Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) says new music with Black Star, MF Doom, and more “is on deck”

Yasiin Bey, the artist formerly known as Mos Def, sat down with Vibe recently for an interview to coincide with yasiin bey: Negus, Bey's new art installation at the Brooklyn Museum. Negus contains an album's worth of new music from the rapper, but the material will not be released outside of the art exhibit for streaming or purchase (to enter, visitors must place their cell phones in a special pouch).

However, Bey still has a bunch of exciting unreleased music to share. He said that long-awaited collaborations with Mannie Fresh, as well as the return of his duo Black Star with Talib Kweli, are on the way. "All of that is on deck," Bey said.

He also revealed that he has new, unreleased music with MF DOOM and Madlib. "I have these really special projects," Bey said, though he didn't give any indication of a firm release date for any of the individual albums. "These works are living organisms. Putting them in the proper environment is just as key as making useful work."

Bey first announced the new Black Star album, set to be produced by Madlib, in 2018. This month, Talib Kweli said the album is "done."

Read the full Vibe interview here.