Having released records as part of the group Urban Thermo Dynamics in '94, Mos Def built a buzz off the back of features on De La Soul tracks in '96. Essential indie rap releases on the Rawkus label quickly followed, with Mos's amiable style and thoughtful lyrics casting him as a torchbearer of the original Native Tongues vibe. He teamed up with Talib Kweli as Black Star produced an acclaimed album in '98, while his solo debut dropped the following year and eventually sailed to gold status off the back of a lead single with a canny Aretha Franklin soul sample.