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Mos Def, revered as one of Brooklyn's finest musical talents, is coming to London for the first time in two years to deliver his unique sound to the Shepherds Bush Empire stage. He'll be there with the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and Benji B of BBC 1xtra.

Taking time out of a busy schedule Mos Def is always one to watch and now is England’s chance to check him out. Mos started his storied career in the Nineties with the New York-based Native Tongue Posse. Tied to the Universal Zulu Nation, the crew included the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, and were known for their jazzy beats and Afro centric lyrical stylings. Mos then pioneered a massive underground hiphop explosion as one half of Black Star alongside Talib Kweli, going on to a successful solo turn that saw the release of three well-received albums of material.

In addition to his critically acclaimed work on stage, screen, and political arenas (name check: Monster’s Ball, Italian Job, Brown Sugar, Def Poetry, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy et al) this Renaissance Man has defined his place in both hip-hop and the world at large, talking loud, saying a great deal. Recent buzz has been circulating over Mos Def's recent signing to Downtown Records (home of Gnarls Barkley), and he just put the finishing touch on a new Spank Rock remix for the white-hot French duo Justice.

For the show Mos will bring in the brass. Those who have never heard of the organic sounds of the ninepiece brass outfit Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are in for an aural treat. This rhythmic street orchestra from Chicago explodes on stage with their self-penned music that finds influence deep in hip-hop, funk, and classical music. They have been busy in the UK recently, contributing to Damon Albarn of Gorillaz upcoming project, "The Good, The Bad, and The Queen". This will not be the first time this band of brothers have graced the stage with the Mighty Mos. They've performed earlier this year in the All-Star James Brown Tribute event, as well as playing back up for Mos Def's sold out, two night engagement at the Brooklyn Opera house this past spring.

Bringing the dope music to the people England’s own Benji B has garnered recognition as one of the countries most influential tastemakers. Starting as a producer for BBC Radio One with Gilles Peterson at a young age, Benji learned quickly what it takes to create a hit programme. When the chance arose to helm his own show on the newly formed digital outlet BBC 1Xtra, Benji took the opportunity to delve even deeper in underground music world and is known for breaking the most innovative sounds of hiphop and soul today.

Presented by Soundcrash, SinceDay1 and K-Swiss.

Address: Shepherds Bush Green, London W12 8TT
Time: 7:30pm
Ticket Cost: £22.50 in advance
Ticket Outlets: wegottickets.com and ticketweb.com

Mos Def

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