Mos Def

Mos Def was the host of the award winning HBO spoken word show "Def Poets" that ran for six seasons.  He is one of the few stars of today that flourished from the roots of Spoken Word.

Dante Terrell Smith (born December 11, 1973) is an American actor and MC known by the stage name Mos Def.  He was a major force in the late 1990s underground hip hopRawkus Records.  As a solo artist he has released the albums Black on Both Sides in 1999, The New Danger in 2004, True Magic in 2006, and The Ecstatic in 2009.  Initially recognized for his musical output, since the early 2000s, Mos Def's screen work has established him as one of only a handful of rappers who have garnered critical approval for their acting work. 

Mos Def won Best Actor, Independent Movie at the 2005 Black Reel Awards for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Lucas in The Woodsman.  For his portrayal of Vivien Thomas in HBO's film Something the Lord Made, he was nominated for an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe, and won the Image Award.  He also played a bandleader in HBO's Lackawanna Blues.  He then landed the role of Ford Prefect in the 2005 movie adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Mos Def freestyles to the audience with his song "Ghetto Rock" as host of HBO's Def Poets.