Artist: Mos DefAlbum: The New DangerGenre: hip-hopAlbum Highlights: Freaky Black Greeting

Blues. Hard rock. Punk. Jazz. Soul. Rap. Hip-hop. These diverse genres compose all elements of Mos Def’s new album, “The New Danger.” As his second solo album, Mos Def has been able to knit, weave, and sew together this diverse range of influences into a vibrant quilt that redefines hip-hop.

From menacing beating drums in tracks like “Freaky Black Greetings” and “Zimzallabim,” to smooth jazzy beats like those found in “Blue Back Jack,” Def reassures his audience of his creative and imaginative soul.

A handful of the album’s tracks have also been co-created through the rap-rock band Black Jack Johnson. Kanye West and Molecules also contributed to a number of beats onto this CD.

But the highlight of Mos Def’s latest piece of art would have to be his nine-minute tribute to the late Marvin Gaye, “Modern Marvel.” Track 14 begins with Def hypnotizing his audience with his voice, tinged with despair and sorrow, then leads into dominant phrases: “The lovers. The believers. The hungry. The scarred. The close,” and so on. Just when the beat dies down, and you think the song is over, Marvin Gaye’s infamous “What’s Going On?” echoes in the background. Def conjures up what he would say to the legend himself, trying to explain to him the world we live in today. This track is definitely one of Mos Def’s best works.

Compared to many hip-hop artists and Def’s previous work, this album can be summed up in one word: different. To some hardcore underground hip-hoppers, this different style may seem like too much of a change, maybe even like Def is selling out to mainstream. But it is more like Def growing as an artist, trying new things, and having his audience open their minds to more genres. It is a different deliverance, but the same message.