Like Water For Chocolate

I'm not a big rap guy so getting rap albums is always tough for me here. So far all the rap albums mostly come from the US and represent a culture I did not grow up in and have never experienced. This makes it tough to judge these albums given how reflective they are of the society the respective rappers grew up in. However, compared to some of the previous rap albums I've gotten, this is more in my style. The beats are more jazzy and the flow is a bit more my style. Still the lyrics are a bit homophobic, which Common has admitted to saying he doesn't want to use any more which is always good to hear.

This album has a few issues, particularly in length and pacing. It’s a bit bloated, both in overall length and in a few songs that really could have been edited down a bit. But all that falls by the wayside with just how good of a vibe it puts out. Equal parts passionate and relaxed. I feel like I’ve been snatched away and placed into Common’s living room, and he is making some tea while telling me about some social issues he is passionate about. That is a feeling I can’t help but love.

some good beats, but god damn common is an ass rapper and some of the content does not age well, some homphobic themes.

It's..okay. Song for Assata is great, but most of the album is a bit of a slog, about 20 minutes too long. Marred by homophobia and misogyny in spite of Common calling his girl his equal multiple times

Classic 80's sound. Love her voice. Full of fun and sad songs

Very enjoyable, I haven't listened to any common before. I like the jazz influence, the whole thing works well

I heard he was an antidote to the popular violence and misogyny of the era. I guess homophobia sounds so groovy we don’t mind?

This is sweet relief after a bunch of gangsta rap albums. Gangsta lost me; it was just too violent, too misogynistic, too homophobic and just deliberately unpleasant. By way of comparison, soulquarian, conscious hip hop is a blessed relief. I love the Dilla/Questlove production on this record. Common isn't the world's greatest rapper, but this record is a breath of fresh air after the violence and misogyny of much of 90s hip hop. The production is A1, which makes this a really wonderful album to listen to.

77 minutes? When I look up unfamiliar contestants on Spotify, the record length is all I look for. Pressed play and got ready to kick the shit out of this record, and finally roll out a long-brewing rant about the bloat of turn of the millennium hip hop albums. Unfortunately, the first track's so good and unusual, it quelled my rage and I started listening closely. Sweetly placed afrobeat flourishes from the start made my nose twitch, and while the opener, 'Time Travelin' (A Tribute to Fela)', is a standout, it is not an outlier. The involvement of J Dilla makes sense when I look this up: the record has a wriggle to it. It is overlong, though. I only had time to listen to it once. I may listen to it again.

Thought I wouldn't enjoy this as much as I used to due to seeing through the 'conscious' part of 'conscious rap' now (which I did), but the flow and production is lovely. However, ain't no-one falling for the 'I would rather have a meaningful conversation than sex with all these fine ladies" stuff, that's defo just another way to try and get laid. Also, I'm not homophobic, I just don't want them to bring it around me is not exactly conscious rap! However, I don't judge rap albums by their morals.

Liked it much more than I thought I would, since Common generally doesn't do much for me. Overlong, but saved by great production.

Very boring, nothing here that I enjoyed at all. And to top it off, it's too long.

A lot of this album comes from a place of pain, but it is a thing of beauty. Not as good as Pimp a Butterfly, but still quite remarkable. I, weirdly, mostly know Common as an actor. To hear him in his original environment is a real treat. Not sure that this is my favorite thing ever, but I'm curious to check out the rest of his work.

So the thing about Common, is the he is an excellent lyricist with a special sound. I feel uplifted, and yet, grounded when listening to him. He absolutely captures a cup of coffee in the middle of the city on a Thursday morning for me. Sometimes it is cheesy, I'll just say that is a little cream cheese on a bagel with my coffee. I can't always put this on, but I can for sure put it on every morning.

Production: 15/20 Songwriting: 14/20 Innovation: 15/20 Bangers: 20/20 Emotional response: 16/20 =80 Banging stuff

Common's flows are as cool as a cucumber.

Common is in fine form here - I think this is his best record - and no disrespect to the other producers on this record, but I think J Dilla’s production steals the show on a few tracks. Hopefully, someone will add Donuts as a user submitted album when they are done with the list. It should really have been on this list to begin with.

The sound blends a bunch of genres together, including funk and afrobeat, but also electronic to create a product that sounds very much like a product of its time, yet excels in its endeavors with each track. Maintained momentum all throughout, with tracks blending into each other. Only exception is that I found the clarity in its pop track "The Light" to be a sore thumb. Despite this, I found the length to be a huge weakness, starting to lose focus near the middle. Had to drop and come back to the second half later, but it's still full of good tracks. Use of spoken word works well for covering political topics, like "The Questions" to make it super easy for audience to follow along on first listen. Favorite tracks: Time Travelin, Heat, Dooinit, Funky for You

Can't believe I've never heard Common before. The production is brilliant in this album, with phased vocals, tasteful use of synths, keys, trumpets and strings, a bass tone that's compressed to a satin chocolate finish, and rich, measured backing vocals. Common's flow is great and the tribute he pays to african american music from the past 50 years is dense as hell. Through Jazz, blues, disco, funk, RnB (especially on the keys), soul, and others, Common elevates the music of black artists onto his own personal pedestal, and then takes inspiration from it to create something really exciting and original. It drags a bit in the middle for me maybe, but that's the only complaint I have - and Common's reluctance to fall into patterns of singing about the same tropes that a lot of 90s hip-hop singers did is not only refreshing, but it also allows him to touch on some really emotional and personal points of interest. "Save the war stories for Private Ryan"

Another great hip-hop album. Common has great flow and the beats are funky.

Eine Platte, die sich nicht so gut eignet um Sonntagmorgens noch im Bett liegend aus dem Nebenzimmer gehört zu werden. Dann klingt sie hektisch und unausgewogen und man möchte lieber Jazz anmachen und eine schöne Tasse frisch gebrühten Bohnenkaffee serviert. Hört man sie aber dann per Kopfhörer zB in der Bahn oder später auf dem Sofa im Wohnzimmer, dann wirkt sie viel ausgewogener einerseits, und edgier/kantiger und geschliffener als die andere Common neulich andererseits. Gefällt mir dann auch gut und bekommt verdiente 3,5 Sterne.

Common is just that. Ordinary and boring.

Hip hop. Why are so many of these albums on this list? Annoyed 1/5

Solid album, entirely too long though. I thought Be was better.

Åååh, påminder mig om mina favorit låtar på modern tid jag lyssnar på

wow just wow was never a big fan of Common because in my country they didnt give him airplay. This is an amazing album. Really good order and structured. Simply a great album

i've always loved common because his lyrics are always so good and i like that kind of storytelling rap that was popular then. tbh kanye is similar on the college dropout with the stories and kinda singing about life and not weird things to degrade women all the time LMAO. i'm also a common love song stan 😔😔😔

Didn’t think we needed 2 albums by Common on this list. Had I known I would have rated this one higher and the other slightly lower.

conscious rap (sozialkritisch), mos def ähnlich

It's great to come back to an artist I listened to towards the beginning of the project with a much deeper appreciation of their musical inspirations and references. This album calls out such far-flung members of the list as Snoop Dogg, Fela Kuti, and Kraftwerk, and it's really cool to see music that I have come to appreciate being called out in this way. In addition to that, the album is really good. Something about Common's voice and songwriting works well for me, and the social message is strong. As with many other hip-hop albums, I could do without the skits between tracks (although here at least there's a strong connection between the skits and the tracks), and there are a few slurs that leave a bad taste in my mouth, as other reviewers have pointed out. On an unrelated note, I recently watched "Silo" and really enjoyed Common's character in the show. Favorite tracks: "Time Travelin'," "Cold Blooded"

Love his song "The Light"

This gets a very conflicted 5/5 from me. While Common’s album is a lush bouquet of poetry over old jazz and soul beats, the hatred of queer men (like myself) is truly cringe inducing, and one of the most glaring blind spots of older “conscious hip hop.” You can’t preach tolerance and hatred at the same time. It’s definitely from a different era, kinda like its album art, but I can’t help but find it beautiful.

I must preface this with I was listening to this album while playing a first person shooter and rap is the exact vibe of what I would want to listen to while gaming, but this album was incredible. Common’s flow is extremely smooth and the beats were consistent with what I would expect from a 2000’s rap album which is exactly what I want. Plus he’s in John Wick.

Goddamn what a perfect album, the dilla production, the primo guest production, from doinit, to a film called pimp is perfection

Love, love, love it.

brilliant, nostalgic

An intelligent combination of hip-hop and Black history with those playful, choppy samples that dominated music of this era. Put a smile on my face.

OVERALL: I've already heard Be (outside of this generator) and loved it, and I've also heard lots of good things about this album. I really liked this, not as much as Be but it does come close. The songs in the start didn't really amaze me, but it definitely got better as the album progressed. A Song For Assata is genuinely one of the best songs I've heard from this website. It is sad how many people that contributed to this album are dead (J Dilla, D'Angelo, Assata Shakur, Lonnie 'Pops' Lynn, etc.). Also the homophobia is kinda off putting, but I think I only noticed it on 2 songs. SONG AVG: 8.8/10 PERSONAL RATING: 9.25/10 Time Travelin' (A Tribute To Fela): Pretty good. Very calm intro, although kinda boring. I think it should have more than one verse, especially as Common can rap on calm beats like this one. It's fine as it is, but I feel like it could be much better. 7/10 Heat: RIP DILLA :(((((. I know Dilla can do better in terms of production, but the beat is still good regardless. The verses get better as they progress, and the choruses are pretty nice as well. It is also kinda mid, but I like it. 7.25/10 Cold Blooded: So good. Very good verses by Common, but I can't help but question the decision to have Black Thought, one of the greatest rappers of all time, to be on additional vocals. The beat is good, but it is pretty repetitive. 8.25/10 Dooinit: Dilla so good. The intro and the first verse are kinda weak, but the chorus and other verses make up for it. Also, Common says the f-slur in the 3rd verse, which he has since apologized for, but I can't just skip past that. Good otherwise. 8.5/10 The Light: The most iconic song from this album, and for good reason. J Dilla samples Bobby Caldwell very well. This is a pretty basic rap love song, but the verses are pretty good. J Dilla's production is easily the standout, it's so good. 9.75/10 Funky For You: This might not be lyrically strong, but Common's delivery and how it works with the beat is really good. Pretty funky, the chorus is pretty perfect. The production is very good, although I feel like the transition into Bilal's outro could be better. Speaking of which, Bilal's outro is legendary. Should've been its own song. 9.95/10 The Questions: What is Common's flow here? The chorus is great, the production is fantastic, and the lyrics are actually reall good, but his flow kinda ruins it. The same goes for Mos Def, but he does it better. I think it's because of the stupid ass adlibs that add nothing. Its really good other than that. 9/10 Time Travelin Reprise: Halfway through! Nice reprise, great jazzy beat. The vocal effect doesn't really work here, other than that it's good. It's also basically an interlude, but I'll still rate it since it technically isn't one. 8/10 The 6th Sense: Maybe the song that represents rap as its best. It's literally about how rap gives a good message. DJ Premier's beat is good as expected, and Common's flow and lyricism is flawless. The skit is kinda funny and ironic, which transitions into the next song and adds to the overall quality. 10/10 A Film Called (Pimp): Pretty good symbolism here, and the message is more relevant to rap than ever. The beat is great, and Common's rapping is pretty solid, but I feel like MC Lyte's verse sounds like it was recorded in another room or something. What the hell is that outro? 8.5/10 Nag Champa (Afrodisiac For The World): The third verse is VERY questionable (homophobic and freaky), but other than that it's really good. Dilla's production and chorus are both great, and Common's other verses are really good. 9/10 Thelonius: It's good. Slum Village and Dilla kinda carry. I don't like the outro. 8.5/10 Payback Is A Grandmother: Great rapping. The chorus is pretty good. Nice storytelling. 9.25/10 Geto Heaven (Remix T.S.O.I - The Sound Of Illadelph): RIP D'ANGELO :(((((((. The TSOI remix is great and all, but the original song (Geto Heaven Part Two) is much more beautiul and fits better on the album, which is ironic since it was supposed to be on D'Angelo's Voodo before being traded for Chicken Grease with Common. 9.85/10 A Song For Assata: WHAT THE FUCK ASSATA SHAKUR DIED ALMOST EXACTLY 2 MONTHS AGO. Incredible storytelling, CeeLo's vocals are very good, Assata's outro is an absolutely outstanding addition, Dilla's production is great as usual, Common's rapping is amazing. The only flaw I can maybe think of is that the beat is slightly repetitive for the length of the song. 10/10 Pops Rap III...All My Children: RIP POPS :((((((((. Spoken word outro. Is this the same guy on the outro of Be? If so, then I really like him. Pretty good poetry. The beat is very good, even though this is basically just an interlude/outro. 8/10

Hangulatosnak tűnik, letöltöttem

I spun this record a lot when I was living in Greeley, CO, working at the Windsor Finest Record Store, and deep in my Dilla obsession. This record totally slaps. I would say it ranks with one of Common’s best. If I was a professional critic, I wouldn’t give it a 5, because Resurrection is the zenith for Common Sense, and this record can’t really match up to that. But personally, LWFC had just as much of an impact on me if not more.

A Few tracks that absolutely slapped my socks off - some less noticeable but all good

I used to listen to this album all the time in my late teens. It was my shit, it was formative and I am happy I listened to it when I did. Listening to it now, it doesn't hit quite the same. I though Common's flow was lacking more than once, not even his pleasant voice could make up for it. But you know what? For the great beatsx the positive vibes and the buckets full of nostalgia that I felt re-listening to this, it is going to get 5 stars from me, even though if came at this purely objectively, it probably doesn't deserve it. Thankfully music is not objective.

An absolute classic. Listened to this album nonstop while riding the subways while I lived in Paris. And "The Questions" remain: Why do I need ID to get ID?

Common is elite at rapping. This album showed his versatility for me and I wasn’t familiar with his story telling abilities. It’s always good hearing slum village and Mos Def rapping, it’s soothing to the ear. Real Hip-Hop til infinity!!

I burned up The Light. Love common. Every album!

One of my favorite hip hop albums. Dilla forever. Part of the soulquarians sessions w things fall apart, mamas gun and voodoo

This is a classic. The amount of talent on this album is incredible, with contributions from the Roots, Mos Def, D'Angelo, Cee-Lo Green, Jill Scott, Macy Gray, Roy Hargrove and more. The production is excellent too, mostly from Detroit's own J Dilla, but additional production from DJ Premier, D'Angelo, and the Roots. Like Water for Chocolate was a welcome shift from the bling era of hip-hop that dominated the late 90s, instead going for jazzy beats and socially conscious lyrics. Highlights include "Time Travelin' (A Tribute to Fela)", "The Light", "The 6th Sense", "Geto Heaven Part Two", and "A Song for Assata". 5 Stars.

Banging beats and truthful lyrics. One of the last (?) hip hop masterpieces.

This is next level. I love D'Angelo and he's on this. This is basically a hip hop version of his sound, and his sound is incredible. Deep funky grooves with poetic raps that still won't let go of the street. A+

great fucking album!

I can’t believe I’ve missed this album my whole life, it’s incredible.

Amazing

Common at his zenith.

Something was moving in the waters of rap and R&B in the late 90s, especially in the hallowed halls of Electric Lady. The perfect time for a perfect group of people to congregate and concoct a flavor in which the ingredients are simple yet wholly effective in the ensuing chase of replication. Common's Like Water for Chocolate is seventy plus minutes of part Afrobeat tribute, part Blaxploitation detour, part millennium expression of black pride, whole Soulquarian adventure. No corner is left unturned as the individuals scattered all over here are showcased either approaching or having approached the peak of their powers. Like Water for Chocolate cemented Common as the torchbearer of the conscious style of hip-hop that was left by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest and their ilk and he would only go farther to beat the drum of the cause.

I like the mix of jazz and hip hop. It sounds very innovative for its time. This is my first time hearing Common and it certainly won't be the last. I love it! Liked songs added: - Time Travellin' (A Tribute To Fela) - Heat - Funky For You - The 6th Sense - A Song For Assata

Common is a good rapper, and I like his style and flow a lot compared to his other contemporaries. It's fast and thoughtful, and the beats are suprisingly musical. Some of the lyrics are dated, particularly the homophobic phrases, I wonder if his newer music includes sentiments like this still. My favorite was Ghetto Heaven, though Dooinit, The Light, and The Question were all good too.

I really enjoyed this album. It feels like a real piece of art but also something casual enough to throw on and enjoy. Common is really profound and painfully real. Extremely enjoyable first listen for me.

Classic 5 star hip hop album. Been too long since I last listened and this remedied that

this album was awesome. i don't listen to a ton of Common, but this album i could definitely see myself going back to. introspective rap, smooth beats, and a grace that i think is somewhat of a lost art. this album rocked to listen to, and i am really glad that it came into my listening world

So good

This album brings me back to DeKalb, IL and some awesome friends I made there. Blunts, bonfires, BBQs, and Iraq war protests.

seriously a lot of these beats i listen to i feel like is missing from modern-day hip hop music. low-key and deep, this is a collection of really smooth really poetic hip hop that talks about family, prejudice and emotion. both the words and the music whisk you away... i dunno i liked it!

This is a pretty great album. 5/5

I had never given Common much attention before but that's two albums I have heard from him now and they are both brilliant. Production on them is second to none.

Awesome smooth funky rap

Vet leuk bro

This is next level. I love D'Angelo and he's on this. This is basically a hip hop version of his sound, and his sound is incredible. Deep funky grooves with poetic raps that still won't let go of the street. A+

Great from the first note. Not I would listen to specific songs (maybe), but as an album I could definitely put this on

Beautiful work

interesting latin sounding opener, cool guitars in the background, it's also a tribute to Fela Kuti which is cool, overall really groovy and jazzy, nice and long album too, I like that a lot over the very short albums, nice and funky outro on Nag Champa, thought it was leading into the next track, but that took another turn

Seems to me this was intended as a double album, not only due to the length but the abrupt transition from Time Travelin’ Reprise to The 6th Sense. An aside - The static on 6th Sense leading into the iconic “revolution is here” intro had me longing to use it as a lead-in track for the hip hop mixtapes I made for girls in high school. After all Common’s voice is a well known aphrodisiac (it’s not just the nag champa). But goddam Common had to put an annoyingly long interlude at the end of the track about men as hypocrites and smacking hoes. Needless to say the feminist chicks I dug in high school weren’t having that and they were deprived of one my all time favorite DJ Premier beats. Alas! Anyways I wanted to dock the album a star for that and it being too long. I was ready to do so and then A song for Asata came on and I knew this had to be 5 stars. It’s a bit of an all star group with Common joined by the Soulquarians (Questlove, Dilla, etc). The beats are solid throughout ans aside from a few dumbass homophobic and misogynist lines the flow and lyricism are on point.

Really enjoyable, I loved the story-telling in particular. Not sure it needed so many skits and interludes, but I also know this is the way most hip-hop albums flow, so it would perhaps sound oddly like a compilation without them. I think I prefer his debut, but this is still solidly 5 🌟 for me. An underappreciated artist in my opinion, and one who deserves much more recognition.

Какое-то время мне нравился рэп, но недолго. Потом я стал ненавидеть звучание этой музыки, потому что все песни казались одинаковыми: скучный и однообразный флоу, бессмысленность текстов и наплевательское отношение к миру читающих эту ересь. Но! Этот альбом меня поразил. Он основан на всей той афроамериканской музыке, которую делали в 50s, 60s и так далее. Тут есть и элементы соул, и фанка, и RnB, трубы напоминают о джазе, но не сильно. То, как читает Common - очень круто: под мощную ритм-секцию голос отлично ложится. На фоне играет то орган, то скрипки, то гитара, что создает разнообразие для каждой композиции. Также хотелось бы отметить работу бэк-вокалисток: просто класс, задорно и весело! Думаю, что к этому альбому я еще вернусь, хоть на нем и есть песни, не вызывающие никаких эмоций, как и на любой, впрочем, пластинке. Любимые композиции: «Light», «6th Sense», «Funky For You», «Time Travellin» и «Geto Heaven».

Fantastic album throughout. It’s definitely a product of it’s time, but Common has apologised for these lyrics and is always trying to improve himself, so I think it’s important to bear that in mind.

Great album.

Probably his best album although I do have a soft spot for those first 2 records

Amaze.

very cool

4.5. Superb album, great mix of excellent music with incisive lyrics. Standouts: Cold Blooded, The Light, Funky For You, The 6th Sense. Thelonius, Geto Heaven Part Two, A Song For Assata, Pops Rap III...All My Children.

dilla and premier

Not even halfway through this and I've already added it to my library. Don't know how I've never heard this before but some absolute heat is on this record.

Great album, I’m surprised I didn’t listen to this when it was out 20 years ago, it was exactly the kind of thing I was into. Awesome production, nice tone and flow but I was surprised by the amounts of niggers, hoes, gats and fags included: not quite as conscious I was expecting.

So cool

Awesome album. Lyricism is top notch, and the beats are immaculate. Questlove and J Dilla on production is such a dream team and they really show out. The feature list is great too with Slum Village, Mos Def, MC Lyte, Bilal, etc. It's one of those albums that you have to keep coming back to in order to really dive into all of its nook and crannies of both lyrical meaning and musicality. Also my neck is sore from nodding my head for over an hour straight.

I should listen to more Common

SO GROOVY

Che bellissima production! Il beat e` super soft e raffinato e i momenti jazz e funk si fondono benissimo. Hip hop jazz funky super elegante e coinvolgente.

It's not Be, but it comes close

2 - "Freaky like Marv Albert in outfits" 7 - The Questions é MUITO boa 8, 9, 10, 11 - sequencia absurda de batidas PIKA Depois de pesquisar eu entendi o pq eu gostei tanto desse álbum: ele é todo produzido pelo J Dilla. Conceitualmente é muito muito bem feito, liricamente também, as batidas também. Se esse álbum fosse um jogador de basquete ele seria o Anthony Davis. O que que ele não consegue fazer? Você examina a habilidade defensiva, muito bom. Beleza, então ele deve ser um passador ruim? Não. Então ele é um zelador: defende, rebote, assistência? Também não. Ele faz tudo que precisa e faz muito bem. A imersão que esse álbum causa na história que ele conta é absurda. Ele é balanceado, pega fogo no miolo e termina muito bem.

An excellent blend of global sounds that feels as important in the 2020 climate as it likely did in the 2000 climate.

It is a little long as others have said, but it's a great album with some good content. Nice beats, jazz fusion, challenging themes and mostly decent rapping. It's old skool with a twist. I quite like it.

Cool Common

Common to me is a rapper who flirts with corniness but the production and guest appearances more than make up for it!

He's good but this isn't my music

8,6/10

Not quite to the same tier of excellence that Be is. The production here is still great. Common does his poetry thing. Favorite songs were Cold Blooded, The Light, and Geto Heaven Part Two.

This is my favorite Common album. It's a full course meal of hip hop, full of amazing beats and samples, socially conscious and philosophical and self-reflective lyrics, positivity mixed with dark realism, etc. Is it too ambitious though? Sometimes Common does seem up his own ass, maybe trying too hard. But the production throughout is outstanding-- shout out to J Dilla. I love the samples from funk and Afrobeat, like Fela Kuti and Parliament and James Brown. It all lends a certain organic chaos and movement. This is all balanced by the spoken-word tracks and parts which come back down and command your attention.

This album surprised me. Is this east coast? I haven't had time to research like I've wanted. Whatever this is, I like it. Very R&B rooted with great flow and lyrics on top. A lot of fun.

Lekker hoor…

Rating: 7.5/10 Too long but the highlights are quite good. Still don't think Common is a top-tier rapper though, flow and delivery too one-dimensional.