Common - Be
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Free Music Notes for Be
Free Music Review: A Hip-Hop Masterpiece, Common Brings the Truth
Hit: 5 Stars
I would argue that Common is in the class of "great," inspired and inspirational Hip-Hoppers. Hip-Hop is supposed to be fun. It's supposed to be motivational, insightful. It's supposed to make a statement. It's supposed to "be" something that lifts the people even if it's only through its sonic, musical abilities. Common's Hip-Hop has always and continues to do just that.
Be (Intro)-Produced by Kanye West, it has a throwback appeal to it and it's short, but the words say a lot.
The Corner-Produced by Kanye West and featuring The Last Poets, here Common is talking about the "corners" that are riddled with crime, with drug infestation but all corners have a story. Interpreting the song, it's as if Common is asserting that no matter what one may generalize, those on the corner have a story to tell. They have success stories. They have reasons for what they do. This was his first single, which failed to really make any gains on radio, but the accompanying video was great. Contains elements from you Make the Sun Shine as performed by The Temprees. A
Go!-Produced by Kanye West and featuring Kanye West and John Mayer, this is one of my favorite cuts. It's the perfect blend of throwback soul and soulful rock. John Mayer is one of my favorite Pop/Rock artists, and his singing the "go's" adds a dimension to the song. Common's spitting during the verses is on-pitch, on-point with the perfect emotion given to it and the right timing, which some rappers struggle with. This was the second single, and it performed better than The Corner. It has an energy to it where it's danceable, and it's sexual, but not too, too sexual. There are so many elements to it that it's not what the song's all about. It contains a sample from Old Smokey. A+
Faithful-Produced by Kanye West and featuring John Legend and Bilal with elements from "Faithful to the End" by DJ Rogers, this is simply a musical masterpiece. The song raises some interesting aspects as it connects faithfulness to God with faithfulness to a woman from a man. It raises the question of if God were a woman, would we treat women the same. Couple that interesting perspective with two of the most, current soulful singers, John Legend and Bilal, who give an impassioned breakdown during the bridge. The song makes you think. It's listenable, and it's just, simply tight. Common also spits the rap with the right fire and energy. It should've been released as a single. It actually was rotated in Chicago on Urban stations. A++
Testify-Produced by Kanye West and containing elements from "Innocent Til Proven Guilty," the third single from the CD which has one of the most innovative lyrics and unique videos of any Hip-Hop songs in the last year. Hearing the song with its percolating tempo, the wise use of the samples, I never paid attention to the lyrics until the video was released, and I realized how tight the song was as it uses irony/suspense to great effect. It should have been a breakthrough hit on radio, as the song is simply tight, but it has managed to do pretty well. A+
Love Is...Produced by DILLA and containing elements from "God is Love" as performed by Marvin Gaye, this slow jam talks about love being something that is expressed not only in affluent, priviledge communities. It's everywhere. Even if it seems as if it's not there, "love" is everywhere and the fact that it is needs to be respected by everyone. Common interprets the rap just right, and the song is laidback especially compared to the "go-get `em (ness)" of the previous cuts, but it works. A
Chi-City-Produced by Kanye West with interpolations from "Since I Found My Baby," the song talks about aspects of Chicago which can be applied to any city in general. It's a great song, overall speaking truth about aspects that are forgotten about. The vintage beat is also pretty tight. A
The Food (Live)-Produced by Kanye West with elements of "I Never Had it so Good" and "Nothing Can Change This Love" Kanye and Common performed this on The Dave Chappelle Show, it does not even really sound live, but as with all of Common's songs, it's saying something about how life is...the food that needs to be put on the table and doing what it takes to get it there. It makes you think about inner-city, struggling lifestyle in a different way than just as it being negative or to be shunned. A
Real People-Produced by Kanye West, the title says it all as Common talks about "real people," the people that are so forgotten about, that are swept underneath the table and that fall underneath the prominent radar, but the "people," the important people. He even makes mention of Bob Marley and other legends who are passed watching over the condition of society. It's a great song with a vintage, throwback feel to it. A
They Say-Produced by Kanye West, featuring John Legend and containing elements of "Ghetto Child" as performed by Ahmad Jamal, this is another tight song. It's modern with a vintage twist. The verses are tight. The hook is catchy. It's making a statement. Kanye turns in a good rap as well. A+
It's your World (Parts 1 & 2)-Produced by DILLA, James Poyser (Mariah Carey, Anthony Hamilton) and Karriem Riggins with elements of "Share What you Got" as performed by The Modulation, this is an autobiography of Common's life, his struggles, but it's inspiring and motivational. During Part 2, Common's father, Lonnie "Pops" Lynn, gives an encouraging, deep spoken word. A+
To sum it all up, when I hear artists like Common, like Jay Z, like Nas, like Kanye West and a few others, it lets me know that Hip-Hop is not dead, that there is still hope. Common gives, commands and demands respect for those who live a hard-knock life as he tells the story of so many of the silenced while also motivating those people that it's their world, that they can "be" all they want to be.... that these "real people" can "go" anywhere they want no matter what "they say" if only they remain "faithful" and "testify" to their intrinsic greatness. As an aspiring teacher, this CD reminds me that it needs to be emphasized and known that as Jesse Jackson stated "genius" is everywhere. God does not just put genius in rich areas. The ghettos are full of unheard geniuses. The tightest aspect of this CD is that it could be used in classes, in college classes and its lyrics can be analyzed like classic poetry. How many modern Hip-Hop CDs, I'm talking about the whole CD can you say that about? I also must say that I think that Kanye West and John Legend should team together and cut an entire collaborative CD...one of the best producers/rappers teamed with one of the best lyricists/ rappers teamed with one of the most classic but modern soulful pianist/vocalist would be a musical masterpiece. It's also good that Common has experienced a commercial renaissance with the CD having sold around 750,000 copies and well on its way to Platinum as only one of his efforts have achieved. It's a great CD for anyone to have because it's speaking "truth" through and through.
Free Music Review: An artist who gives us REAL MUSIC!
Hit: 4 Stars
Common is always refreshing to listen to. While Electric Circus wasn't bad, it felt a little forced with its spaced out beats. With the release of Be, Common gets back to what made him great in the first place -- ill lyricism and smooth, neck jerking beats. The production is largely handled by Kanye West (with one or two assists from Jay Dee) and the result is one of the most sonically cohesive rap albums of the young year. Tracks like "Faithful", "Be", and "Chi City" have that signature Kanye West flavor. The drum arrangements on "Go" are just plain crazy and "Faithful" has a spectacular ending that you can just get lost in. "It's Your World (Pop's Reprise)" is dope from start to finish. Every song on the album stands out in terms of production.
And now, the flaws. They are very small, but there are one or two. The lyrics on "The Food" are kind of weak and it suffers from a suspect hook. The album is kind of short too. It checks in at about 45 minutes. Other than that, you'd be hard pressed to find a flaw on this album.
Standout Tracks: Love Is, Faithful feat. Bilal & John Legend (My Favorite), Be, Chi City feat. Kanye West, Go, They Say feat. John Legend & Consequence, It's Your World (Pop's Reprise), and The Corner feat. The Last Poets & Kanye West.
In short, 'Be' is a must have release. Common definitely will redeem himself if you thought Electric Circus was suspect (which I didn't). The beats are on point, the songs all flow well, and Common rhymes with that swagger again. The result is a classic LP. It's good to see that gems like this can still be found in the mainstream.If you're a common fan, you won't be disappointed and if you're a hip hop fan, you will love it.
Highly recommended.
Free Music Review: Superb Album!
Hit: 5 Stars
I gotta say this is my fav record of 2005 and prolly one of my favorite albums out so far. His lyricism is great and constructive, beats are on point, and the chemistry is great. This is such feel good album, and it definitely takes hip hop back to it's roots. No commercial or gangsta rap, but the origin of hip hop, an instant classic. Many props, Common keep doing what you're doing, follow your heart.
Peace And Respect, 1,
G
Free Music Review: Common ----- Be
Hit: 5 Stars
Classic...that's not a word critics use lightly. Unfortunately, this game hasn't seen an overall flawless album since...EXACTLY. Peep the quick "classical" lineup: Illmatic...classic. Midnight Marauders...classic. Reasonable Doubt...classic. These albums embodied everything we as music journalists look for in an album; a rhyme-readied MC with an open mic, loose lips and a conscious mind of the jewels he's about to drop over production that'll make your head nod, and your heart well with the type of pride and emotion that at times is unexplainable. Be (G.O.O.D. Music/Geffen), Common's latest effort, backed heavily by Mr. Roc-A-Fella himself, Kanye West and his G.O.O.D. Music label...is a classic. Let's be real, Hip-hop has been lost in the matrix for a minute now since the greatest alive retired, and just like Morpheus, another bald headed orator-who has been shunned by others because of his change of lifestyle, which was evident on his gravely misunderstood Electric Circus album (E. Badu, what up!)-has presented the music to give listeners the blue pill that will take us on a journey unlike any other heard in a while.
We know that the Hip-hop nation is more than familiar with the sinister single "The Corner"-which gave hardcore Common Sense fans a perpetual hard-on that Lonnie Lynn Jr. has returned to his Resurrection days. But before you take it back to '92 like Starter caps, know that Be is more a culmination of the various stages that Common has bestowed on us since he first touched the mic, rather than a resurrection. With that in mind, Common does stay true to his proclamation of love, peace and the heavens above on tracks like the aptly named "Love Is" and "Faithful," where he bravely declares, "I was rolling around and my mind it occurred/what if God was a her?/Would I treat her the same/would I still be running game/on her/and which type ways I would want her." Moreover, Common returns to his days of witty wordplay fueled by vigor that's just as thick as the Windy City air in December on Kanye's jazz-influenced gem "Real People," and on his hometown ode "Chi City"-where Com cocks hammers at his gaudy contemporaries "In the middle of chaos and gunfire/so many raps about rims/surprised niggas ain't become tires") and vehemently proclaims, "they ask me where hip-hop is going/ it's Chi-Ca-Going/ poetry's in motion like a picture now showing."
Along with his vivid lyrical wizardry, Com plays the role of storyteller, painting pictures of extravagant court trials ("Testify"), sexual fantasies (the John Mayer-inspired second single "Go") and teenage introspective on "It's Your World." On the latter he actually interviewed a wayward Chicago prostitute about her path to decadence, manifesting itself into the song's second verse, "she said it was her toes but I can tell her soul hurt/she was cold turk/growing up she got to know hurt/very well in a world where self-hate is overt"
Yet, Common's versatile rhymes are only half the battle as Kanye, who produces nine of the CD's eleven tracks, creates, arguably, his best work ever-which only heightned anticipation for his "Late Registration" album. But, not to be outdone by Yay's excessiveness, Jay Dilla creates smooth melodic joints that easily hold their own on this complete album. Let's just hope-for Hip-hop's sake-the recent string of bootlegged copies of Be, doesn't hurt Com's chances of seeing platinum success. Still, if us critics look back, some classics don't necessarily become Billboard favorites, they just stand the test of time. And Be will make the grade.
Free Music Review: Chi-City Is On Top!
Hit: 5 Stars
Common is one of the very few Emcees that actually doesn't care about the money as much as he does about the Music in all perspectives. Rappers like Nas, Kanye West, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Black Thought (The Roots), Eminem rap about there surroundings instead of how much money there making or discriminatin women and s*** like that. But Common is really different when he raps cuz there was never once that he had mentioned about makin money, cars, or hatin on women because he always speakin about whats real. I REALLY RECOMMEND THIS CD ESPECIALLY IF YOU HATE RAPPERS LIKE 50 CENT, BOW WOW ETC.
Top 5 Songs
1)Be
2)The Corner
3)The Food
4)Faithful
5)GO!