Mos Def, a very unique and talented underground Hip-Hop artist combines with DJ Honda, a well known Japanese DJ to create a very smooth, meaningful song called Travellin' Man.

Before I get into details about this cd I would like to say that the following is the review of a SINGLE song on a CD so please do not judge the content simply by its length.

I would like the reader to know that I am very partial to Mos Def. My personal feelings are very much a factor because I have loved all of Mos's work and this song is no exception.

Mos has a very unique flow. His voice is very versatile, enabling him to rap smooth and sing well. This song uses both of those talents as it lightly combines singing with his heartfelt rapping. In a few ways I sometimes see similarities between he and Lauryn Hill. Do not jump to conclusions just yet, I am not comparing their talents or types of music, but just how the two of them both can rap and sound excellent in their songs but also add singing to their music and sound just as good. (Lauryn's voice is a little more vocal controlled and better able to maximize the use of her voice, but I was just drawing a simple personal observation, feel free to disagree.)

The song somewhat has a story to it as Mos describes that he is a Travellin' Man going through life doing the many things he has to do as an emcee. "Well go ahead and leave/ The call heard round the world from the wives of emcees...... God willing I'll be back home/ To drop these heavy a** bags up off my backbone / Around the world with a catalog of rap songs / My baby girl is walkin, been away for that long"

Mos is always very deep and expressive in his lyrics. He draws some amazing metaphors in this song as well as many of his others. One of my personal favorite lines in this song is "This thing called rhymin' no different from coal mining / We both on assignment to unearth the diamond." This is a perfect example of how he expresses himself through comparative language and tells the listener that he is on a mission to create the perfect rhyme. He draws the parallel that rappers, like coal miners, are on assignment to find the best possible result of their work and I think this is an amazing metaphor.

Mos's lyrics are very unique as I have stated. He says things that are common sense but the way he delivers them makes the listener look at them in a different perspective. One of my other favorite lines from the song is the chorus where he says, "Memories don’t live like people do / They always remember you / Baby don’t forget me / I'm a Travellin' Man..." Before I heard this song I had never thought of memories in the respect that they wont forget someone rather than someone forgetting them. It may sound confusing but I think it is an awesome concept and lets me see things from a different aspect.

This song has an incredible combination of samples that were pieced together by DJ Honda and are very compelling and soothing to listen to. It is very calming and the way Mos flows over the beat is fantastic. The relaxing beat is far from hardcore or loud raps so if that is what you are looking for, this song is not for you. I listen to this to mix in a little variety with the everyday raps that people hear on the radio which tend to lean more toward material things rather than meaning. (I am just saying some songs on the radio not all so do not jump to conclusions)

In conclusion I would highly recommend this single as it is a great display of Mos's talents and if anyone is considering buying any of Mos's cds this is a great start up song to listen to. His lyrical ability is matched by few people and in my opinion he is one of todays most under-rated and un-recognized talents.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to leave comments. It has been a little while since I have wrote for Epinions so I may be a bit rusty, please be kind in rating as I try to get some of my skills back. :)

Please Check Out My Other Music Reviews:
Alicia Keys - Songs In A Minor
DJ Honda - H II
Mos Def - Black On Both Sides
Mos Def and Talib Kweli - Blackstar
Talib Kweli - Quality
Talib Kweli - Reflection Eternal
The Roots - Do You Want More?!!!??!
White Lion - The Best Of White Lion

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Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Going to Sleep