# True Magic

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2006 studio album by Mos Def

True Magic Studio album by Mos Def Released December 29, 2006 Genre Alternative hip-hop Length 52:37 Label Geffen Producer The Neptunes Rich Harrison DJ Khalil Minnesota Preservation Mos Def Mos Def chronology The New Danger (2004) True Magic (2006) The Ecstatic (2009)

***True Magic*** is the third [studio album](/source/Studio_album) by American rapper [Mos Def](/source/Yasiin_Bey), released on December 29, 2006, by [Geffen Records](/source/Geffen_Records). After Geffen had absorbed Mos Def's former label [Rawkus](/source/Rawkus_Records), the album was released haphazardly to fulfill a contractual obligation; its physical release lacked a booklet, cover art, lyrics, or credits.

Following an [internet leak](/source/Music_leak), *True Magic* was released to mostly mixed reviews from critics, and has sold over 97,000 copies by 2014.

## Background

*True Magic* was released to fulfill Mos Def's contract with [Geffen Records](/source/Geffen_Records).[1] It featured production from [The Neptunes](/source/The_Neptunes), [Rich Harrison](/source/Rich_Harrison) and Minnesota, among others.[2] The song "Crime & Medicine" samples [GZA](/source/GZA)'s 1995 single "Liquid Swords", while the song "Dollar Day" uses the same beat as [Juvenile](/source/Juvenile_(rapper))'s "[Nolia Clap](/source/Nolia_Clap)".[3]

## Release and reception

Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating Metacritic 45/100 [4] Review scores Source Rating About.com [5] AllMusic [2] Boston Herald A−[6] Entertainment Weekly C+[7] HipHopDX 3/5[8] Now 4/5[9] Pitchfork Media 4.5/10[10] Stylus Magazine D[11] Tiny Mix Tapes [12] Winnipeg Sun [13]

Following an [online leak](/source/Music_leak) of the album,[12] *True Magic* was released by Geffen in a clear plastic case without a booklet, cover art, lyrics, or credits.[14][15] Geffen re-released it several months later with complete artwork and a slightly altered track order.[1]

*True Magic* received generally mixed reviews from critics; it holds an aggregate score of 45 out of 100 at [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic).[16] [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)'s Andy Kellman called it "a disappointment" with "just enough quality material ('Dollar Day,' 'Fake Bonanza,' 'There Is a Way') to make the average fan not want to wipe the whole thing from memory, but the flashes of brilliance are all too scarce."[2] *[New York Times](/source/New_York_Times)* critic Nate Chinen said the music sounded as if it had been produced "on the cheap" and that some songs carried "urgent messages upfront, but not much depth within". Mos Def "may deliver tantalizing flashes of lyrical skill, but he doesn't inspire much feeling other than listless dread", Chinen wrote.[17] Michael Furman from *[Tiny Mix Tapes](/source/Tiny_Mix_Tapes)* was more enthusiastic about the album, writing that "it's not a happy record, and there are few, if any, genius rhymes. But it speaks volumes about the frustration and resignation of the underprivileged."[12] Its [single](/source/Single_(music)), "Undeniable", was nominated for the [2007 Grammy Award](/source/49th_Annual_Grammy_Awards) for [Best Rap Solo Performance](/source/Best_Rap_Solo_Performance).[1] By March 2014, *True Magic* had sold 97,000 copies in the United States.[18]

## Track listing

No. Title Producer(s) Length 1. "True Magic" DJ Epik Mark Knoxx 2:51 2. "Undeniable" Rich Harrison 4:16 3. "U R the One" Minnesota 3:58 4. "Thug Is a Drug" Minnesota 2:52 5. "Crime & Medicine" Mos Def 3:08 6. "A Ha" Minnesota 2:35 7. "Dollar Day" DJ Khalil 5:14 8. "Napoleon Dynamite" Preservation 2:01 9. "There Is a Way" Preservation 3:27 10. "Sun, Moon, Stars" Preservation 4:39 11. "Murder of a Teenage Life" The Neptunes 3:25 12. "Fake Bonanza" Preservation 4:11 13. "Perfect Timing" Mos Def 4:14 14. "Lifetime" Preservation 5:47

## Charts

Chart (2006) Peak position US Billboard 200[19] 77 US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[20] 25 US Billboard Top Rap Albums[21] 12

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-sohh_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-sohh_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-sohh_1-2) S. Samuel (January 13, 2009). ["Mos Def Reveals New Album Details, Bringing Back Def Poetry"](http://www.sohh.com/mos-def-reveals-new-album-details-bringing-back-def-poetry/). *[SOHH](/source/SOHH)*. Retrieved June 4, 2016.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Kellman_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Kellman_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Kellman_2-2) Kellman, Andy. ["True Magic - Mos Def"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/r856426). [Allmusic](/source/Allmusic). Retrieved on 2009-09-25.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Mos Def - Tru3 Magic - Hip-Hop Album Review](http://www.nobodysmiling.com/hiphop/album_review/87024.php) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20090112064645/http://www.nobodysmiling.com/hiphop/album_review/87024.php) 2009-01-12 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["True Magic \[First Version\] by Mos Def"](http://www.metacritic.com/music/true-magic-first-version/mos-def). *[Metacritic](/source/Metacritic)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Rott_5-0)** Rott, Ivan. ["Mos Def - True Magic (Geffen)"](http://rap.about.com/od/reviews/fr/MosDefTru3Magic.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070106144225/http://rap.about.com/od/reviews/fr/MosDefTru3Magic.htm) January 6, 2007, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine). [About.com](/source/About.com). Retrieved on 2009-09-25.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Carter_6-0)** Carter, Lauren. "[WHAT'S HOT, WHAT'S NOT (Arts and Lifestyle)](https://web.archive.org/web/20121102034212/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-156908731.html)". *[Boston Herald](/source/Boston_Herald)*: January 6, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Dombal_7-0)** Dombal, Ryan (2007-01-19). ["True Magic Review"](https://ew.com/article/2007/01/12/true-magic/). *[Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly)*. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [HipHopDX review](http://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.736/title.mos-def-tru3-magic)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Richards_9-0)** Richards, Jason (December 21–28, 2006). ["Mos Def (*True Magic*)"](http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/story.cfm?content=157327). *[NOW](/source/Now_(newspaper))*. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Fennessey_10-0)** Fennessey, Sean (2007-01-04). ["Mos Def: True Magic"](http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/9738-true-magic/). [Pitchfork Media](/source/Pitchfork_Media). Retrieved on 2009-09-25.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Schwartz_11-0)** Schwartz, Barry (2007-01-09). ["Mos Def - True Magic - Review"](http://stylusmagazine.com/reviews/mos-def/true-magic.htm). [Stylus Magazine](/source/Stylus_Magazine). Retrieved on 2009-09-25.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Furman_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Furman_12-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Furman_12-2) Furman, Michael (2007). ["Mos Def - Tru3 Magic"](https://web.archive.org/web/20071023011056/http://tinymixtapes.com/Mos-Def,2592). [Tiny Mix Tapes](/source/Tiny_Mix_Tapes). Archived from [the original](http://tinymixtapes.com/Mos-Def,2592) on October 23, 2007. Retrieved January 23, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** [Winnipeg Sun review](https://web.archive.org/web/20160310082543/http://jam.canoe.com/Music/Artists/M/Mos_Def/AlbumReviews/2007/01/05/3176600-winsun.html)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Benbow_14-0)** Benbow, Julian (2007-01-10). ["Mos Def reappears with 'True Magic'"](http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/01/10/mos_def_reappears_with_true_magic/). *[The Boston Globe](/source/The_Boston_Globe)*. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Sterdan_15-0)** Sterdan, Darryl (2001-01-05). ["Album Review: TRUE MAGIC"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160310082543/http://jam.canoe.com/Music/Artists/M/Mos_Def/AlbumReviews/2007/01/05/3176600-winsun.html). [Jam!](/source/Jam!). Retrieved on 2009-09-25.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Meta_16-0)** ["Critic Reviews for True Magic (First Version)"](http://www.metacritic.com/music/true-magic-first-version/mos-def/critic-reviews). [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic). Retrieved on 2009-09-25.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** [New York Times review](https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D04E1DA1530F93BA35752C0A9619C8B63)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2014Update_18-0)** Baker, Soren (March 7, 2014). ["50 Cent Leaves Interscope: How Nas, Busta Rhymes, Ghostface Killah & Mos Def Fared After Leaving Their Longtime Label Homes"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160311011415/http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.27806/title.50-cent-leaves-interscope-how-nas-busta-rhymes-ghostface-killah-mos-def-fared-after-leaving-their-longtime-label-homes). *[HipHopDX](/source/HipHopDX)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.27806/title.50-cent-leaves-interscope-how-nas-busta-rhymes-ghostface-killah-mos-def-fared-after-leaving-their-longtime-label-homes) on March 11, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-US200_19-0)** ["Mos Def Album & Song Chart History: Billboard 200"](https://www.billboard.com/artist/mos-def/chart-history/billboard-200). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. [Prometheus Global Media](/source/Prometheus_Global_Media). Retrieved June 18, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-USR&BAl_20-0)** ["Mos Def Album & Song Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums"](https://www.billboard.com/artist/mos-def/chart-history/r%26b/hip-hop-albums-b). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. [Prometheus Global Media](/source/Prometheus_Global_Media). Retrieved June 18, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-USRapAl_21-0)** ["Mos Def Album & Song Chart History: Rap Albums"](https://www.billboard.com/artist/mos-def/chart-history/rap-albums). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. [Prometheus Global Media](/source/Prometheus_Global_Media). Retrieved June 18, 2012.

## External links

- *[True Magic](http://www.discogs.com/Mos-Def-True-Magic/master/150398)* at [Discogs](/source/Discogs)

v t e Yasiin Bey Discography Songs Awards and nominations Filmography Studio albums Black on Both Sides The New Danger True Magic The Ecstatic Negus Singles "Definition" "Respiration" "Ms. Fat Booty" "Mathematics" "Oh No" "Bin Laden" Featured singles "Stylo" "Just Begun" "Pride n Joy" Other songs "Two Words" "Kids See Ghosts" Films The Hard Way Ghosts Where's Marlowe? Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme Bamboozled Island of the Dead Carmen: A Hip Hopera Monster's Ball Showtime Civil Brand Brown Sugar The Italian Job The Woodsman Something the Lord Made Lackawanna Blues The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Dave Chappelle's Block Party 16 Blocks Journey to the End of the Night Prince Among Slaves Be Kind Rewind Cadillac Records Next Day Air I'm Still Here Begin Again Life of Crime Related articles Black Star Blakroc DD172 Dec 99th Def Poetry GOOD Music Hip Hop for Respect Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star Native Tongues Nkiru Center for Education and Culture Rawkus Records Soulquarians

Authority control databases MusicBrainz release group

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [True Magic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Magic) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Magic?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.