In a year that has seen a few high profile hip-hop stars enjoying much welcomed returns to form, Mos Def was one of the most celebrated. “The Ecstatic” was easily the best work the rapper has released this decade; a career best only bettered by his 1999 debut “Black on Both Sides”. Madlib’s Middle-Eastern flavored beats joined the ones provided by late J. Dilla, Oh No and others, to create a widely eclectic, yet surprisingly focused opus that stands out as one of the genre’s highlights of 2009.

Released on Downtown. Available to listen in Spotify.