Common | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Common (originally Common Sense) has been one of the most highly influential figures in rap music, keeping the sophisticated lyrical technique and flowing syncopations of jazz-rap alive in an era when the mainstream and hardcore have increasingly threatened to obliterate everything in its path. His outward-looking, nimbly performed rhymes and political consciousness havent always fit the fashions of rap trends, but his albums have been praised by critics, and he achieved mainstream popularity with a handful of gold-selling recordings. Additionally, during the 2000s and 2010s, hes juggled his recording career with a series of high-profile acting roles. Common was born Lonnie Rashied Lynn on the South Side of Chicago. He honed his skills to the point where -- performing as Common Sense -- he was able to catch his first break, winning The Source magazines Unsigned Hype contest. He debuted in 1992 with the single "Take It EZ," which appeared on his Relativity-released debut album, Can I Borrow a Dollar?; further singles "Breaker 1/9" and "Soul by the Pound" helped establish his reputation in the hip-hop underground, although some critics complained about the records occasional misogynistic undertones. Common Sense subsequently wound up on Ruthless Records for his 1994 follow-up, Resurrection, which crystallized his reputation as one of the undergrounds best (and wordiest) lyricists. The track "I Used to Love H.E.R." attracted substantial notice for its clever allegory about raps descent into commercially exploitative sex-and-violence subject matter, and even provoked a short-lived feud with Ice Cube. Subsequently, Common Sense was sued by a ska band of the same name, and was forced to shorten his own moniker to Common; he also relocated from Chicago to Brooklyn. Bumped up to parent label Relativity, Common issued the first album under his new name in 1997. One Day Itll All Make Sense capitalized on the fledgling resurgence of intelligent hip-hop with several prominent guests, including Lauryn Hill, Q-Tip, De La Soul, Erykah Badu, Cee-Lo, and the Roots Black Thought. The album was well received in the press, and Common raised his profile with several notable guest spots over the next couple of years; he appeared on Pete Rocks Soul Survivor, plus two watermark albums of the new progressive hip-hop movement, Mos Def and Talib Kwelis Black Star and the Roots Things Fall Apart. Common also hooked up with indie rap kingpins Rawkus for a one-off collaboration with Sadat X, "1-9-9-9," which appeared on the labels seminal Soundbombing, Vol. 2 compilation. With his name popping up in all the right places, Common landed a major-label deal with MCA, and brought on Roots drummer ?uestlove as producer for his next project. Like Water for Chocolate was released in early 2000 and turned into something of a breakthrough success, attracting more attention than any Common album to date (partly because of MCAs greater promotional resources). Guests this time around included Macy Gray, MC Lyte, Cee-Lo, Mos Def, DAngelo, jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and Afro-beat star Femi Kuti (on a tribute to his legendary father Fela). Plus, the singles "The Sixth Sense" and "The Light" (the latter of which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance) earned considerable airplay. Following that success, Common set the stage for his next record with an appearance on Mary J. Bliges No More Drama in early 2002. He issued his most personal work to date with Electric Circus, a sprawling album that polarized fans, in December of that year. Shortly thereafter, he initiated an acting career that began with a small role on the television series Girlfriends. Be (2005), a much tighter album that was produced primarily by Kanye West and released through Wests GOOD Music label, netted four Grammy nominations. West remained on board for both Finding Forever (2007) and the lighter Universal Mind Control (2008), though the Neptunes dominated the latter. For The Dreamer/The Believer (2011), released through Warner Bros., Common worked exclusively with longtime associate and friend No I.D. Much of the attention was directed at "Sweet," a track on which Common took swipes at rapper Drake. The same year, the AMC series Hell on Wheels debuted with Common as one of its main characters, emancipated slave Elam Ferguson. After the shows third season, Common released his tenth album -- his first for Def Jam -- titled Nobody Smiling (2014). Much of its content focused on the destructive violence that was occurring within his hometown. His fourth Rap Albums number one, it debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 and was also his fourth consecutive album nominated for the Best Rap Album Grammy. Featured in the Ava DuVernay-directed Selma, Common co-wrote and performed the films theme, "Glory," with John Legend. At the 87th Academy Awards, it won the Oscar for Best Original Song, and it also won the 2016 Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media. Following additional roles in films such as Run All Night and Suicide Squad, Common released Black America Again (2016), its first single and title track a fiery examination of institutionalized racism and police brutality with a refrain from Stevie Wonder. Bilal, Marsha Ambrosius, and BJ the Chicago Kid were among the albums other contributors. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 16 Title: Can I Borrow a Dollar? Released: 1992-10-06 Tracks: 13 Duration: 49:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 A Penny for My Thoughts (04:23) 2 Charms Alarm (04:30) 3 Take It EZ (04:08) 4 Heidi Hoe (04:30) 5 Breaker 1/9 (04:02) 6 Two Scoops of Raisins (05:28) 7 No Defense (01:14) 8 Blows to the Temple (04:39) 9 Just in the Nick of Rhyme (02:30) 10 Tricks Up My Sleeve (03:22) 11 Puppy Chow (04:01) 12 Soul by the Pound (04:20) 13 Pitchin’ Pennies (01:58) |
| Can I Borrow a Dollar? : Allmusic album Review : A former Source magazine "Unsigned Hype" winner, Common Sense almost single-handedly put Chicago hip-hop on the map in the early 90s with his excellent debut, Can I Borrow a Dollar?, which displayed a truly unique sound that, nevertheless, situated the rapper somewhere between the ground staked out by A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr. Can I Borrow a Dollar? features the fabulous, oddly muted production of 2 Pc. Drk Productions (Immenslope and Twilite Tone). They opt for a spare, minimalist production that prominently features understated keyboard loops over simple drum tracks, occasionally augmented by saxophone or flute for an overall jazzy, laid-back feel. The production perfectly complements Common Senses hiccuping/singsongy vocal style and involved rhymes. His lyrics are packed with allusions and references to pop and street culture nearly as eclectic as those of the Beastie Boys. Though sometimes lighthearted to the point of aimlessness and occasionally veering into harder-hitting (vaguely misogynistic) sentiments, Can I Borrow a Dollar? acted, for the most part, as an antidote to the exaggeratedly hardcore rhymes of a lot of early-90s hip-hop. Stand-out tracks such as "Charms Alarm," "Take It EZ," and the only outside production, the Beatnuts characteristically bell-driven "Heidi Hoe," are calls to arms to all hangers-on and fakers in the hip-hop community. This is one of the most underrated hip-hop debuts of the 90s. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 16 Title: Resurrection Released: 1994-10-03 Tracks: 15 Duration: 54:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Resurrection (03:48) 2 I Used to Love H.E.R. (04:39) 3 Watermelon (02:39) 4 Book of Life (05:06) 5 In My Own World (Check the Method) (03:33) 6 Another Wasted Nite With… (01:03) 7 Nuthin’ to Do (05:20) 8 Communism (02:17) 9 WMOE (00:34) 10 Thisisme (04:55) 11 Orange Pineapple Juice (03:28) 12 Chapter 13 (Rich Man vs. Poor Man) (05:24) 13 Maintaining (03:50) 14 Sum Shit I Wrote (04:31) 15 Pop’s Rap (03:22) |
| Resurrection : Allmusic album Review : Commons sophomore release established a level of quality from the MC that carried through to his innovative work of the 2000s and 2010s. Spare, relaxed, jazz-laden grooves create a context for this Chicago rhyme-master to do what he does best, and in very few places on Resurrection do the verses leave listeners wanting. Narratives, metaphors, puns, and dazzling verbal wordplay are on offer throughout. "I Used to Love H.E.R.," for example, uses a first-person romance narrative to detail the history of hip-hop, resulting in an extended metaphor thats sophisticated, clever, and delivers a moral message. Common outs himself as an MC with a conscience on tunes like "Nuthin to Do," which critiques the poor state of many of Chicagos neighborhoods. Thanks in part to his intelligent, agile style and scintillating street poetry -- and to the albums spare, groovy tracks that owe nothing to trends of the moment -- Resurrection still sounds smart decades after its release. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 16 Title: Senseibility Released: 1996 Tracks: 18 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Bitch in You (?) 2 Resurrection (Extra-P remix) (?) 3 Confusion (?) 4 High Expectations (?) 5 Ive Been Thinking (?) 6 Like They Used to Say (?) 7 No Competition (?) 8 State to State (?) 9 The Remedy (?) 10 8 Minutes to Sunrise (?) 11 Breaker 1/9 (Beatnuts remix) (?) 12 Dont Come My Way (?) 13 Tekzilla (?) 14 Reminding Me of Self (?) 15 Geto Heaven (?) 16 Soul by Pound (Thump remix) (?) 17 Car Horn (?) 18 Car Horn (Madlib remix) (?) |
 | Album: 4 of 16 Title: One Day It’ll All Make Sense Released: 1997-09-30 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:10:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Introspective (01:36) 2 Invocation (02:14) 3 Real Nigga Quotes (05:24) 4 Retrospect for Life (06:23) 5 Gettin’ Down at the Amphitheater (05:18) 6 Food for Funk (04:10) 7 G.O.D. (Gaining One’s Definition) (04:47) 8 My City (05:07) 9 Hungry (02:33) 10 All Night Long (07:36) 11 Stolen Moments, Part I (02:01) 12 Stolen Moments, Part II (02:57) 13 1’2 Many… (03:12) 14 Stolen Moments, Part III (intro/outro) (03:13) 15 Making a Name for Ourselves (04:53) 16 Reminding Me (of Sef) (04:55) 17 Pop’s Rap, Part II / Fatherhood (03:49) |
| One Day It’ll All Make Sense : Allmusic album Review : With his previous records (released under the name Common Sense), Common demonstrated that he was one of the few Midwestern rappers to have a unique vision, but One Day Itll All Make Sense is where his talents come into focus. Blending hip-hop with jazz is a 90s cliché, but Common relies on bebop rhythms and street poetry, resulting in an album that has a loose, organic flow. The grooves have deep roots and the rhymes have humor, heart, and intelligence -- few of contemporaries could achieve the emotional impact of "Retrospect for Life" or the gospel-tinged "G.O.D. (Gaining Ones Definition)." And that extra layer of emotional involvement gives One Day Itll All Make Sense a weight and spirituality that makes the record special. Certainly few of his peers have made an album as musically and lyrically rich as this, and its about time others follow his lead. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 16 Title: Like Water for Chocolate Released: 2000-03-28 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:17:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Time Travelin’ (A Tribute to Fela) (06:37) 2 Heat (03:41) 3 Cold Blooded (04:58) 4 Dooinit (03:37) 5 The Light (04:21) 6 Funky for You (05:55) 7 The Questions (04:09) 8 Time Travelin’ (reprise) (01:33) 9 The 6th Sense (05:19) 10 A Film Called (Pimp) (06:05) 11 Nag Champa (Afrodisiac for the World) (05:10) 12 Thelonius (04:41) 13 Payback Is a Grandmother (04:30) 14 Geto Heaven, Part Two (05:18) 15 A Song for Assata (06:48) 16 Pop’s Rap III… All My Children (05:09) |
| Like Water for Chocolate : Allmusic album Review : Common spent the 90s carrying the Native Tongues torch through an era dominated by gangsta rap, earning a sizable underground following. Positive-minded alternative rap came back into vogue by the new millennium, and Common managed to land with major label MCA for 2000s Like Water for Chocolate. The album established him as a leading figure of alternative raps second generation, not just because of the best promotion hed ever had, but also because it was his great musical leap forward, building on the strides of One Day Itll All Make Sense. Theres production work by the Roots ?uestlove, neo-soul auteur DAngelo, the Soulquarians, and DJ Premier. But the vast majority of the album was handled by Slum Villages Jay Dee, and his thick, mellow, soul- and jazz-inflected sonics make Like Water for Chocolate one of the richest-sounding albums of the new underground movement. Common isnt always a master technician on the mic, but it hardly matters when the music serves his deeply spiritual vision and smooth-flowing raps so effectively. The singles "The Light" and "The 6th Sense" are quintessential Common, uplifting and thoughtful, and helped bring him a whole new audience. Theyre well complemented by the slinky, jazzy funk and lush neo-soul ballads that make up the record. Not everything is sweetness and utopia, either; Common sends up his own progressive image on "A Film Called (Pimp)," which features a hilarious guest appearance by MC Lyte, and spins a gripping first-person tale of revenge on the streets on "Payback Is a Grandmother" (though the tougher "Dooinit" feels a bit forced). The album could have been trimmed a bit to keep its momentum going, but on the whole, Like Water for Chocolate is a major statement from an artist whose true importance was just coming into focus. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 16 Title: Uncommon Classics, Volume 1 (Mixed by DJ Risky Bizness) Released: 2001 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:18:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Freestyle Live (Prince Concert @ the Metro; Chicago, IL 11/22/00) (02:44) 2 Soul by the Pound (Thump remix) (03:55) 3 Tekzilla (02:05) 4 Confusion (01:28) 5 Slam Pit (03:09) 6 Interview - Joe Clair... DJ Love (00:50) 7 Fresh Rhymes (02:42) 8 High Expectations (03:10) 9 Lately Ive Been Thinkin (03:04) 10 Freestyle (01:23) 11 The Remedy (03:21) 12 Freestyle (01:11) 13 Remind Me of Self (Roots remix) (03:58) 14 Like They Used to Say (03:14) 15 Sun God (02:39) 16 Divide & Conquer (03:04) 17 Can-I-Bus (04:40) 18 The Bitch in Yoo (Ice Cube Dis) (03:12) 19 State to State (02:30) 20 Da Bizness (02:06) 21 Resurrection (Large Professor remix) (03:21) 22 8 Minutes to Sunrise (03:21) 23 A Better Tomorrow (01:03) 24 Car Horn (02:07) 25 Play Dis (98 version) (03:31) 26 U-N-I Vs. All (02:19) 27 A for Effort (02:24) 28 The Light Live (Prince Concert @ the Metro; Chicago, IL 11/22/00) (05:51) |
 | Album: 7 of 16 Title: Electric Circus Released: 2002-12-10 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:17:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ferris Wheel (02:48) 2 Soul Power (04:38) 3 Aquarius (04:54) 4 Electric Wire Hustler Flower (05:54) 5 The Hustle (04:21) 6 Come Close to Me (04:35) 7 New Wave (05:08) 8 Star *69 (PS With Love) (05:30) 9 I Got a Right Ta (04:55) 10 Between Me, You & Liberation (06:23) 11 I Am Music (05:17) 12 Jimi Was a Rock Star (08:37) 13 Heaven Somewhere (10:24) 14 The Light (03:59) |
| Electric Circus : Allmusic album Review : Firmly out of the underground by the time Electric Circus came out in late 2002, Common takes the vision to the next level, employing high-profile producers ?uestlove, Dilla (Jay Dee), and the Neptunes. Its no surprise that the ?uestlove tracks push the most unclaimed territory. The Roots Phrenology record, which appeared concurrent with Electric Circus, also flips the script on preconceived notions of beats and rhymes. Frequently the new sound on both records is pushed into a strange, sometimes aggressive, blunted rock/soul hybrid that still pulls the line for able-bodied MCs. Then theres also the Neptunes tracks here, which are perfectly suited for MTV and urban radio. The Mary J. Blige duet, "Come Close," is a slow-paced dialogue between Common and Blige that borders on typical, but will still find a great number of fans. "Electric Wire Hustler Flower" is the true centerpiece of the record, though -- another ?uestlove jam, the song is tough but sensitive enough to maintain the layers of rhythm, rhyme, and abstraction. Electric Circus does suffer from that which ails many contemporary hip-hop albums -- too many guests (including a strange appearance by Laetitia Sadier [Stereolab]) and a generally lengthy program drag this one down a tad. Nonetheless, Electric Circus is a brave and ruthless statement wrapped in sincerity. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 16 Title: Be Released: 2005-05-23 Tracks: 11 Duration: 42:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Be (intro) (02:24) 2 The Corner (03:45) 3 GO! (03:44) 4 Faithful (03:33) 5 Testify (02:37) 6 Love Is… (04:10) 7 Chi‐City (03:27) 8 The Food (live) (03:37) 9 Real People (02:48) 10 They Say (03:58) 11 It’s Your World, Parts 1 & 2 (08:34) |
| Be : Allmusic album Review : Electric Circus cost and won Common some fans. It was very exploratory, especially so for a rap album released in 2002, containing developments -- some of which soared, some of which sank -- that few longtime followers could have foreseen. Listeners either felt Common was picking up fresh, new inspirations, or that he was just being distracted by a whole lot of ill-fitting nonsense. With Be, it seems the MC has realized that not every album thats sprawling and eclectic is as good as Electric Ladyland or Songs in the Key of Life. More notably, he mightve been struck with the fact that a high percentage of excellent albums are around 40 minutes in length and are built on a unified sound. Be is highly concentrated, containing 11 songs and involving two producers and a small number of guests. Its a 180 degree turn from Electric Circus, and in a bizarre way its both a progression and a back-to-basics move. Kanye West and Dilla are key to the albums steadiness, rooting the sound in 70s soul and soul-jazz. Thats no shakeup, but the two producers deserve some form of award for stringing together a consistent sequence of productions that is never monotonous, dull, or all that flashy. Even lead single "The Corner," heard well before Bes release, falls into the fabric of the album on first listen, as if that were where it belonged all along. Lyrically, Common comes back down to Earth -- the narratives are sharp as ever, the gripes are more like observations than screeds, and the eccentricities need to be teased out rather than swatted away. Be isnt likely to be referred to by anyone as groundbreaking, but its one of Commons best, and its also one of the most tightly constructed albums of any form within recent memory. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 16 Title: Finding Forever Released: 2007-07-30 Tracks: 13 Duration: 53:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Intro (01:17) 2 Start the Show (03:15) 3 The People (03:24) 4 Drivin’ Me Wild (03:43) 5 I Want You (04:30) 6 Southside (04:44) 7 The Game (03:32) 8 U, Black Maybe (05:02) 9 So Far to Go (04:28) 10 Break My Heart (03:40) 11 Misunderstood (04:44) 12 Forever Begins (07:36) 13 Play Your Cards Right (03:09) |
| Finding Forever : Allmusic album Review : In "The People," Common rhymes "My daughter found Nemo/I found the new Primo," yet it is the late J Dilla -- not DJ Premier -- who is emulated by Kanye West throughout Finding Forever. Dillas 2006 death has had Common and Kanye not just grieving but further contemplating the making of music that outlasts their time on the planet. This lends a kind of heaviness, a level of seriousness, and a sometimes overbearing sense of "What we are doing here is intended to be important," not present on 2005s Be -- a taut and steady album with an unforced and seemingly less conceptualized liquid flow. This time out, Kanye adopts a "What would Dilla do?" approach to his productions. (As on Be, most of the tracks feature his handiwork, with some duties farmed out to others.) Though the intentions are good, its an audacious move: idiosyncratic and often brilliant producer attempts to channel the creativity of a master who constantly switched up his game. It doesnt help Kanyes cause that the albums sweetest track is the Dilla-produced "So Far to Go" (heard in original form on Dillas The Shining), sandwiched between two Kanye beats that can be tuned out with no effort. There are some subtle references to Dilla, and while its perfectly acceptable that no outright mimicry is going on, the majority of the beats are slightly substandard, at least by Kanye standards. Common delivers plenty of lyrical potency, whether hes mixing the sad with the silly ("Doin all she can for her man and her baby, drivin herself crazy like the astronaut lady") or dishing out some serious Nas-worthy disdain ("With 12 monkeys on-stage, its hard to see whos a gorilla -- you was better as a drug dealer"). Sometimes, though, hes only providing more ammo for those who still maintain that his best album is his less than didactic debut, like the Cosby-in-training "He had a fetish for shoes thats athletic/Pathetic on his MySpace page half-naked." The album includes a handful of well-placed and effectual guest contributors including Bilal, Dwele, Lily Allen, Commons dad, and the one and only Primo. Still, its a shade less satisfying than Be. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 16 Title: Thisisme Then: The Best of Common Released: 2007-11-27 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:07:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Take It EZ (04:08) 2 Breaker 1/9 (04:02) 3 Soul by the Pound (04:20) 4 Charms Alarm (04:30) 5 Heidi Hoe (04:30) 6 I Used to Love H.E.R. (04:39) 7 Book of Life (05:06) 8 Resurrection (03:48) 9 Thisisme (04:55) 10 Retrospect for Life (05:25) 11 Reminding Me (of Sef) (04:55) 12 All Night Long (05:48) 13 G.O.D. (Gaining One’s Definition) (04:47) 14 Stolen Moments, Part III (02:31) 15 High Expectations (04:15) |
| Thisisme Then: The Best of Common : Allmusic album Review : Thisisme Then: The Best of Common surveys the early career of the Chi-town artist formerly known as Sense. Drawing from his first three albums (Can I Borrow a Dollar? Resurrection, One Day Itll All Make Sense), this collection of 15 classic tracks gives a picture of Commons stylistic evolution. The earliest first-album cuts show us an MC whose high-energy, conspicuously squeaky tongue-twister vocals, and comedic subject matter mirrored a variety of hip-hop acts of the day (Das EFX, Redman, et al.). The Resurrection tracks mark a clear turning point -- a move away from light-hearted content toward poetic maturity. "I Used to Love H.E.R.," with its airtight extended metaphor, remains one of the most poignant hip-hop songs of all time. By album three, Common had garnered respect from the likes of De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, and his work heralded the arrival of a new kind of conscious super MC, capable of speaking from the heart on subjects such as street crime ("Stolen Moments"), abortion ("Retrospective for Life"), religion ("G.O.D."), and coming to terms with ones adolescent past ("Reminding Me (Of Sef)"). Thisisme Then also includes the rarely heard "High Expectations" from the soundtrack to the 1997 film Soul in the Hole. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 16 Title: Universal Mind Control Released: 2008-12-05 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Universal Mind Control (UMC) (03:33) 2 Punch Drunk Love (04:14) 3 Make My Day (03:58) 4 Sex 4 Suga (04:02) 5 Announcement (03:45) 6 Gladiator (04:07) 7 Changes (03:58) 8 Inhale (03:11) 9 What a World (03:57) 10 Everywhere (03:14) |
| Universal Mind Control : Allmusic album Review : The eighth Common album was originally titled "Invincible Summer," but delays slid its release back to December. Though Mortal Winter mightve been more apt, Universal Mind Control does correctly point toward a lighter, less cerebral set relative to the MCs discography from The Resurrection onward. The glinting "Change" is a track filled with hope and optimism about younger generations and the rise of Obama, and "Inhale," another standout, carries a surplus of uplift and urgency. Otherwise, Commons here to have a good time, no strings attached, with uneven results. Occasionally adopting a casual old-school flow, best heard on the neo-Bambaataa electro throwback title track, he spends most of his time boasting about his prowess, whether hes referring to being on the mike or in the bedroom. At the albums lowest, he sounds uncomfortably out of character, as on "Announcement"; its stern beat, one of the seven provided by the Neptunes, resembles a Clipse cast-off, pushing Common into ill-suited thuggishness. The sluggish, mindless "Punch Drunk Love" ("My ungh is in your body/My ungh is in your mind") and "Sex 4 Suga" ("Girl, ooh, you look ungh") are nearly as dire, likewise sacrificing cleverness for bluntness. The albums last two tracks, production-wise, depart from hip-hop and will hopefully send some listeners back to the flawed greatness of Electric Circus. "What a World" features some of Commons most enjoyable, if simplistic, old-school rhymes, but the song is impaired by its dance-rock/Rapture-knockoff backdrop; and even with some of Commons most energized lines appearing as late as midway through the much more effective "Everywhere," the Dungeon Familys Mr. DJ (who produced two other tracks) drops some low-slung sci-fi synth-funk for Martina Topley-Birds spaced vocal feature. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 16 Title: Go! Common Classics Released: 2010-05-25 Tracks: 13 Duration: 51:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 The Light (04:03) 2 Universal Mind Control (UMC) (03:26) 3 Next Time (Just Right version) (03:52) 4 Go! (03:45) 5 Come Close (04:11) 6 I Want You (04:31) 7 The Corner (03:46) 8 Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop) (05:38) 9 Testify (02:38) 10 The People (03:26) 11 Drivin Me Wild (03:44) 12 Southside (04:00) 13 The Bitch in Yoo (04:02) |
 | Album: 13 of 16 Title: The Dreamer / The Believer Released: 2011-12-20 Tracks: 14 Duration: 57:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Dreamer (05:53) 2 Ghetto Dreams (03:54) 3 Blue Sky (04:03) 4 Sweet (03:37) 5 Gold (04:19) 6 Lovin’ I Lost (03:51) 7 Raw (How You Like It) (03:55) 8 Cloth (04:34) 9 Celebrate (04:03) 10 Windows (04:00) 11 The Believer (03:43) 12 Pops Belief (04:55) 13 The Believer (remix) (03:23) 14 Ghetto Dreams (remix) (03:37) |
| The Dreamer / The Believer : Allmusic album Review : On his ninth studio album, Common reunites with old partner and fellow Chicagoan No I.D., which ensures that the sound will be much different than that of the MCs previous set, the Neptunes-dominated Universal Mind Control. Indeed, compounds of dusty soul samples and organic instrumentation are in place of candy-coated synthesizers and pattering hand percussion. That change naturally pushes Common into deeper, more contemplative, and wistful frames of mind, and he takes an extra step by bookending the album with typically purposeful appearances from Maya Angelou and his father (the latter of which is absolutely riveting). The best moments are bathed in a warm radiance that fosters a comforting, uplifting mood -- intensified by hooks from James Fauntleroy II and samples of the Impressions, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Graham Central Station, and gospel Kenny Loggins -- that recalls 2005s Be. "Gold" is particularly vivid, where he crams a post-birth visit from "three wise men," trips to France and Sybaris (rhymed with syphilis), and references to Hot Tub Time Machine and "Stan." However, the content isn’t exclusively cerebral, uplifting, and/or surreal. On "Ghetto Dreams," the track that incongruently follows Angelous appearance, Common opens with "I wanna bitch that look good and cook good" and elaborates with "buck naked in the kitchen flippin pancakes." Theres also the caustic "Sweet," where the MC seemingly slips into character to enhance fiery rhymes with enraged goading. Tracks like those add variety yet come close to polluting the remainder. Thats a no-win situation for him, really; without those tracks, Common would have been accused by some rap fans, once more, of being too soft. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 16 Title: Nobody’s Smiling Released: 2014-07-22 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Neighborhood (03:58) 2 No Fear (03:12) 3 Diamonds (03:53) 4 Blak Majik (03:19) 5 Speak My Piece (03:51) 6 Hustle Harder (03:58) 7 Nobody’s Smiling (04:16) 8 Real (03:22) 9 Kingdom (06:22) 10 Rewind That (05:21) |
| Nobody’s Smiling : Allmusic album Review : Common noted that this albums title references Eric B. & Rakims "In the Ghetto" -- more specifically, the songs recurring sample from the duos "I Aint No Joke." More symbolic, if beneath the surface, is the use of Curtis Mayfields grim and pointed "The Other Side of Town" on album opener "The Neighborhood." While Nobodys Smiling was inspired by the tragic condition of Commons hometown of Chicago, its incorporation of a relevant-as-ever song from 1970, recorded by a Chicagoan in Chicago, is an acknowledgment of how inner-city struggles are a constant, not a trend. The rapper/actors geographic and economic distance can be cited as a reason to approach Nobodys Smiling with a cocked brow. Common, to the contrary, once again works closely with fellow Chicago native No I.D., and he also makes room for a clutch of local artists -- including Dreezy, Lil Herb, and Malik Yusef -- who are also shown throughout the booklet, along with other Chicago figures, cast in the same slight light as him. Likewise, through character sketches and an otherwise grounded perspective, Common places himself on their level instead of acting as a sage. Fervent throughout, Common deals out some of his hardest and heaviest rhymes. No I.D. strengthens his partners work with rigid, reverb-heavy productions -- from the mechanical pings of "Speak My Piece" to the juddering drums and probing keyboards within the title track -- without approaching the harshness of the Yeezus tracks to which he contributed. On "Kingdom," something like a weathered "Jesus Walks," the rapper and the producer are at their most moving, with the protagonist attending a funeral and plotting revenge, unable to connect with the concept of faith: "My whole life I had to worry about eatin/I aint have time to think about what I believe in." Common places the most directly biographical track, "Rewind That," at the end of the albums standard edition. The second half, where he traces his friendship with J Dilla, involves some brilliant storytelling, and perhaps the only moments during the albums sessions when Common cracked a smile while recording. Its a touching finish to the rappers best album since Be. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 16 Title: Live at the Jazz Room Released: 2016-03-18 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:15:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Be (02:56) 2 Real People (02:06) 3 Band & DJ Introductions (03:29) 4 Nag Champa (02:33) 5 Diggin in the Crates - Interlude (00:55) 6 The Invocation (01:57) 7 Go (02:54) 8 Faithful (03:13) 9 Bogus Women - Interlude (01:29) 10 Testify (02:20) 11 Phone Call - Interlude (01:36) 12 Respiration (02:08) 13 Get em High (01:37) 14 Thelonious (02:36) 15 Funky for You (03:53) 16 Slow Jams - Interlude (02:45) 17 Come Close (02:23) 18 Freestyle (06:38) 19 Love Is - Prelude (00:53) 20 Love Is (03:40) 21 Music Is About Love - Interlude (01:07) 22 They Say (02:23) 23 I Used to Love H.E.R. (02:36) 24 Medley (03:20) 25 Foundations of Hip Hop & The DJ (01:19) 26 DJ Dummy Scratch Set (03:43) 27 Band Shout Outs & Freestyle (02:49) 28 The Light (05:49) |
 | Album: 16 of 16 Title: Black America Again Released: 2016-11-04 Tracks: 15 Duration: 56:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Joy and Peace (02:40) 2 Home (03:31) 3 Word From Moe Luv (interlude) (00:40) 4 Black America Again (06:09) 5 Love Star (05:09) 6 On a Whim (interlude) (00:41) 7 Red Wine (04:35) 8 Pyramids (03:30) 9 A Moment in the Sun (interlude) (00:51) 10 Unfamiliar (03:58) 11 A Bigger Picture Called Free (04:38) 12 The Day Women Took Over (05:16) 13 Rain (04:08) 14 Little Chicago Boy (06:37) 15 Letter to the Free (04:24) |
| Black America Again : Allmusic album Review : Thematically and structurally, "Black America Again" distills the essence of its parent release like few other pre-album singles. Filled with love, grief, and rage, Common traces institutionalized racism back to Christopher Columbus and covers many of the after effects, from slavery to police shootings, from housing projects to gentrification. Karriem Riggins, the veteran multi-instrumentalist and producer who contributed to Commons 1997-2007 run, potently layers live instrumentation -- Robert Glaspers leading piano, Esperanza Spaldings melodic bass, J-Roccs percussive scratches -- with an array of samples that includes a propelling breakbeat and an empowering James Brown monologue. Real-life Stevie Wonder arrives toward the end with a proud affirmation of his own. The product of a fully unified super session, this album was produced entirely by Riggins, assisted by Glasper on two other cuts. Common operates at full power. He rarely sounds as if hes merely filling space with his words, rhyming with purpose about spiritual and physical sustenance, reflecting upon his upbringing, lamenting recent tragedies, and fantasizing about a peaceful future in which the world is run by women. He often targets mass incarceration, delivering one of his most moving narratives in "A Bigger Picture Called Free." Its easy to overlook the rappers remarkable rhythmic aptitude in understated lines like "My pops -- yall built and destroyed him with prescriptions of poverty, dope, and unemployment." Some love songs, highlighted by the sweetly bobbing "Love Star," wouldnt lose much with Common removed from them, but they -- along with spiritualized opener "Joy and Peace" -- effectively break from all the grim matter. The basic track list provides no indication that this is the most collaborative Common album since Electric Circus. Most of the vocalists formally linked to the track titles -- Bilal, Tasha Cobbs, Syd, BJ the Chicago Kid, and PJ among them -- are utilized more like an ensemble throughout. Glasper and J-Rocc are among the frequently heard instrumentalists, while keyboardist James Poyser, bassist Robert Hurst, and trumpeters Theo Croker and Roy Hargrove make appearances. And then theres Riggins on drums, bass, and the application of a Dilla-like sample scope -- obscure library recordings, Gentle Giant, Ol Dirty Bastard, the works. All thats here, dark or bright, is vital. | ||