''Now I'm Declaring It Openly''
8:30PM ET September 11th, 2012
Contributor : Stephen Willis
A Rocky Williform Company

In a recent interview with GQ, rapper/actor Mos Def aka Yasiin Bey explained why he chose to change his name and his persona. The rapper began switching from his original stage name last year, and says that it reflects his feelings towards the overexposure of his previous moniker.

"I began to fear that Mos Def was being treated as a product, not a person, so I've been going by Yasiin since '99. At first it was just for friends and family, but now I'm declaring it openly," he said in an interview. "When my paternal grandfather passed a few years back, I started to wear a shirt and tie every day, like he did. Michael Jackson's death had a big impact on me, too. Right before the Ecstatic tour in 2009, I began wearing loafers and high-waisted pants. And that's where my look started. ... Hip-hop is the last true folk art. I got involved with Ale et Ange because it represents hip-hop in a way that isn't pandering. It's nice to see something that's elegant, skillful, and raw."