Common - Finding Forever
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Free Music Notes for Finding Forever
Free Music Review: Biting
Hit: 2 Stars
As Common notes on last year's J. Dilla produced "E=Mc2", "Since the early `80s, I rock the planet daily". Indeed, he has been around the block a few times, emerging with straight greasy beats, finding favor with his "conscious rap" and deftly rocking over Stereolab, ?uestlove on the same track ("New Wave" from 2002's Electric Circus). As with a number of MC's, Common is generally only as strong as his producer, and here we find him as tofu to Kanye West's rancid miso soup. There are golden moments here such as the bittersweet Lily Allen duet on "Driving Me Wild", the fists out brawling stomp of "Southside", the squirrelly synth/hand-clap beat on "Break My Heart" and Dilla's posthumous scratchy beats on "So Far to Go". However, the majority of both the music and lyrics are simply clement and marginally interesting. Common's supple "hey baby, I worship you/don't get mad" flirtatious implorations don't leave a lasting impression, and someone needs to place a large magnet West's "neo soul" hard drive - new sh**, please! Newcomers and novices fresh off a Black Eyed Peas trip might find this album interesting, but those who know Common's potential will leave disappointed. Free Music Review: I didn't think they made Hip Hop like this anymore.
Hit: 4 Stars
After having this CD for a minute, and having spent the time to listen to it, my first impressions are good. Many in their reviews have compared this Cd to Be,which I think is a little bit unfair, as I would imagine that most artists would like each CD to be considered on it own merits and rights. Saying that I prefer this CD to Be . After giving it some thought I'd say mainly due to the quality of samples and music that are on display here. On each CD, you know lyrically that Common is gonna bring it, but I just didn't like the music/samples production on offer in the latter joint.
If I was to pick favorites on here I would have to say: 'I Want You' featuring & produced by Will.iam, which is a beautiful poet love song, which isn't crass but the way a man should step to a lady. The Kanye produced' drivin' me wild' featuring the UK's own Lilly Allen. Now I'm not a big fan of Ms Allen, but this enchanting collabo works, again with Common speaking about wannabees. I love the very old schollish 'The Game' with the renowned DJ premier, the Very deep 'U,Black maybe, the beautiful 'So far to go' with D'angelo, 'Break My Heart', the excellent'Misunderstood,, in fact I can let this CD play and chill and listen to it all.
I didn't think I would like this CD as much as I do, but the excellent music/samples/production along Common's lyrical prowess equals a must have CD, and my favorite Hip Hop CD of the year, thus far.
Free Music Review: Another Triumph for a Top-Tier Emcee
Hit: 5 Stars
Common solidified his place in the highest eschelon of hip-hop emcees long before this latest effot. However, he continues to prove himself and has found a nice niche with fellow Chi-Native Kanye West on the boards. The flow of this album could almost be construed as a B-Side to 2005's "Be." Very similar pace and production.
"Start the Show", "The Game," and "So Far to Go f. D'Angelo" (which first appeared on the legendary J-Dilla's posthumous album "The Shining") all highlight this album, while "The People" is no doubt the banger of the album with a beat so nasty you'll listen to it repeatedly the first time your ears are so priviledged.
I'd say more, but you should probably just go get the album now.
5/5 Stars.
Free Music Review: If rap was Harlem, he'd be James Baldwin
Hit: 3 Stars
I've heard a lot of Common Sense, and this just seems like a decent album by him. It's highly listenable, but not overwhelmingly memorable. And I thought "Be" was a coherent album whose tracks didn't stand out individually, this one is even more so. I'm glad there are bangers like "Southside" and "The Game," but a lot of the tracks don't stand out too much. It seems rather rushed by his standards. I just think more material should have been added- I know there were at least three extra songs recorded that didn't make the cut. Once again we have a very short album, which is kinda a blessing and a curse- a curse only when some of the existing songs aren't too remarkable.
This cd suffers from an extended downbeat last third, a la Pharoahe Monch's recent cd. The songs aren't bad on their own merit, but can be a little tedious when placed together. I like "So Far To Go," but it's placed at a bad spot on this cd and things slow down from there. The song before, "Black Maybe," is awesome and probably my favorite, but is slow as well. "Break My Heart" seems to be the only overt filler here, although Common gets to show off his rare humorous side. I think if Common put "E=MC^2" (over "So Far To Go") it would have been a better testament to both his and J. Dilla's skills, and would have injected an extra shot of adrenaline into the cd.
Common's rhyming here is a little more vague and his pop culture references are a little superfluous, but there's still enough evidence of a very superior mc on the album. He still provides numerous quotables, as witnessed by reviewers' headlines. His style has always been more than simply punchlines, however. His stories are well-received, but the ones such as on "Misunderstood" are a tad suspect, as he seems to pull the stories out of thin air. Otherwise, the cd does still sit well with me and will be recommended, but I just wanted a little more material. I'm glad people are enjoying it and I hope he goes platinum with it and scores a big hit out of "Drivin' Me Wild" or "I Want You," which is very possible. He's earned it.
Free Music Review: Common Finds Forever With An Album For the People
Hit: 5 Stars
After the premature death of record producer J Dilla 1974-2006, Common and Kanye started to think of life in a diffrent way. What are we and what can we do on our time on earth?. Kanye West wanted to pay Dilla tribute by emulating his sound while Common wanted to make the timeless classic to be heard forever. And album with sound reminding of old classic soul like Marvin, Stevie and Minnie Ripperton and lyrics dealing with contemporary issues that never grow old or tired. Thus, "Finding Forever". As for Common, he's far from a new artist. He already debuted in 1992 with "Can I Borrow A Dollar and continues making great albums til the huge 2005 success with "Be" that is almost considered a classic already. The album mostly featured just one producer (West) and combined the always great lyrics from Common with a production so smooth and fascinating that it exposed Common to a broader audience and earn him several nominations aswell. It generally became known as his best album. With it's successor "Finding Forever", Can he accomplish another classic or was "Be" just a fluke?.
"Finding Forever" is really deep, with alot of slow songs dealing with contemporary issues. Kanye is responsible for most of the songs apart from 3 songs that Will.i.am, Devo Springsteen, J Dilla produced. Like aformentioned, the sound of this album sounds more like J Dilla then Kanye West and is a bit diffrent from "Be", but it isn't neccesarry a bad thing. A short instrumental intro starts the album and is follow by "Start the Show", one of the more upbeat songs with wonderful samples. Here he disses other rappers that just care about money and fame and have no talent whatsover. Without using names, there's alot of rappers that should feel hit by those strong words. On "The People" Common shows that he cares about the normal everyday people and with more wonderful samples and guest verses from Kwele this song is also a winner. On "Drivin' Me Wild" West recruits British in demand singer Lilly Allen to sing the hook. The songs deals with contemporary women and women ideals. He even mentions that "astronaut lady". This song is another highlight. Will.i.am produce and appears on "I Want You". A deep lovesong where Common deals with lost love in a relationship not working out well. "Southside" is more rock-inspired cut and also a duet between him and Kanye which seems to be a dedication to the "South". An old skool sounding song called "The Game" goes way back and Common deal with the game as he knows it and complains over the current start of commercial Hip Hop. This song got plenty of punchlines and brings back the old skool feeling in an excellent way. "U, Black Maybe" sound more like West and speeds up the sample from a Stevie Wonder song with the same name. Common explains what the in the last spoken verse; "When we talk about black maybe
We talk about situations Of people of color/ and because you are that color You endure obstacles and opposition/ And not all the time from other nationalities/ Sometimes it comes from your own kind
Or maybe even your own mind"
On "So Far To Go" D'Angelo appears, it's the only J Dilla production here and the song already appeared on his own album "The Shining". This is a beautiful slow tempo for the ladies and it's one of the definite highlights of this album. Another soulish sample on "Break My Heart" a romantic but funny song about a woman he's dating. Devo Springsteen uses Nina Simone's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" for the song "Misunderstood". I find the sample rather tired. They could atleast have speed up the voice or something?. However, the lyric are strong. Closer got the fitting name "Forever Begins" and sound more like an old soul recording then contemporary Hip Hop with magnificient instrumentations and choirs. It clocks at 7.30 and it could be shorter considering that halfway the music changes pace and eventually Common starts talking. However, I get the impression that the idea was the make a song as diffrent as contemporary Hip Hop as possible, And they really succeed with that here. A bonus song called "Play Your Cards Right" for the Uk edition is also old soul sounding and feauture Bilal. Shouldn't have been just a bonus song.
Overall, "Finding Forever" is one of the best Hip Hop albums of the year. Great socially conscious lyrics combined with a great production makes "Finding Forever" on par with "Be". If Common hasn't found forver now I don't know if he ever will. Recommended for people that like good Hip Hop.