available at the Common Market
in Wilson Commons or online at www.choiceticketing.com/rochester.
Parking is available outside the Advancement and
Alumni Center. Shuttles from the ITS Center on the River Campus to the
venue will be available between 6 and 7:15 p.m. For more details, contact
Anthony Plonczynski at 275-1402.
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