Dante Terrell Smith, born December 11, 1973, records as Yasiin Bey and was formerly known as Mos Def. The eldest of twelve children and step-children, he was raised by his mother in Brooklyn and discovered acting at Philippa Schuyler Middle School, dropping out of high school in his sophomore year. He formed Urban Thermo Dynamics with his siblings, guested on De La Soul and Da Bush Babees records, and in 1996 formed Black Star with Talib Kweli, whose 1998 debut produced "Definition" and "Respiration." His solo album Black on Both Sides in 1999 is a canonical conscious rap record, and The Ecstatic in 2009 drew similar acclaim. He has acted across Monster's Ball, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and The Wire, took his current name publicly in 2011, and announced the album Forensics with The Alchemist.