Yasiin Bey Reissuing Mos Def’s The Ecstatic on Vinyl and Streaming

Long out of print and offline, the 2009 Mos Def album is making a comeback

June 22, 2026

Yasiin Bey, the artist formerly known as Mos Def, is bringing The Ecstatic back into print and, via Qobuz, back online. Originally released on Downtown Records in 2009, a decade on from Black on Both Sides, the album was hailed as a return to form—and featured all-star production from the likes of Madlib, Oh No, and the late J Dilla—but disappeared from official internet channels in the streaming era. The physical reissues are set for August 14 and include a 2xLP that comes with a 120-page hardcover book and a 7" of bonus tracks “The Size” and “The Tournament.”

The reissue introduces Bey’s new partnership with the Minneapolis independent label Rhymesayers Entertainment. The partnership with Qobuz, meanwhile, aligns Bey with a streaming platform that touts its high audio fidelity and industry-leading pay-per-stream for artists.

Jazz Monroe is a music and culture writer based in London. His work also appears in The Guardian, The Independent, and elsewhere. ... Read More