Common: Be

Has Common regained his sense? After the experimental but not totally wack Electric Circus, Common returns with his sixth album, Be. Executively producing the album and providing nine out of 11 beats is long time fellow Chicago patron Kanye West.

From the intro all the way through, Be contains the lyrical hunger of an emcee trying to break into the game, not one with the longevity to produce a sixth album. However, along with this hunger are the well thought out rhymes and the mature substance expected of an artist who’s been in the game 10+ years.

Incredibly, Common paints vivid pictures on every track with the brushstrokes of realism, positivity, and honesty. With Kanye doing the lion’s share of the production (Jay Dee has the other two tracks), the music on this record is consistent and accurately fits the subject matter and feel of the album.

I was impressed with the way Kanye adapted his music to Common instead of the opposite. This record is also a rarity in hip hop, in that there is not one bad song and it can be played from start to finish.

As for the critics wondering if the “real” Common has returned, he answers: “They say my life is comparable to Christ’s / the way I sacrificed, and resurrected, twice / They say ‘The crochet pants and the sweater was wack’ / Seen ‘The Corner,’ / Now they say ‘That nigga’s back.’”

- Mike LaCroix