"May you live in interesting times," goes the saying traditionally attributed to a Chinese curse. Mos Def has a better idea. On Election Day digital single "Life in Marvelous Times", from forthcoming Downtown record The Ecstatic, he argues that "we are alive in amazing times," backed by martial horn fanfares and widescreen blip-swoops aiming (I guess) for something marvelous. First the Brooklyn rapper takes us back to "the pre-crack era... Bed-Stuy '82... Bucktown...", with simple, effective storytelling. "Great heavens, good grief"? Not so marvelous. The sung chorus I'll have to percolate for a while. As Mos Def looks to bounce back from the 2007's embattled True Magic, though, he can take comfort in the fact that he's not cursed. AS FAR AS WE KNOW. Over to you, News. (via RCRD LBL)Stream:> Mos Def: "Life in Marvelous Times"[from The Ecstatic; forthcoming on Downtown]