24 Hour Karate School

I remember hearing this track on WFUV’s Alt Side on the way to grab a slice at La Rustique. It had been a minute since Mos Def dropped anything new and I’m not sure this is what I expected.

On the surface, a silly song with kick-punch sound effects and Mos dropping in lyrics from Joe Esposito’s Karate Kid classic “You’re the Best”. It feels like an odd one-off at first, but it was meant to set the tone and mood for a concept album.

This along with a few other Mos features were cut before the final album dropped in 2010 due to clearance issues.

Then in 2015, Mos and Ski Beatz dropped Sensei on the Block, which feels like the spiritual successor — even using the same Esposito quote. There was a time when finding these one-offs and remixes were currency — the fact that this isn’t on Spotify and that you have to look for it makes it special. Even if it’s just a silly song about an all-night super hero gymnasium. Chop chop.

Here’s a link to the full album (Mos Def Version).