MMM: Why’s the album called “The Ecstatic?”

Since we’ve made this the Mos Month of May, I thought we’d combine some of the details we have to explain what the background behind “The Ecstatic” is all about. Mos Def has had this title for the album for at least a year and a half and its based on one of his favorite books of the same title by Victor LaValle.

Reading the buzz words: “mystery of madness”, “gritty and funny”, “smart-aleky and dark” – kinda seems perfect for Mos, huh?!

And then there’s the album cover for “The Ecstatic”-

A still image from the 70s film “Killer of Sheep” by Charles Burnett.

From the website:

Killer of Sheep examines the black Los Angeles ghetto of Watts in the mid-1970s through the eyes of Stan, a sensitive dreamer who is growing detached and numb from the psychic toll of working at a slaughterhouse.

Killer of Sheep was shot on location in Watts in a series of weekends on a budget of less than $10,000, most of which was grant money. Finished in 1977 and shown sporadically, its reputation grew and grew until it won a prize at the 1981 Berlin International Film Festival.

Since then, the Library of Congress has declared it a national treasure as one of the first fifty on the National Film Registry and the National Society of Film Critics selected it as one of the “100 Essential Films” of all time. However, due to the expense of the music rights, the film was never shown theatrically or made available on video. It has only been seen on poor quality 16mm prints at few and far between museum and festival showings.

Here’s the trailer -

There are lots more clips from the film on YouTube, but you should really just get the movie and watch the whole thing! (I saw a few comments that its been on TV in some markets so check your listings!)

Mos Def’s use of literature and film in his work is no surprise- it’s like he’s just teaching some new courses this album (including Spanish 101! “Me llamo Flaco” – wait til u hear it!!) I think using inspiration other than gangsta flicks and chicks may encourage his listeners, who may not otherwise do so, to actually read this book or go out of their way to see a classic ‘indie’ film. Expansion of mind is clearly the goal!

“10% condition, 90% response. survival mathematics the number man psalm.” – Mos Def

June 9th!! Album in stores. Are you Ecstatic?!

added UPDATE: Frolab exclusive preview of the inlay artwork for The Ecstatic:

above: Frolab Exclusive Preview of the inlay artwork for The Ecstatic!
(Noble Drew Ali in front of the Morrish Science Temple.)

click for album tracklist w/ producer credits

added UPDATE: click here photo + video “liner notes”