A decade ago, the rapid-fire underground hip-hop rapper Mos Def dropped his celebrated solo debut “Black on Both Sides”— truly a product of the times that can never be faithfully recreated. With his fourth release, Mos Def fans can breathe a sigh of relief as their anointed-saint of hip-hop comes up with an updated patchwork of infectious beats and rhymes that stay on point.

A trio of Bollywood bangers, courtesy of Stones Throw brothers Madlib and Oh No, on “Supermagic,” “Wahid,” and “Auditorium feat. Slick Rick” kick off Ecstatic. Right away fans will get the feeling that Mos made this with the underground in mind. Whether repping Brooklyn and the art form on the head-nodding, afrobeat-driven “Quiet Dog Bite Hard” or spinning tales of life “in these modern times” over a sick, ’80s cult film synth mashup on “Life in Marvelous Times,” it feels as though Mos is rocking the mic for a reason this time around.

With production including N.E.R.D’s Chad Hugo and J Dilla and guest spots by Talib Kweli and Georgia Anne Muldrow, the “Mighty Mos Def” makes a much needed 16-track collect call to hip-hop. He can only hope it’s not too late for a response.

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