Yasiin Bey is preparing to drop his first new solo material in five years later this month.
The legendary Brooklyn rapper, previously known as Mos Def, has revealed that he will premiere new music on December 15 through a livestreamed performance called Money Christmas.
The performance will be streamed live on Bey’s Bandcamp page at 2 p.m. EST, with the livestream access priced at $7.99.
Details about the new music remain mostly undisclosed, but Money Christmas will feature artwork created by Spanish-Moroccan artist Anuar Khalifi.
Titled “Osanta Bin Lyin”, the artwork complements Bey’s bold political stance by depicting the late 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden dressed as Santa Claus.
As with previous releases, Money Christmas will not be made available through conventional platforms like streaming services.
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Instead, fully mastered audio tracks and a complete video of the performance will be available for purchase on Bandcamp within 24 to 48 hours after the livestream, along with exclusive merchandise.
The material will also be released on vinyl in the coming months.
While Money Christmas marks the end of a long wait for new solo music from Yasiin Bey, it seems that this will not be followed by another extended break.
According to a press release, the project is “the first of a number of upcoming releases intended to inextricably link the acquisition of music to the artwork and supporting video footage, creating a stronger and more creative bond with fans.”
Bey is no stranger to unconventional releases, having launched his 2019 album Negus as an exclusive one-time listening experience in museums across the globe.
The eight-track, 28-minute project, which has yet to be made commercially available, aimed to “acknowledge the importance of Hip Hop as a fundamental American art form […] without the distractions of technology.”
Similarly, Black Star’s 2022 album No Fear of Time — the duo’s first full-length release in over 20 years — made its own statement on the value of art by being initially available only through the podcast platform Luminary (which also hosted Bey, Talib Kweli, and Dave Chappelle’s The Midnight Miracle show).
The album, produced by Madlib, was later released in physical formats earlier this year, with a portion of the proceeds going to global relief efforts.
