Though some people just don’t appreciate Mos Def, he’s got quite an acting career going and the release of 16 Blocks with Bruce Willis might be just the thing to create a true mass following.

Or not.  These things rarely work out as planned but checking out Mos Def’s IMDb page reminded me of the unique range of his career to date with relatively recent appearances including The Woodsman with Kevin Bacon, a controversial movie that was coproduced by Damon Dash, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  He also provided the voice of Gangstalicious in an episode of The Boondocks.

NPR recently reran a Terry Gross interview with Mos Def from December 2004.