Like Water For Chocolate

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

I think I’m going to rate this a 5, mostly because of Dilla’s production. Don’t get me wrong, Common’s in fine form here - I think this is his best record - and no disrespect to the other producers on this record, but the fact that Dilla’s Donuts isn’t on this list needs to be remedied and this is the best I can do, with limited sway, to right that wrong.

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

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

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

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.

First time I've ever listened to a complete album by Common and this did not disappoint. I can't think of any reason this shouldn't get a 5. The production and rapping are incredible and gel together well. The entire album is great, but The 6th Sense is my favorite.

Common is a product of the golden era of hip hop and unfortunately due to his lack of radio play left him mostly forgotten over time by anybody who isn't a big fan of hip hop. It's a shame too because Common shares a lot of the same skill sets that the greats like Andre 3000 have. In songs like Cold Blooded he showcases his lyricism as he crams an ungodly amount of rhymes into a couple bars. For example: "The stylist and violence with vibrance The sign of times with rhyme shit is timeless" And "With penitentiary talk, Coke and Hennessy walk My imagery talks, metaphors and similes stalk" He has the ability to paint a picture and portray thought out concepts throughout a verse. Take verse 3 from 6th sense for example: Some days I take the L to gel with the real world Got on at 87th, sat by this little girl She recites raps, I forget where they was from In em, she was saying how she makes brothers cum I started thinking, how many souls hip-hop has affected How many dead folks this art resurrected How many nations this culture connected Who am I to judge one's perspective? Though some of the shit y'all bop to, I ain't relating If I don't like it, I don't like it, that don't mean I'm hating I just want to innovate and stimulate minds Travel the world and penetrate the times Escape through rhythms in search of peace and wisdom Raps are smoke signals letting the streets know I'm with 'em He even has the ability to tell a story throughout the course of a whole song. Take A Film Called (PIMP) and A Song For Assata for example. I have always heard about some modern rappers who were heavily influenced by Common but I never really took the time to sit down and digest his stuff. Excellent album with a ton of replay value.

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.

I liked this enough that I had an immediate relisten, which is unusual for me. This record has a really wide range of musical styles and yet is held together by the common thread of, well, Common. LOL

I always dig this kind of rap. A little more artistic, and thoughtful. A good time for sure

This is my second Common album on this list. I didn't like this one quite as much as the first, though not by much. Lyrically it lacks in a few spots and some of the samples didn't land for me. It's still a good album though.

It is a very strong album, lyrically, emotionally, beat wise. Its a touching work, but it is slightly too long. Otherwise, its great

I miss this era

Even though it's all basic concepts of modern hip-hop and sounds pretty ordinary and conventional, but still it was year 2000. 25 years later still feels good.

Pleasant surprise! I had never heard of Common, but find rap/hip-hop quite interesting so was keen to listen to it. I was hoping for a good one, because I had Kendrick Lamar last week, with high expectations, and was disappointed. This album I liked. The opening track was a very good start, which helps. The songs are quite varied and not all equally good, but many had interesting samples and good grooves. Common seems to be (like many rappers) a socially engaged person (and I'll take Michelle Obama's word for it). I'll definitely listen again. Is it a 3* (because do I _want_ to like hip-hop more than I actually do) of a 4* (because I haven't heard many better hip-hop albums, but not all songs are top)?

Textbook example of how to do storytelling

Darker than any Common project I've heard previously. It's weird, it's baked in Soulquarianism, it's a beautiful work. I expect to love it even more as time goes on.

It was ok

Enjoyable enough Never really got into Common

As far as hip hop goes, this is some of the best around. Sleek, soulful and jazzy. Common's rapping style matches the music. Some underground stuff is better but I'd call Common one of the best of the mainstream. As others have said, the album is too long but that was a common problem of the CD era. Had he trimmed about half an hour off, this would be a stronger album. The lyrics deserve some attention here. Common stood out as a more progressive voice around the time of this release. He has numerous mentions of women being equals and calling out violence against women. That's great but it seems like a pretty low bar by 2024 standards. Given the context of the time and the genre, it's still noteworthy. It's undercut a bit by the homophobia and fat shaming though. Overall, not a perfect album but Common is definitely talented.

I dug this, real smooth

Great flow, classic rap and hip hop is nice to hear. I forgot how much I enjoyed Common. Funky For You was a favorite for me.

Not to be an old head but it was nice to hear some hip hop that had something to say. The beats are sumptuous and the rhymes are smooth. Lots of great guests too. Pretty good album baby yeah

I definitely dug this. It reminds me a bit of lofi hip hop. Chill with a nice jazzy vibe. I didn't pay close attention to any of the lyrics so can't speak to those, but definitely something I would put on again to enjoy in the background while I am relaxing. A little long, and the vibe is "off" on a couple song so this ends up a 4* for me.

The first half hour or so of this was a drag (and this is too long of a record, it's an hour and twenty minutes long) but everything that comes after makes me get why it's a classic. The lyrics are pretty dated and homophobic but I'll still come back to this

This rolled by - a really good record.

Pretty good! I’d never heard it, and I’m not mad at all.

Some lines don’t really age well, as in the “safe” Common saying specific slurs, but these bars are good. great even. Common Sense is spittin.

Hip hop before everything got real shouty again in the oughts and teens. Great flow from Common. Man's got bars for days. Not my primary place of fandom, but it was still a good listen. Unexpected bangers: Cold Blooded, Funky for You, A Film called (PIMP), Song for Assata

This is my hip hop. Musical. Conscientious.

It starts to win me over halfway through and then does overstay its welcome a bit. Still a fun vibe throughout and I can hear the influence on a lot of my favorite rappers today. Lot of great intangibles on this one Rating: 3.8

My first time listening to a Common album that isn’t Be - it’s real good! Wears its influences in its sleeve, a very openly communal album, and has some really smooth and classic J. Dilla production on it!

I actually really enjoyed this! I kinda think Common can be pretty corny and there is some unfortunate homophobia but the instrumentals and production are just so so nice!

It's pretty long but a very easy listen. Common has never done much for me as an MC and this didn't change my mind, I just don't think he sounds good on a beat, clunky flow. BUT he does have one hell of an ear for production. J Dilla on 90% of this, the rest is the likes of D'angelio, The Roots, DJ Premier. That's some serious taste, makes the album super enjoyable even if his rapping isn't to my liking as much.

Decent album and an enjoyable listen. Didn't fall in head-over-heels for it, but I would listen to it again.

Very good! First few tracks took a bit of getting into but then it took off! Loved it. Felt very ahead of its time for 2000 - never heard of these guys, would love to hear some more. Always interesting when no tracks off this album are in their most popular tracks on Spotify. 4.1

C O double M O to the N! 2 rap albums in a row, check it out! I loved the samples used in this album. It has a very pleasant vibe to listen to. I had a very wrong idea about rap and hip-hop albums from the 2000s, but this one is making me change that view a little. Nice surprise!

Smart, a lot of catchy beats, and several tracks where women are respected?? 3.8 stars

Good rhymes, decent beats, didn't set anything alight though. It's nice.

Common isn’t necessarily the most exciting rapper but he always has a good ear for a groove, and the production on this is fantastic as expected. Before the futuristic vibes of Electric Circus and the Kanye-helmed pop-soul smash of Be, the heart and soul of Like Water For Chocolate is that vibrant Soulquarians sound (the production powerhouse of D’Angelo, J Dilla, Questlove, Erykah Badu and more who dominated the neo-soul scene of the early 2000s) Throw in a handful of features from the likes of Black Thought, Mos Def, Macy Gray and Bilal, and Common bringing his trademark consciousness and consistency, and you have a really powerful and clean as hell hip-hop record

Fantastic production. Def need to check out more Soulquarian work. Great stuff 4/5 👍

That is hip hop just how I like it. Boom bap sounds and intelligent lyrics!