Yasiin Bey Confirms Retirement, Plans To Live Stream Final Show From Cape Town

Well, it appears to be official. Yasiin Bey, the artist formerly known as Mos Def, is hanging it up for real. Early this morning, the revered artiste broadcasted live and direct from what looked like his Cape Town home, announcing the cancellation of his upcoming European live shows. His conciliation to those who paid for stubs: a live streamed show from Cape Town, accessible only to ticket-holders, where they can see him perform both classics and unreleased material from his forthcoming project with Ferrari Sheppard as Dec. 99th. He'll also be taking requests from fans.

But it's the last part of his broadcast that seals the deal, claiming to be "retiring for real this year," continuing with bids of gratitude for his devout fanbase and shouting-out friends and collaborators like Jay Z, Madlib and Kanye West (who transmitted the last cryptic Yasiin message on his site back in February), promising to make whatever's on the way TIDAL exclusive. Elsewhere he insists he's moving onto other ventures in fashion, but has "one or two" more films on the way that he's obligated to fulfill. But whatever comes our way from Yasiin, we're happy to help him celebrate his swan song, toasting to a rare and eclectic career in music and beyond. Watch the video below and stay tuned for more.

h/t Okayafrica