Black on Both Sides is Mos Def's solo debut, a soulful escapade into the mind of a multitalented artist. "I don't want to write this down/I want to tell you how I feel right now," he says at one point. Rich and varied in scope and execution, he criticizes institutional racism ("Mr. Nigga," with former Tribe Called Quest leader Q-Tip contributing vocals) and environmental racism ("New World Water").

Mos Def sings, scats, and rhymes in a relaxed, conversational manner, yet is able to hold his own with the rambunctious Busta Rhymes (on "Do It Now"). The production credits read like a roll call of New York's rnest beat collators, with Diamond, Psycho Les from the Beatnuts, DJ Premier, and Ali Shaheed Muhammed contributing tracks, among others. Their collective work lends the album a lush, jazzy tone, elegiac and danceable. With Black on Both Sides, Mos Def establishes himself as a force to be reckoned with.