Musical Ink: Mos Def "No Hay Nada Mas"

sing us poetic songs,
mesmerizing us with your lyrics,
let us trace the length of your melody,
locating the musical ink....

Mos Def ---  No Hay Nada Mas

As one of the artists who exude the Soulquarian vibe to a tee, I've been loving Mos Def's music for years.  While my Spanish is severely limited, I love the way this song sounds.  After looking up a lyric translation, I decided to include it here.  It is from the album The Ecstatic, one of the Brooklyn MC's finest recordings to date.


The lyrics:


(English Translation)

No Hay Nada Mas = There Is Nothing Else

Good one, thin
Call me thin, but my first name is Jaci Andante (the one who walks)
The last name the one who pays

Listen
That I am witness

The beauty, the danger is different, of course it is the truth
The street, the town
The cottages and centers

City quality no better, worse
War and life, love and change
Food that is being kept
Pistol, this prayer is for them
Women and men

Family, upbringing
The light in the distance

I want and say
Good is closer
My sight, my house, my dreams, my soul
I want to know and feel your embrace
And your contact
Show me something

Amen

Of course, of course, of course, yes
There is nothing else
There is nothing else
The end
There is nothing else
Of course, of course, of course, yes
There is nothing else

And there is nothing else
The end
There is nothing else
Of course, of course, of course, yes


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At least for Mos Def, I hope there's something else:  plenty of music like this.


Marcus Jamison, the Rare Poet