The Ecstatic: Ruby Red Translucent Double Vinyl LP

Pre-Order Item. Release Date Subject to Change.
Label: Rhymesayers Entertainment
Release Date: 14th August

Spare a though for those over at discogs charging £££ and exploiting your desire to have one of the great hip hop records of the 21st Century on vinyl because a bonafide classic is back on big discs. A standout in Mos Def's (now yasiin bey) career as he enlisted a cast of producers operating at their creative peaks including Madlib, J Dilla, Oh No, Preservation, Mr. Flash, Chad Hugo (of The Neptunes), and Georgia Anne Muldrow. The result is an album that brings a groundbreaking mix of samples, beats and influences where jazz, soul, psych rock and middle eastern music came together to make a heady mix MC'ed by a rejuvinated Mos Def.

Originally released in June 2009, The Ecstatic stands as a defining artistic statement from Mos Def (now known as yasiin bey) — a richly textured return to form that reaffirmed his status as one of hip-hop’s most adventurous and intellectually engaged voices. Arriving a decade after his celebrated debut Black on Both Sides, the album was widely regarded as his strongest work in years, earning near-universal praise for its lyrical breadth, eclectic production, and thematic ambition.

Musically, The Ecstatic weaves a global sonic tapestry shaped by an array of forward-thinking producers including Madlib, J Dilla, Oh No, Preservation, Mr. Flash, Chad Hugo (of The Neptunes), and Georgia Anne Muldrow. The resulting soundscape is both rooted in hip-hop tradition and unbound by genre, integrating elements of jazz, soul, Middle-Eastern inflection, and experimental sample work. Tracks like “Supermagic” and “Twilite Speedball” establish a vibrant, restless energy that mirrors the album’s expansive creative scope.

Lyrically, yasiin bey traverses personal, political, and philosophical terrain with characteristic incisiveness, confronting social inequality, Western imperialism, and questions of cultural identity with poetic urgency. Embracing risk and complexity rather than nostalgia, The Ecstatic remains a mature, deeply felt body of work whose ambition, depth, and enduring resonance have solidified its place as a standout entry in Mos Def’s catalog and in modern hip-hop history.

Tracklisting: