Common - Be

In 2002, Lonnie "Common" Lynn released one of the most experimental and forward-thinking albums in hip-hop history up to that point, Electric Circus, and being that he did this right after he had put out what is often regarded to be his best LP, Like Water For Chocolate, a lot of fans took it as a blow to the bollocks, and received the record with about as much positivity as is to be found in a bite of stale wholemeal bread - everyone hated it. Not that this hatred was deserved, mind you, as the record was actually a really stellar piece of work that rarely ever crossed the line from "experimental" into "ridiculous", and when it did, it was at the very end, so you could always just turn the thing off after "I Am Music" anyway. Unfortunately, a lot of fans didn't take it this way back in '02, instead being appalled by Common's new direction and choosing to shun him completely. This record didn't sell too well, and after its release Common left his deal with MCA, which must've been a blow. However, as he stated on the bonus DVD of the album I'm covering today, it was his breakup with Erykah Badu that really got to him the most - he hit rock bottom, and was forced to climb his way back up the stepladder in search of happiness once again. 

In 2004, a humble and kind gentleman by the name of Kanye West was prepping to release his debut studio album The College Dropout, and this pleasant chap also happened to be from Chicago, where Common hails from, of course. Ye had already invited such conscious backpackers as Talib Kweli and Mos Def on the record, and so of course he jumped at the chance to have the man behind "The Light" and "I Used To Love H.E.R." on his album, and allowed mr. Sense to jump on "Get 'Em High" for an absolutely wonderful verse that a lot of fans noticed as the potential beginning of a comeback for Common. Common himself was finally in a new circle of people he liked, and he was really ready to start making music again. The man signed a deal with West's G.O.O.D. Music label and Geffen Records, and began to record a new album, an effort that was released on May of 2005. Common's 6th studio album, Be.

Be, in a similar fashion to a lot of Common's albums up to this point, was largely produced by one single act - in this case it was Kanye West, who produced 9 out of the 11 songs presented here, with frequent collaborator J Dilla showing up for the other two songs to make sure the Like Water For Chocolate junkies (I'm sure they're out there) had something to chomp up too. But yes, this was largely produced by a man whom Common had never actually worked with on his solo records before, and as such it was to be expected that Common would be switching up his style yet again - perhaps to something more soulful and modern, in comparison with the jazzier feel of Like Water For Chocolate, or the more hardcore feel of some of his '90s records. And another facet that stood out here was the length - this thing was just 11 tracks long, and unlike Electric Circus that was only 13 songs yet still 70 minutes, this one was actually only just over 40 minutes. That's pretty short, but hey - Common was a veteran by this point. He can do what the hell he likes!

Perhaps it was the fact that Common was already a legend of the game who had made his mark on the genre in countless ways that made this record so well-received. This was a rapper well past the usual peak MCing age, making what many believed to be one of, if not the best hip-hop record of the 2000s decade. An album filled with countless classic compositions, and phenomenally insightful verses, and iconic songs, one that almost every hip-hop fan thinks of when they hear the word "common" in any setting (well, I do anyway). Hell, the album barely even had any features - the only guest MC is Kanye, who provides additional vocals on a few cuts as well as his proper verse, but aside from him the features are limited to singers (Bilal, John Legend, John Mayer) and The Last Poets, who popped up on one of the singles here. The majority of the vocals on here are covered by Common himself, with little in the way of others contributing, especially when it comes down to the verses. The atmosphere and direction the album took was largely down to Lonnie himself. 

And I think it's testament to just how fantastic Common is that I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. 

1. Be (Intro) (prod. Kanye West)

Flipping through the credits, you'll notice that this song has its keyboard work credited to James Poyser - clearly, Common hasn't let his Soulquarians connections completely escape him. Quite the contrary (also, J Dilla pops up later on the album for production, so me bringing that up was unnecessary, but whatever). You'll probably drop the booklet in awe during this song anyway, so the credits don't matter - all that matters is that this song is literally one of the best ever created by human hands. This is, in my opinion, equal with that on DMX's It's Dark and Hell is Hot for the title of "best song labelled "intro" in hip-hop history", and I could just lean towards this one. The song starts with slow and highly intriguing bass that I remember vividly lead me to believe I might have put the wrong CD in, only for the seemingly random bass hits to turn into an actual bassline, which is then joined by some heavenly synths, and finally a whole-ass soulful ensemble of instruments. You hear this build-up and think there's no way this could make itself any more extraordinary, and then Common's verse starts, and it's quite possibly the best he ever did, which is quite a fucking enormous feat at that. The verse on here discusses spirituality, the struggle of the black man, Common's relationship with family, and it all ends off with one final statement that caps off this utterly astonishing piece of poetry - "the present is a gift, and I just wanna be". If this isn't the perfect way to open up an album, then I don't know what the motherfuck is. This shit is crazy, duke!!

2. The Corner (feat. The Last Poets) (prod. Kanye West)

Kanye West provides not only one of his grittiest beats ever, but also one of his grittiest hooks to help Common settle perfectly into that more aggressive atmosphere he perfected on Resurrection and parts of One Day It'll All Make Sense, but never really returned to, at least until now. The instrumental on this thing is nice as an apple pie, with the hard drums intertwining with the chipmunk soul samples to make for one of my favourite Kanye contributions of all time, which is no easy feat. The instrumental also fits Common like a glove, and he actually steps his lyrical game up a notch for this one by providing some of the dopest rhyme schemes and instances of wordplay seen during his lengthy career. Bars such as "got cousins with flows, hope they open some doors, so we can cop clothes and roll in a Rolls. Now I roll in a Olds, with windows that don’t roll" are commonplace (get it?) on this song, and the lyricism presented on here is easily some of the best on this record. Common's actual content doesn't take a battering in favour of this newfound lyrical skill, though - instead, it's as entertaining as always, with Com speaking on life in the Chicago streets and his observations of the hood in his hometown - he speaks on the positives and negatives, and like with the last song, he comes to a conclusion at the end, stating that the "action is affirmative" at the end of this. The Last Poets' inclusion on here also works really well to make for something more spiritual in keeping with the themes of the first song. This shit is incredible. 

I also checked out the remix to this song with Mos Def and Scarface, and considering the line-up, that shit should've been a lot better.

3. GO! (prod. Kanye West)

If I was to give one criticism of this album, it's that a lot of the features don't get credited as actual features, but rather "additional vocalists". Sure, John Mayer only says one word here, but said word is quite pivotal to this song, no? Anyhow, this was one of the singles for this record, and is probably the most radio-centric song on the album, but make no mistake, that's not a bad thing - quite the contrary. The instrumental from Kanye on here is hella smooth, and I also love the hook, which consists of Mayer singing the titular word while Kanye then echos it in a way that makes the song feel old-school as hell - this is obviously a good thing. As for Common, he gets freaky on this one, detailing his sexual adventures with a woman, and while this isn't the most invigorating content, you've got to give it to him for being diverse - this sounds pretty much nothing like the last song. And yet somehow, it all fits. Common's opening line "she was a bad, uhh" is pretty hilarious, and he echoes this humour frequently throughout his two verses - "freaky like the daughter of a pastor" being a personal favourite. Yes, the hook's a little repetitive and the verses don't have the most intriguing content, but this song still works really well, and is one of my favourite "big" singles from Com.

4. Faithful (prod. Kanye West)

An interesting track thematically, as Common spits two verses that don't appear to be very related, but admittedly do tie into the overall theme of the song - that's being faithful to your lover. During the first verse, as Common explicitly states during the first few lines, we hear Common question God's gender (sounds interesting, I know...), asking himself if it's a her, and if he would treat God differently if this were the case. Yes, it sounds like uninteresting trite, but Common approaches it in a pretty intriguing way, with some of his lines such as "wouldn't be ashamed to bring her part of my check" and "couldn't be jealous 'cause other brothers worship her" actually making you really think - could the macho attitude of the rapper be followed through if this were the case? This verse is good, but I prefer the second, as Common tells the story of a man who gets caught up in his own lust, and very nearly has sex with his wife's best friend, only to realise the severity of such an act, and head back to his wife before doing anything rash. This verse is really powerful, and another verse after that would have been much appreciated - oh well. This song is still dope as hell, and I haven't even mentioned the beat, sample, and sung outro from John Legend and Bilal. These factors all being so fantastic and me neglecting to mention them for so long just goes to show how fantastic Common really is. 

5. Testify (prod. Kanye West)

This was the first Common song I ever heard (I picked the vinyl up because I was curious), and so perhaps it's for that reason that I enjoy the song more than most - and yes, I see the issue with the rather intrusive sample, but for me I don't actually mind that too much - it gives the record an intense and dark feel that contrasts with the soulful wonder of the previous two songs. The main reason for enjoying this one, however, is Common's verses, of which there are four, presumably to make up for the fact that there were only two on both of the previous songs. This isn't the first piece of storytelling on the record, but the difference here is that Com dedicates the whole song to it - a tragic tale of a woman who's husband is about to be arrested for a crime he didn't commit, a woman who is forced to testify in court for this man who is surely to spend the rest of his life in prison. The story is pretty intriguing, but it's the final few lines that make this one of my favourite tales of the hip-hop genre. "A spin artist, she bought her face up laughing. That's when the prosecutor realised what happened, all that speaking her mind, testifying and crying, when this bitch did the crime!! The queenpin".  Yup, it was the wife who committed the crime all along. This song is fantastic, and even if I am alone in this take, I actually really enjoy this instrumental. Dope storytelling song. 

6. Love is... (prod. DILLA)

For some reason, there's no capital letter on the "is" on this title anywhere in this album art - no idea why that might be. Anyway, this song is the first of two on the album to not be produced by Kanye "there are a lot of things I love about Hitler" West (I don't exactly know why people have forgotten about that, but whatever), but instead the legendary J Dilla, who cooks up one of his most beautifully soulful instrumentals ever for this conceptual track that easily stands as one of the best on the whole record. On this song, Common discusses how love was an idea always shunned in the hood, and how the young men living in the ghetto were informed by their superiors that love wasn't to be practiced in their areas. Common discusses how it's only when they're too old to feel it properly anymore that they can truly realise that love is a wonderful thing, and how he on the other hand will try to practice it consistently, and he hopes others will follow. The lyrical content here is really nice, and with lines such as "some say that I'm a dreamer 'cause I talk about it often, seen the hardest nigga soften wit' his homie in a coffin", it's hard not to love what Common is doing. On top of that, the hook is catchy as hell too. This is a wonderful song. 

7. Chi-City (prod. Kanye West)

Ye is back, and for by far the most braggadocios song on this album that is a dedication to the two men's hometown of Chicago - Kanye even pops up for a bit of a hook here, which is nice of him. The instrumental on this one is the most celebratory since the intro, and while it's not necessarily quite on that level of phenomenal, it's still pretty bloody incredible by itself nonetheless. On this one, Common delivers two verses (grr) that are two of my favourites on the whole damned LP - I mean, the amount of quotable lines on here is just crazy. Let me just give a rundown of some of the best: 

"I wonder if these whack niggas realize they whack, and they the reason that my people say they tired of rap"

"I'm raw, hustlers get your baking soda"

"I slap a nigga like you, and tell him "Rick James bitch!""

"So many raps about rims, surprised niggas ain't become tires"

"I tell 'em fuck 'em like I do the police"

Hell, the only line on here that doesn't hit quite the way it wants to is the "Chicago-in'" one, but that one still incites a laugh, even if not necessarily for entirely the right reasons. Meanwhile, the hook is dope, as we get scratched vocals from Kanye and Common that are straight scratched in and not from any previous song - although the "from the city of wind" at the end is taken from his single "Car Horn", I believe. And, man is Kanye's harmonising at the end dope as hell. This is one of the best tracks here, or at least until you realise every song so far has been perfect. Jesus, man.

8. The Food (Live) (prod. Kanye West)

Interestingly, instead of the studio version of the song that was pushed as a single prior to this project's release, Common and Kanye decide that the live version of the song performed on Dave Chappelle's show would fit better, and I'd like to say that I wholly agree. This song would be fantastic on its own, but the live energy that this version has just enhances it that much more, to the point where I don't even mind at all that it's censored (not that the censoring on this particular song does much to cover up the words). This is one of the more upbeat songs on the record, with Kanye bringing the energy on the hook, and Common coming through with verses that discuss similar topics to those on "The Corner" - that's the negative goings on in the ghettoes of Chicago, but also the positives that can be gained from it. This one also has a slightly dodgy line, albeit one that works a lot better than "Chicago-ing" - that being "on the block, white is selling like Eminem". It kinda gets a point across, but not really well enough to be effective. Still, most of the lines on this song work like a German motorcar, and I just love the energy displayed in this live take. More than one live song would be overkill, but I think they nailed it with this - more rappers should follow in these footsteps if you ask me. 

9. Real People (prod. Kanye West)

The first time that Common would lend this title to one of his songs, but not the last - this was also the name of a song he did with Ice Cube for the Barbershop: The Next Cut soundtrack in 2016. Interesting stuff, and I actually haven't listened to that song yet, so if it's worth checking out right away then please let me know. Anyway, this song features some of the more jazzy production on the album, and when I say "jazzy", I really mean jazzy, as that is exactly the word you'll surely think of when this track comes on. The instrumental on this thing is fantastic, and Common uses it to discuss exactly what the title conveys - "real people", and the factors that he thinks defines them. He also discusses such things as police racism in the song, and all goes very well on here up until the shorter third verse. "I see black men walking with white women on their arms, I be mad at 'em, as if I know they mums". I mean, what the fuck?? That's literally racist. That's not even a question, that is simply, entirely racist. I mean, I kinda see what he's going for with a racial purity thing, but honestly I'm surprised he doesn't catch more flack for that. And I don't even want to think about what people would say if the races were reversed. I seriously cannot get past that line, but if you are capable of ignoring it, then this still comes across as a fantastic track. It's just, that line... That shit is fucked up, man.

10. They Say (feat. Kanye West & John Legend) (prod. Kanye West)

The most stacked feature list on this album, at least until you realise that both of these guys have contributed backing vocals on multiple tracks prior to this. Still, let's not be picky, as that would take away from my overall message here - this is yet another flawless, fantastic song. After a little bit of drumming that sounds intriguing, the song comes straight into play, with John Legend's hook being incredibly catchy - the harmonising in the background is dope as hell, and the melody is nice too. And man is that beat a good one. Probably one of the best here. Common provides two verses on here, with Kanye West popping up for his first actual rapping performance on the LP in the middle, and as you might expect it's not as good as Common's verses, but it's still pretty dope nonetheless. On this song, Common speaks on the times in-between Electric Circus and this record, and it is the first time on the whole album where he actually brings up his odd musical and stylistic direction around that time, and how this was effectively his comeback album. "They say the crochet pants and the sweater was whack, heard "The Corner", now they say that nigga's back" is one of the best lines on here in my opinion. Kanye's verse is alright, as he spends most of it bragging about how good of a producer he is and squeaking in a way that resembles some of Common's debut album, but really it's Common's verses and the production that make this the classic it is. Banger right here. 

11. It's Your World (Part 1 & 2) (feat. "The Kids") (prod. DILLA, co-prod. James Poyser & Karriem Riggins)

Quite possibly the best song on the whole entire record ends things off here, with J Dilla providing easily one of his most potent and powerful instrumentals, with assistance from James Poyser and Karriem Riggins, both of whom had or would have strong relationships with the host here. On this cut, Common spits two rather long verses, the first of which details his own growing up, and his life as a youngster, with references to his dropping out of college, and his life growing up in the hood and how that effected him. Then, during the second verse, he tells a story of a prostitute who's had a very difficult time growing up, and has ambitions to be a singer - and even if she doesn't realise these dreams by the end of the verse, she still has that ambition - I guess the overall message is that you can do whatever you want to in life, as long as you have visions and motivation. Common's two verses are very touching, but I've also got to give it to Dilla with this beat, easily one of the best on this album. This instrumental is so rich and soulful that anyone who says they don't like it is simply lying to you - it's that good. And this song doesn't just end once the verses are up - we then get an extended outro where a bunch of kids explain what they want to be when they grow up, and then we get the usual outro speech from Common's father. It's crazy how every single one of his speeches somehow works, but they always do - even if the underlying music (which is utterly fantastic here) often helps. This speech makes me tear up every time, man. Such a beautiful way to end the album, and such a fantastic song overall. Wow. 

It's over... or is it? After a minute of silence, my CD plays a hidden song that I do believe most pressings don't have. Interesting...

- So Cool (prod. Sa-Ra)

Over a groovy instrumental made all the more catchy by a hook that sounds like multiple singers contributed to it, Common spits a couple 8 bar verses about a woman that he wants to put into one of his... music videos, I guess? I mean, the verses on here don't make a whole lot of sense to me, but I know that they're sexual, so that's something. Anyway, there really isn't a whole lot to say here. The beat and hook are dope, but these are by far and away the weakest verses on the whole LP - they sound like something Universal Mind Control era Common may have decided to spit. Still, I'm not going to pretend I don't like this - because I really, really do.

Common's Be is not only my personal favourite record from the man, but it is quite possibly objectively the best hip-hop release of all time. Like, it's seriously unbelievable just how absolutely fantastic this record is. Aside from one line on the song "Real People", there isn't a single moment of this thing that I even slightly dislike - not the hook on "GO!", not the dodgy "Chicago-ing" bar on "Chi-City", not even the slightly intrusive sample on "Testify". Even moments like these that would seem like they might be problematic on paper just somehow work perfectly within the context of this album. Everything here is unequivocally, undisputedly, infallibly brilliant, and there's very little to really say in these final paragraphs, as the idea of "criticism" doesn't really come into play here. The production, largely provided by Kanye West with a bit of J Dilla, is fantastic. Every beat here sounds rich and like days of work was put into it, which was not exactly par for the course on 2000s rap albums, and each and every one brings wonderful percussion, sampling, and elements of soul to the table that make the project sound more like something that could have come out in the '90s or the 2010s, not the shallow landscape of the mid to late 2000s. The production on this thing is some of the best you'll hear to come from the genre, and it doesn't stop there. The features (and yes, there are a few even if most don't gain credit for it) are incredibly potent, with all of them managing to sing or rap in the best way possible to enhance the song, but without ever taking the spotlight off of the main attraction. My favourite guest appearance might have to be Lonnie "Pops" Lynn, honestly, but all of them from the many Kanye West showings to the singing of John Legend and Bilal do what they were put there to do, and do it brilliantly. And as for the head of this album, Common, he really does bring his all on here. The man's voice never sounded so good, as he truly plays the wise man of the ghetto on here, and the themes discussed are some of the most intriguing of his whole career, from the double-crossing wife story on "Testify" to the braggadocio on "Chi-City". There is a reason I know pretty much this whole album off by heart - it's because Common's verses are just that fantastic. And that intro, man... that's one of the greatest moments on any album ever. If you have not blessed yourself with a copy of this album yet, then you really should do that right now. Literally. This thing is essential, and might well be the living embodiment of a perfect album. And it's not due to nostalgia that I say this - I knew this album was perfect from when I very first heard it, and all I would listen to was this record. It's fantastic. It's the perfect album. I absolutely love this project. 

Best Tracks: Applicable

Worst Tracks: Not Applicable

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