Many of you in the hip-hop community may know Mos Def since his days in BlackStar with Talib Kweli. But today, Mos goes by Yasiin Bey.

For the September 2012 issue of GQ, the Brooklyn emcee talks to the fashion mag about topics ranging from his name change to his style, and he even offers up some fashion advice.

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Some of the standout pieces from the article are below.

On his name change: “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.” Yasiin Bey on his style: “I like drawing connections between pieces and patterns that would make someone else think,’Those two things would never go together.’ Well, to me they do.” On Representing Hip-Hop through fashion: “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. On what fashion advice he’d offer to others: “I don’t have advice for people on how to dress. People should dress based on what they find beautiful. My best advice: Keep your clothes clean.

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Yasiin can be seen on the new season of Showtime’s Dexter, on Broadway (in A Free Man of Color), and making waves in the fashion industry.

You can check out Yasiin Bey in the September issue of GQ on newsstands now!

SOURCE: GQ

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