Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Lonnie Lynn made a good decision using a different name for his rap career. This album is somewhat too long, and I could do without the last track, which is a five minute monologue by Lonnie’s dad. Otherwise, there is a surprising amount of music mixed in with the rap. There is the usual gunfire which apparently is required on rap albums, but enough good stuff that I’m giving this three stars.
I have a big poster on my bedroom wall from a Common concert when I was in college. I didn't go to the concert but I have good feelings about the poster, and furthermore, I like the book with the same title as this album. Unfortunately I didn't like this very much. Wiki calls it "progressive hip hop", which is a different meaning from "progressive rock", unless I really missed something about prog. First of all, I feel like most hip hop is at least somewhat progressive (in the sense that it's political & race&class-conscious) ... though also somewhat problematic (re: violence, misogyny, homophobia)) ... so it doesn't seem a very useful label. I guess the entries on this list might be a very particular subset, though. Anyway, I found this album disappointing, because I was hoping to like it but it didn't stand out very much. Some songs were better than others, but none were really what I'd call highlights. Good album cover. Slur count = 76.
This is a strange one. It didn't start great and after 4 songs I just wanted it to finish however it grew on me and the album got stronger near the end.
Solid
Like Water for Chocolate by Common looked like it might be a challenge for me today. Rap has always been a genre I struggle with. I often find it difficult to connect with the culture and lyrics, and on some albums the beats can become repetitive. So I went into this wondering whether I’d have the same problems. I’d never really listened to Common before, but almost immediately I thought this was going to be better than I expected. Musically, there’s far more going on than on a lot of the rap albums I’ve struggled with during this challenge. The production is warm and varied, with plenty of jazz, soul and funk coming through, and there are some genuinely great beats. Lyrically, though, this is still where I struggle. There are clearly more thoughtful and socially conscious ideas running through the album than I initially gave it credit for, and Common is regarded as a strong storyteller, but there are still lyrics and language that I find difficult to connect with. At times it feels confrontational or unnecessarily offensive, and that takes away from the music for me. Overall, though, this was a pleasant surprise. I’m never going to be the natural audience for an album like Like Water for Chocolate, but musically there was enough variety and creativity to keep me interested. The jazz and soul influences particularly helped make this feel much more interesting than I expected. Favourite track: “The 6th Sense” was a standout for me. “The Light” was another track I enjoyed and probably one of the album’s most accessible moments. Least favourite track: Nothing was terrible, but some of the more lyrically aggressive tracks were harder for me to enjoy. Album artwork: I really like it. Classy, striking and quite different for a rap album. There’s something about the black-and-white photography and typography that gives me a bit of a Smiths vibe.
Common seems like suuucchhhh a cool nice guy who has only done good for the world. I absolutely hate his music. Fantastic production - love all the electric piano. I even love him when he features on another artist's track. But having to listen to this album knowing that it would be nearly an hour and a half of primarily Common rapping was such a slog. He's just zero percent fun and his voice is so nothing to me. Anytime a feature showed up I was having a great time. Also completely fell for the skit when a girl was just telling him how great he was for women - it fully tricked me when he started hitting a woman. Do I love that he hit a woman as a joke? Not necessarily. But at least it was the tiniest bit of edge.
2 - not for me
I dig Common. This didn’t hold my attention as much as I’d hoped though.
Strong start- I like the retro vibes to the intro song I liked a lot of cold blooded Again, the liberal cursing really puts me off I liked the 6th sense and a sing for Assata Some songs really stood out and I enjoyed them. This is another album where I would have benefited from a radio edit version
Time Travelin' (A Tribute to Fela) 3 Heat 2.8 Cold Blooded 2.9 Dooinit 2.5 The Light 2.9 Funky for You 2.6 The Questions 2 Time Travelin' (Reprise) 2.1 The 6th Sense 2.7 A Film Called (Pimp) 2.5 Nag Champa (Afrodisiac for the World) 2.5 Thelonius 2.7 Payback Is a Grandmother 2.8 Geto Heaven Part Two 2.7 A Song for Assata 2.7 Pops Rap III… All My Children 2.8 Score: 2.6375
While great to have over my shoulder, I am not well-versed enough with how it fits in or refers to other efforts. So I am going straight middle, that said, few moments leap out, and I appreciate those.
This album made me think, and for that it gets points. I guess I'll take Common at his word that he's a complex artist, and his calling out hip hop tropes in the same breath as he leans on them speaks to that and is part of what kept me engaged as this played. His wordplay and flow also hit some heights — there were some 4/5-star moments on the album. But hip hop, and this flavor of it, puts a lot on the rapper and samples. As a rock and roll guy, if a singer were singing nonstop for an hour and 20 minutes, that gets tiring. And if the band were hammering the same riff, I wouldn't dig it. While I get that hip hop is a different animal, that limits my capacity to really get into this. So for all the high moments, there were others that dragged, and it's a lot to take in. This is better than a flat 3, but I'm not quite breaking through to a 4.
This failed to register with me in any substantial way.
meh
i wont judge too harshly because he is playing Robert Sims in Silo
Alt for lang.
pretty good, i love a storytelling sort of album, just interesting stuff and a nice sound throughout
Total crap. If an album is not fit for my 10 year old son to overhear while I am listening to it then it gets a ZERO in my book. Disgusting, racist, homophobic, misogynistic. This album should be destroyed to make the world a better place. But that's just my opinion. If you like it - I have no problem with that. Don't be offended. This stuff just isn't for everyone.
Be is THE Common album but this one really grew on me on this listen. Also, maybe it's because I don't understand math... 4/5
Really enjoyable album. Anything from the Soulquarian collective during this period is bound to be good and this is no exception
That was actually pretty decent. Way too long of an album though.
I'm usually pretty resentful of any album over an hour. I listened to every stitch or this. It's just a really solid album. Not perfect but really good. This is one I'll probably listen to again in total.
I bought this off the back of the two brilliant singles The Light and The 6th Sense and listened to it a fair bit at the time but less so since. Musically, it's a fantastic example of jazz influenced hip-hop, produced largely by J Dilla, with other contributions by members of The Roots, D'Angelo and DJ Premier. Common's flow and tone is exemplary which just leaves the elephant in the room.... Lyrically, I didn't clock the casual misogyny and homophobia but reflecting now, it's a juxtaposition against the two conscious singles that drew me in to this. Common has since directly addressed his earlier work and talked about his growth with regards to the unsavouriness of some of his lyrics, which is at least a positive outcome.
Something more elaborate here than just simple loops, but it still isn't my cup of tea. Good production value.
Ugh my ears hurt 1
Meh. Very middle of the road and common. 2/5
No thank you. Very dated and misogynistic. Lacks the fire of better rap and the beats of better production. Too long and no stand out tracks
This is a good album, it merges rap with a colorful tone of jazz and other musical elements in a polished, sophisticated, but at the same time vibrating way. It references many greats, like Fela Kuti, Thelonious Monk and Nina Simone. It also roots itself in R&B, by collaborating with many contemporary artists and by enabling a conversation through a slow and melodic tone and personal storytelling.
This album is long. I like Dilla and I like Questlove but I think their production can become a little monotonous and when the run times of songs are 5 minutes and the last minute is just repeating the title of song or chorus for a minute or more. It’s really not adding anything to the album. Common can rap but it’s a bit dated. Is he overly misogynistic not really. His use of broad is dumb. His homophobic line is typical of hip hop of the time. Do I think he changed I don’t know? Did he need to write about probably not. Is this a good album? I did enjoy some songs. I first heard this when it came out. It didn’t impress me then and I think the only thing I really enjoyed was the music. The rhymes are decent but he’s a decent lyricist. Better than most.
3.5/5
Wel lekker, maar ook beetje veel van het zelfde. Een dikke 3
Good but long. Lost me at some points. 3.5.
The revolution will not be televised
There are parts of this I really liked. I like a lot of the beats and production choices, I like the more political songs. The homophobia just really turned me off it. It’s a shame because musically I really enjoyed it but I know I won’t come back to it. Also, The 6th Sense would’ve been my favourite but I really didn’t like the skit on the end. Fav song: A Song For Assata Least fav: Dooinit
Like this album but can’t really get the key and peele skit out of my mind. Also semi feminist lyrics combined with the homophobia does not work. Specific rating - 4.0 Fav song - the light Least fav- a film called pimp
He's dating Jennifer Hudson?? Wonder if he played her The Light to win her over. We've had much catchier and smarter hip hop albums so I struggle to see what makes this album notable. Glad he's said he won't be homophobic anymore but I wish he'd decided that before this album. Favourite song: The Questions Least: Dooinit
repniški repniga repniški repniguje, i to više od sat i petnaest minuta... sami semplovi znaju biti dobri, al šta sad kad je repanje slabo... jedva dvojka
No tengo mucho que decir
the misogyny and homophobia is such a turn off for this album. I'm not a rap person, but I like the flow and the beats. Unfortunately the flow and beats are not enough to rate this higher against the misogyny and homophobic lyrics. Also way too long
Largely uninspired hip-hop with soul interludes - Common’s “Like Water For Chocolate” is a clear two-star case: not really bad, but at best unremarkable among the 1,001 best albums. Next, please
Def too long, generally not a fan of rap so I wasn’t crazy about this. Kinda got boring after a while
Not my cup of tea
First listen
I liked it, the skit where he hit the woman was uncomfortable. felt out of place
Loved this one. These songs have meaning and feeling. Never really got into Common back in the day, but happy to now. 4/5
Shrugs. It's fine.
Love this album.
There were maybe a couple decent songs but it’s still rap
Prefer Be, but this is still enjoyable.
like nigger for cotton
damnnnnnnnnnn
ein wirklich gelungenes rap-album mit tollem sound und groove! mehr davon, bitte.
I dontknow what it is but i just cant get behind common. Dude is a legend. I cant deny it at all. Just something about him feels so corney. And I dont even really dislike his messaging. Its just feels like when your a kid and your dad tried to tell you how it is. He probably was right but you were not receptive to the facts coming from him. Its a similar feeling. Except less familial. Just some dude coming up to you who's way too clean cut and it just comes across as robotic to me. Its a me thing 100% but I still cant get over it. I got alot of mos Def out of common in this and it had a spotlight on it when they shared a track. Like hes trying to do a mos def impression but worse. I dont know I just dont like something about him overall. Now the beats and backing tracks are legitimately good. There are some talented people on here like j dilla, D'Angelo, and dj premier. They all killed it. I could just do with a karaoke version of these songs. Common is the common denomination of why this isnt that good. When hes here its worse. Throw anyone else over these tracks and im more than likely down for it. Common is not for me. And thats that. The great beats dont do enough to bring him up outta the trenches. Its still just common
Didn’t outright hate this album, but Commons style is definitely not for me. 2/5.
Virker som en solid plate, selv om jeg av og til må ta meg selv i å holde fokus så det ikke blir bakgrunnsmusikk. Sterk 3'er, muligens svar 4'er en annen og mer fokusert dag.
Hm.. Hatet det litt, likte det litt etterhvert. Ga meg egentlig ikke så mye. Steng toer.
Gode, runde beats (som blir litt kjedelig i lengden). Får ikke grep om tekstene, de virker ganske generiske. Trekk for lengde.
Fine but forgettable. Not sure why it’s on the list.
“What kind of music do you like?” Me, before starting 1001albumsgenerator: “Oh all sorts” Me, 1 year in: “Just folk and hip hop”
Did not catch my attention.
Favorite Track: The 6th Sense
I just don't BELIEVE Common is as "street" as he tries to come off.
not my type
Distinctive tracks and Common's voice is easy on the ear. Can do without the homophobia, although granted Common has addressed this since 3.6
If this album were half the length I would probably rate it a little higher.
it is a nice one Will I listen to again: 50%
my first rap album – still waiting to change my mind about this genre
Nice backround music. Not annoying
D’angelo without the nice voice
Easy rap
Good rap beats and fast lyrics
actually kinda cool. I started off not really liking it but honestly it's grown on me
Literate, good flow. Involvement of other artists.
So mediocre.
I liked the previous Common album I had and this one was good as well. Good lyricism, good flow, and really good beats within. I liked all the classic samples that were put in here, really nice to recognise some old Funkadelic song in a Hip Hop album. I feel it was a bit too long though, well over an hour long. Not really to its detriment as it was still fun to listen to and it didn't feel too long, but it would make me think twice about relistening.
Hægt að þykjast vera kúl í 10 sekúndur í hverju lagi, en ekki meira en það.
2.5
A Common win
Didn't catch me at all, even though Common is a good rapper and the beats sound competent. The songs don't seem to go anywhere and most of them are just too long, like the whole album. You don't have to fill the CD if you don't have enough ideas for it! One extra point for the 6th sense, that sticks out with a great beat by Primo.
Not on am
🍫😎👟💡🎧
Must listen again!
I Don't know this artist at all. Rap is something I really struggle with. I'm not fussed about lyrics generally, and rap delivery can be so flat that it kills the music for me. ------ Oh no. This does literally nothing for me at all. Lounge jazz instrument samples mixed with aggressive lyrics/themes that are littered with dated cultural attitudes. I'm going to give it the full album... ------- Verdict : I liked Pops track the best. It's the classic old guy giving life lessons with a nice jazzy accompaniment. "Who am I to judge one's perspective? / Though some of that shit y'all pop to it, I ain't relating / If I don't like it, I don't like it, that don't mean that I'm hating" 6th Sense sums it up.
Excited when new rap pops up but wasn’t for me - not bad by any means but just okay. Doesn’t age well with some of the slurs and references
This album was dull, with a mild sprinkling of homophobia, but at least it was unnecessarily long.
2.5 stars
Common's rapping is a little better than his acting, but both are sort of mid.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I see Common is the time Bill O'Reilly was pissed that Obama invited him to the white house. That was funny. This album was not as entertaining. I liked the music. It had a good mix of groove and chill. But the rapping was okay at best. Kinda lacked energy.
Jamais écouté avant. Que c'est long ! C'est peut-être un effet secondaire de mon ignorance en la matière, mais j'ai du mal à comprendre pourquoi les albums de rap du tournant des années 2000, en tout cas ceux que j'ai pu découvrir depuis que j'ai commencé ce projet, ont cette fâcheuse tendance à durer au-delà du nécessaire, sinon du confortable... C'est dommage, au demeurant, parce que c'est ce que je retiens de cet album, qui m'aura par ailleurs plutôt convaincu, grâce notamment à son ambiance assez smooth (encore que, les textes, par ailleurs témoins d'une réelle plume, pour ce que j'ai pu en juger, restent très engagés, dans la droite ligne de la terrible photo qui sert de couverture à l'album), résultat de productions d'inspiration jazz, funk voire afrobeat très satisfaisante, et qui ont le bon goût de n'avoir pas trop vieilli. Malheureusement, ça ne suffit pas à tenir la longueur, et il manque ce petit truc en plus (un peu plus d'originalité et d'éclectisme, peut-être ?) pour obtenir au-delà de trois étoiles... Top : A Song for Assata Flop : The Questions
Appreciation
Far too long, far too boring.
Inte min musiksmak. Flera låtar med samarbeten med andra artister. The Light är den låt som känns bäst. Resten är sådär. Extranumret med Macy Gray också ok.
Nope.
No thanks
I enjoy what he stands for and what he brings to the table musically. That said, I just don’t listen to much music like this.
This released when I was in my early teens, music was widely available if you sailed the seven seas and I was both in a sort of musical discovery mode of my life and in a period when I listened to a lot of hiphop. This album was always mentioned as a future classic, and I'm sure I listened to it at some point and just never returned to it. One thought that came to mind is that my favorite song by Common is 2,5 minutes long, and Common doesn't enter into it until a minute in. This album is twice as long as it needs to be and most songs should be two minutes shorter. It's unfortunate, because there's a good record in here, it just needed less common
The opening "Time Travelin" gave the impression that this record was content to take up it's fair share of space with its mellow atmosphere and transition between one beat to the next. "Dooinit" into "The Light" was a nice one-two punch, but by this point I felt the impending reality of how long this record would be. "Time Travelin Reprise" wfelt like the other end of the honymoon phase for this album, that an interlude this far into an album was further telling of how long it all felt.
Like an old tired animal this album should just be led out to pasture to die peacefully. This “skits” were tired. The parents parts were old and the rapping was plodding and uninspired.
I like the vibe, but it's way too long. And some of the lyricis aged poorly.
6th sense
3/10 It was fine background music. Just boring and not my type of genre.
probs like 4.5/10 = after being criticised i will be more concise in these reviews. good to listen to in background but not enough memorable ones to revisit.
A solid performance from this pop. rapper.
Meeeh... No me gustó
Big, long but well done. Common had the MC chips to make it a true lyrical heavyweight statement.
feel somewhat impartial to this album. i love hip-hop album but this one failed to stand out to the rest for me. there were 2 or 3 tracks that i really liked but apart from them i thought it was about 20 mins too long. i didn't lock in with the lyrics but i'm reading other reviews stating homophobic and misogynistic themes which immediately makes me lose respect for it. not a bad album at all though and there will be a couple tracks i'll come back to.
lyricism is on point and beats are fine, they gotta work on the topics as always thoughhhh
Pretty good, liked the stories it was telling and the beats were really nice
conscious hip hop not for me
This is quite nice
pretty good
2.6 2x
One of the first hip hop records I remember. Everything about that Soulquarians era speaks to me, deeply ingrained in my middle school years, absolutely love it.
hiphopmeh
This would make a very good instrumental album But it's not one, so it's a 3. Pretty average
Great job by common again i like the soul influence and how it’s not really hip hoppy or rappy 4.6 out 5
It is common for me to enjoy the works of Common (apologies for the terrible pun).
PRODUCTION:78/100 INOVATION:68/100 FLOWS:81/100 FEATURES:77/100
Not really an expert nor a fan of rap music(ians). That being said, this was 3x as good as an ABBA or ELO album. So that's at least 3 stars. The sentimnent is in the right direction at least. I am an old white guy so the pain or anger expressed is a bit alien to me. Which is my "problem" not someone else's. Still I was a bit bored after 3 or 5 raps. 3 "at least it's not ABBA" stars.
Not too keen on Common's acting ability nowadays, but he's always been quite the conscious rapper. This is a little bloated, but the production work is nice, given that the names involved are industry titans. Pretty user-friendly listen I'd say, for those who are willing to listen of course.
Solid. Interesting dense and rhythmic beats, cool rhythmic delivery, a nice voice. Generally a lot of the stuff I love in good hip hop. I didn't really zone in on many of the lyrics - there was maybe a couple of tracks about dynamics between sex workers and pimps?
So I’m trying to listen to more rap. I like the jazz samples/ performances on this. I find the monotony of rap and the monotony of the same beat and sample for ages a bit… monotonous though. All the songs start blurring into one. I think I have to listen to all the words and work out the meaning and get when it’s ironic and when it isn’t and all that. Which takes more than one listen. And I need to get used l’d to hearing the N word more than I’d like. I dunno. I like the cool laid back vibe and some of the musicality. But sometimes it’s really boring too. I’m going to give a 4 to show that I’m TRYING to like it and to show I should try and return to it, I guess.
Unsure.
Far from my favourite Common work, drags on a little and misses sorely the beats from Be. RYM: N Saved a song: N
good tunes and there is a lot of groove here I like it I do think maybe it does over stay it’s welcome
It was good but I’m not going to seek it out
ill be honest this was long and i was working so i didnt pick up a ton lyrically except “in a circle of faggots your name is mentioned” which is all ill be thinking about for the next 48 hours
Title might be the best thing about this album There’s some decent features and tracks on here, which isn’t too surprising; clearly a lot of talent at play here. The 6th Sense is probably my favorite track on here but there’s snippets on other songs I don’t mind. Decent wordplay and themes are about what you’d expect for the genre and relatively well executed. Vocals themselves are nice, no complaints there which is pretty important For me though, this album feels like it takes so much stuff I don’t like about the genre and piles it all together. I honestly don’t care for the beats much, think there’s a lot of artists who are better at pulling you in and letting the vocals hypnotize you. I feel like this album doesn’t have a whole lot to say that earlier albums from the 90s didn’t already say. Slur usage is pretty hard to look past even though I’d argue this album is better than average on than front compared to the rest of the genre All in all, not particularly impressed. I don’t think it’s bad enough to drop down to a 2 but we’ve had a lot better hip hop. Also man 1 hour and 17 minutes is rough, especially considering how slow the back half is. Either way, didn’t hate my time with this one but pretty sure this is the last time I’ll hear this one
pretty cool! i thought it had good beats and was above avergae on the variety scale.
If this album wasn’t so long, it might have won me over a bit more. The problem is that, even before the halfway mark, it’s already too much "R&B-saxophone-sofa-avant-garde" and it gets tiring. At one point, I kind of liked some of the samples (or maybe it was actual instrumentation), but that was sooooo many tracks ago that I can't even pinpoint which one it was. And there are aspects of it I really dug especially in the tracks. But for the most part, I don't like this kind hip hop/rap. I can't even really put a finger on why, I just don't. I do kinda feel like this is an important album thematically and musically, but even somehow recognizing that did not equate to appreciation. Most of the tracks honestly made me feel uncomfortable. If I was more into this gernre as a whole, I could see myself rating this highly, but I really was not in the mood for this.
Enjoyment: 5/10 Replayability: 5/10 Cohesion: 7/10 Flow/Pacing: 7/10 Artistic Merit: 8/10 Weighted Average: 5.95/10 Review: I've only listened to a handful of rap and hip-hop songs throughout my life, so in my highly uninformed opinion of the genre, this was a very solid album. I felt it elegantly conveyed the struggles of those in marginalized communities and bridged a gap to make those struggles feel relatable and shared so people from all walks of life can feel empowered through music to command their own destinies. Liked Song(s): Funky For You, A Song For Assata, Pops Rap III...All My Children Disliked Song(s): (None) Recommend? Yes Heard Before? No
I found this to be a slog. Musically and lyrically uninteresting. Just nothing to come back to for me.
A thought provoking at times vulnerable album that sounds both old school and futuristic. The production by J Dilla is as good as on any hip-hop album ever released and frankly better than most- it goes a long way in placing Like Water for Chocolate near the top of a short list of the greatest of the greats - water get no enemy. In case anyone was wondering, this is real hip hop.
It’s solid and it should be given all the top tier people involved. It’s been years since my last spin and I didn’t love it as much as I remembered. It’s too long and 25 years on, there are a few moments that feel more problematic than they once did. Still quality production and his flow is good and plenty of hooks. Strong 3 but still 3 not 4. Better than ‘Be’ though.
2,5
Listening session: july 4th, while getting ready for work Listened to before: no Thoughts: I was not familiar with Common but actually really enjoyed this album (which is not a surprise for someone who loves hiphop with groot beats and smart lyrics) Favourite tracks: Cold Blooded, The Questions & Geto Heaven (Remix T.S.O.I. - The Sound Of Illadelph)
A rich tapestry of soul, funk and jazz. Goes on a bit but never drags.
This is a Common album I've been putting off listening to it because of the length. Another case of 1001 album generator giving me a push to finally listen to those 'Maybe one day' albums. I feel in love with Be (my first album of his) at first sight, I now consider it one of my favourite hip-hop albums and has a place in my top 50 albums of all time. This album it's very psychedelic to my ears, which is different. It has some very cool sample usage (especially early on) and, the drum sounds sound pretty cool. It definitely isn't a love at first sight album, the production is still pretty good, but maybe not as good as Kanye's production. It has a bit of nuance, there's more hardcore-adjacent stuff, some straight soul songs, with not much hip-hop elements, some of the optimistic stuff that is heavily showcased in Be, and some cliche misogynistic hip-hop elements; which I can't fully tell if he is being sincere or poking fun. It's just a bit upsetting to hear the straight positivity of Be and then hear straight homophobia in "Dooinit" and Nag Champa." It just seems a bit antithetical to me. Preaching one thing in one song and in the next one he just seems to disregard what he was preaching. Perhaps I'm just looking into too much, but it seems a bit weird. One let down of this is "The 6th Sense" not the amazing optimistic song part, but the skit at the end that I really wish was a separate track, because that seriously ruins the song. Easily the best song here if skit is cut out. I can't stand listening to a minute of a skit, just a bit too long. Unlike Be, I will have to let this one sit and possibly maybe come back. Near the end it starts to get a bit dull, which makes me hesitant to return, and 70-nearly-80 minute long albums are just in general very difficult to digest. Be was a lot easier to process at it's 40 minute runtime. Maybe, maybe, I'll return. It was an alright album. Highlight Song/s: "Dooinit", "The Questions", "The 6th Sense" and "A Song For Assata"
I thought I rated this already but I guess it didn't save. Didn't enjoy it that much because of how long it is. Its still a fine rap record but I liked the other Common one better.
Perfectly fine, but it didn't grab me. The production almost approached wall-of-sound levels, which I found a bit overpowering to the rapping.
Not my favourite Common record, but still lyrically a good time and with some fun beats and features.
gostei pq tem história e uma mensagem foda
muito bom e tirando algumas letras acho q n envelheceu mal
It's hard to match his "Be" album, but the second half of this album sold me. The cover of the album itself hits harder than the first half of the album. I only wish it had more versatility, particularly in the first half. Favorite Track: "Pops Rap III...All My Children".
Common knows what's up. Favorite track: Cold Blooded 3.5/5
4/5
Never heard of Common before, interesting! The rapping was decent, but the beats really impressed me. The album has that 2000s sound, but manages to distinguish itself from other more well known acts from the west coast. Despite not having many well known hits, I don't really find any songs on this album I dislike. Overall I really enjoyed the tone of this, will have to be a weak 4!
I really enjoyed the last album by Common we had. That had both J Dilla and Kanye as producers. As much as it irks me to say, Kanye really did a good job “Be” and his presence is missed here. For whatever reason this album never really interested me. Maybe I was just not in the mood. It’s a genre I enjoy but it missed some heavy hitters like those on “Be". Mid 3.
This album made literally no impact on me at all. I’ll start with the only real positive, which is the production is very crisp and clear, and musically it has a lot raw talent. The problem is I just don’t care for common at all. His delivery doesn’t do anything for me, I don’t like his flow or his pacing, and I honestly just think there’s something about him that’s so boring. I know his name is common but he really comes across like any generic rapper with a ton of money for production. Also one of the biggest songs on this album uses a sample of Bobby Caldwell and the sample does a lot of heavy lifting in that song. The other massive strike against this album is the fact that there’s a ton of artists collaborating on this album (nothing wrong with that BUT…) they ALL over shadow him, ON HIS ALBUM. Like all the features steal the show for their perspective song. Macy gray is the best part of their song, Ceelo green is the best part of their song, even his dad has a better flow and delivery than common. That’s embarrassing…
So belanglos, dass ich’s nicht mal hören kann. Rap ist ohnehin nicht hörbar!
The Late 70s Talking Heads band is IMO the best band ever, but it was only live. The most creative collective force of musicians are 2 for me: the Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington etc that recorded Kendrick's music, and the Soulquarians, and for better or worse, both are only studio. I became a fan of Common with Be which drew me in with Kanye's soulfull production. To my surprise and amazement, J Dilla was his close friend and recorded most of this album together with the rest of the collective. I haven't even mentioned Lonnie Lynn himself. Common is a true artist, and this is the best representation of his artistry. African roots, comtemporary (to it's time) hip-hop production, timeless boom bap, great lyrics, great chemistry weaving in and out of his songs with all his contributors, hit songs like The Light and Heat, this has it all. As usual for me, if your intro sets the mood and the outro sets you down on your path higher than where you started, what's in the middle was probably a great journey.
I found this one tricky to rate. Whilst I enjoyed it, I’m not sure I would revisit it in the future. However, it was batter than many of the albums I have given three stars. Therefore, I think it’s another 3.5 which might as well be rounded up to 4 (but with a caveat that I probably won’t listen again - a core value of a four star is a desire to listen again)
Meh, I've never gotten into Common and this did nothing to convince me to change my opinion.
Good! Not one i'll go back to really, but wouldn't be upset at all if it came on
I put off listening to this one for a bit but holy shit it's fucking fantastic. You ever notice how despite many of the albums on this site containing topics and statements and messages that have aged poorly, only rap albums tend to get knocked by the reviews for being problematic? You ever notice how there's all kinds of albums on this site about being from the country or growing up dirt poor or all kinds of things from all walks of life, yet the only time people write "erm I can't relate to this" is when it's time for a rap album? Oh so you guys all relate to being rockstars and traveling the world and having crazy sex and doing drugs all the time as long as it's some white dude? Hmm.... Hmmmmmmm..... Interesting. The people reviewing albums on this site must be pretty damn cool.
Loved this more than I thought I would, honestly. Cinematic at its core without feeling heavy-handed and "The Light" might just be the best hip-hop song I've encountered this year. Glorious.
It's strange how I generally don't like jazz that much, but jazz influenced hip hop is pretty good. This is an album with a few highs and a lot of the same thing that just goes on too long. Overall, it's above average. 3.5
Real middle of the road album to me. Also I find that albums that go over an hour start to lose me if I wasn't super bought in from the jump.
De Common me sorprendió el sonido de Be (2005). Este es igual de bueno. Sonido Soulquarians: Questlove (de The Roots ), J Dilla, James Poyser , D'Angelo (con quien intercambia aquí Geto Heaven Part Two por Chicken Grease de Voodoo) y Pino Palladino. Portada (foto de Gordon Parks en Alabama en plena era racial) y título (película homónima) excelentes.
Good album. Enjoyed the vibe and message.
It has some cool beats, pretty funky throughout. I like Commons rap style but the album starts to drag a bit. It is just too long for my liking. I do prefer conscious rap, so this is right up my alley but I need to pay more attention to it while listening to get it all.
Somehow we get two Common albums in this list? This one is as enjoyable as his acting in Silo... totally painful. Sure, the jazzy production from guys like Dilla and Questlove is technically great, but it can’t save the record. It feels super bloated and drags on for almost 80 minutes of filler that’s a total chore to get through. Common’s "conscious" vibe just comes off as preachy, and his flow really lacks the energy to keep things interesting. To make it worse, the supposedly soulful message is undercut by some pretty gross homophobia and misogyny in the lyrics that hasn’t aged well at all. Even with the nice beats, the whole thing is a tedious, problematic slog that I was dying to finish. Definitely not a classic to me.
Kieltämättä tykkään tämän aikakauden rapistä. Mutta common ei koskaan ole ollut sitä, yksittäisiä biisejä lukuunottamatta.
Well it doesn't do much for me..........
Solid three-and-a-half-stars rap record, a pleasant surprise.
dont get it
Første fem numre var ens. Langsom rap. Så gad jeg ikke mere.
Think I slightly prefer this one over Be in terms of sound, with its 60's/70's soul and funk inflicted jazz (with Be being the more Kanye style chipmunk soul). Be has just aged a little more compared to Like Water, since the whole chipmunk soul sound has kinda been relegated to the 2000's with Kanye's records. That said, while I think I like Like Water a little more due to that, I think Be is the more consistent album owing to its shorter runtime (nearly half as long), which is what's kinda hurting Like Water for me. Honestly, if Like Water was chopped down to 50ish minutes (or hell, even 60), I think it'd be a much tighter, engaging album. Just by the end it did get a little tiring. Either way, it does have some fantastic cuts on it, particularly The Light and The 6th Sense. The D'Angelo and Cee-Lo tracks are really good too, and great to see Questlove drumming on a couple songs. Overall, a really good record, pretty on par with Be.
meh. I tried to like Common, but he just feels so common.
Meh
Okayish, ale nic szczególnego. Bardziej wyluzowany styl, jazzowe bity. Takie na 3
One of the most bloated albums I encountered so far with 1001, some highs that warrant a personal 3 star rating
Интересный альбом. Лёгкий, но при этом музыкально неординарный
Desperately mediocre. Cannot think that anybody needs to hear this before they die.
This is my second common album. My first, I asked the question "what makes this stand out above other Rap/Hip Hop artists" now I am asking what makes this stand out to have 2 albums in the list! throw in a bit of homophobia and question it even more. that said it was a bit better than the first album i had. I still wont remember this tomorrow. In fact, I did not remember that I had already listened to an album of his. 6th Sense or Geto Heaven was the standout track, or maybe it was just because it was nice to hear Macy Gray. 2.5 stars
Rating: 4.9/5 Short Review: Warm, intelligent, soulful, and deeply human. This is conscious hip-hop at its best: political without being preachy, personal without being self-absorbed. Every track feels intentional. Favorite Track: “The Light.” One of the greatest hip-hop love songs ever recorded. Beautiful beat, beautiful sentiment, zero cynicism.
Respectable early 2000s hiphop. Not as good as Be but I can certainly give this 4 stars.
What a waste of pino palladino and questlove.
I feel bad when I score most hip-hop cause I just can’t do it. My wife has heard of this guy, but I had never. None of the musical part appealed to me and I’m not a lyrics driven listener, so this was a no go.
Tuesday, 9 June, 2026 Amazing production. J Dilla kills it. Preemo steps in for one track and blows the roof off. Common’s rhymes are poignant and creative. It is a little long.
*no music, mostly rap. Most tracks sound alike.
Good old school hip hop album Commons got a lot of good stuff. This is a good album
I usually like this type of music, and I will definitely liste again to this record while working or reading. However, the record itself gets too repetitive and the tracks sound rapidly similar to each other to fully enjoy it.
Beats were funky as hell. Bars were fine for the most part, some pretty questionable stuff. Most performative bro ever. Way too long. Song for Assata a highlight
Really enjoyable album. Anything from the Soulquarian collective during this period is bound to be good and this is no exception
Not my thing.
I’ve got one of his albums which I’ve probably played 3 or 4 times in 28 years! What does that tell you?
Started out really interesting instrumentally, but ended in what I thought was a pretty basic R&B place.
Good beats
Common is obviously a good rapper and there were a lot of cool soul beats on this album. That said, Common albums generally lack the edge I like when I listen to rap. So for me it was good not great.
Cool sounding, some of the lyrics are pretty dated.
Long as it's funkaaaayyy...shout out to Jill Scott and Macy Gray (when we gettin that album?). 4
An unapologetically black album that has a beautiful second half. However, I don’t know if I would listen to the whole thing again. Parts of it also didn’t age very well.
The Light pulls out a 2 star rating.
"the stakes are high, like my uncle is" revived shakespeare to write this one for them
Please dont show me any more common albums. I dont like him
Don’t like rap, but it wasn’t TOO bad
Shitty hiphop
Sonidos interesantes, mezcla entre R&B, relajante, suena bien
This is interesting and i liked most of it. Star-studded collabs that glide between smooth R&B and tight raps. But, at 1:22, it’s too long and the tracks start to sound the same despite their individual creativity. If it were 20-30 minutes shorter, I would have scored this a 4. But it’s a little bloated, so it earns a 3.
It's an incredible album with many lyrical themes and incredible beats. Were it 20 minutes shorter, it would've been a perfect 5/5. The way it is, it's a steong 4/5
This is fine I guess but there were so many better rap albums that came out in 2000. For Common, I think Be is the only album they really need on this list. If we could do half stars it would be a 2.5 exactly mid.
Pleasurable and head-boppable but beat is super basic and the rapping isn't like insane
I couldn't really get into it, the beats were good but I wasn't feeling his flow.
I would’ve done 3,5 if I could, but I love the rhymes, flow and general vibe of this album!
Not my favorite Common album, but his flow is just so smooth. Heckuva story teller too.
I like it a lot , but not as good as Be
escuché mitad de disco. Acompaña, que se yo. No es rap pesado así que se deja. Pero no me dijo nada
Interesante rapero que no conocía. Álbum del 2000 con sonido 90s, y algo de R&B. La mueve el tipo. Como no conozco tanto el género no sé si es revolucionario, pero suena bien y entretiene. Lástima lo extenso. Cómo le gusta a los raperos hacer álbumes que pasan la hora de duración eh. 6/10
Common is an excellent rapper and I love J Dilla's beats. This album could be 20 minutes shorter though.
Time traveling, indeed. Can’t believe this is a quarter of a century old. I guess it would be considered old school at this point.
I did not listen to this during a great moment of anxiety and it did help increase my anxiety. 2.5/5
Listen, just listen to just how settled it is. Not in the sense of complacent - more that the album never behaves as though it’s frightened you’ll wander off if something dramatic doesn’t happen every thirty seconds. The grooves simply establish themselves and remain there. By the midpoint I wasn’t really hearing “tracks” any more so much as a continuous atmosphere. It genuinely felt at times like listening to some half-fading pirate station late at night - warmth, hiss, deep bass, fragments of conversation, the signal drifting in and out of clarity. The production throughout is WOAH. Questlove’s drums are so compressed and tightly controlled they almost stop sounding human, but the extraordinary thing is that they still breathe. You can hear musicians who’ve fully absorbed loop logic and machine timing, but haven’t surrendered bodily feel. Everything leans slightly. Nothing arrives too squarely. It’s all delayed gratification - drums fractionally behind the beat, basslines surfacing rather than striking, piano figures leaning into chords like appoggiaturas. My mum used to land those little suspensions on the piano like she was playing a harp, and there’s something of that same “not quite yet… now” sensation all over this record. Pino Palladino is immense throughout, though in an oddly self-effacing way. He’s not “showing you bass playing”. He’s altering the emotional weather in tiny increments. The realisation that this is the same man underpinning Paul Young records was a proper moment for me because suddenly the continuity became obvious. Same liquid melancholy. Same relaxed but immovable groove intelligence. Different production era, same bodily understanding of timing. There’s far more psychedelia in the album than the “neo-soul” label usually suggests. In fact I think that term diminishes it. “A Film Called (Pimp)” and “Nag Champa” don’t feel like tidy songs at all - more like overheated altered states. Not cosmic hippie psychedelia; urban psychedelia. Heat, exhaustion, sensuality, moral blur, the room becoming increasingly smoky and indistinct while you’re hoping the atmosphere doesn’t suddenly turn ugly. It has much more in common spiritually with There’s a Riot Goin’ On than with the respectable coffee-table version of “neo-soul” that emerged later. And yet for all that narcotic drift, the album keeps quietly reminding you that it has political foundations. “A Song For Assata” lands with real weight because you simply do not invoke Assata Shakur casually. Suddenly the whole groove ecosystem reveals itself as historically situated rather than merely hedonistic. Listening to it now, it also feels peculiarly poised on the edge of a historical change in America. There’s still an assumption here that warmth, pluralism, black musical lineage, sensuality and political awareness can naturally coexist in the same room. Within a year or two, the national mood hardens dramatically. “The Light” is the emotional centre of the album for me. Macy Gray sounds magnificent because she still sounds contingent and human rather than overcorrected into digital smoothness. Those little vocal handovers with Common are lovely - nobody trying to dominate the room, just people listening to each other properly. And Common himself flows beautifully throughout the album. I’d come to think of him primarily as an actor these days, which now seems faintly ridiculous given how completely embedded he is in the musical fabric here. He doesn’t sit on top of the grooves; he inhabits them. Damn. Ultimately I kept returning to just how comfortable the album is in its own pacing. It lounges. Gorgeously. That confidence in lowered pulse rate is the album’s deepest strength.
Common is Stonekeeper... and Zendaya is Meechee
It’s not you, it’s me. I’ve tried and tried. My brain is not wired to enjoy the structural elements of this genre.
I gravitated to the track where the Soulquarians sound the most like a real band in a room — warm, spiritual, groove‑first. If the whole album lived in that pocket, it’d probably be a top‑tier listen for me.
Goood album. Not really a standout banger track but a solid album.
I never really got into Common. He comes across as very corny to me.
hell yeah
Here we go, more hip-hop. As usual, I don’t know how to talk about hip-hop. Hell, I don’t know how to talk about metal, but I at least have a better frame of reference. I can only tell you what I like. I know Common, but I couldn’t tell you any of his songs. I do like his acting. He seems decent enough. This album came out in 2000, and during this time, I was probably into Kid Rock and nu metal, a period of my musical life I’d like to erase or at least refocus. This was Common’s fourth album and first major label release. Ooooh, now here’s something cool. This album was the catalyst for the formation of the Roots, who were known as the Soulquarians at the time. The Roots were definitely an upgrade in band names. Seems like this album saw, if not the creation, at least a huge collaboration with the neo-soul movement that started around this time. D’Angelo was a collaborator on this album. Now, I’m really interested in what this sounds like. Hopefully, not a huge amount of samples and a lot of funky real music. The album has 16 tracks and is over one hour and 15 minutes long. I’m betting we have our share of bits and interstitials in it as well, though, looking at song lengths, it appears that isn’t the case. Maybe Common realized the comedy bits were becoming hacky. Track 1 is Time Travelin’ (A Tribute to Fela) and I assume the Fela is Fela Kuti. I listened to his album Zombie and loved it. I highly recommend it. The music almost sounds like it’s just wafting through the ether as you’re walking along the beach. It’s far off, but right there too. Now we get a more familiar hip-hop beat coming through. Common begins rapping, but there’s an effect on his voice. It can make it hard to understand him. But years of headphones, earbuds, and loud concerts have taken a toll. The song turned into a simple hip-hop song, just a beat and a rapper. Though quietly, in the background, there is music. Track 2 is Heat, and this had a funky groove starting off. I like the music fine, but it does seem like the song is built around a sample. There’s a certain note that hits every couple of measures that really irks me. It just sounds like it shouldn’t be there. Track 3 is Cold-Blooded, and all I can think about is Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories with Rick James. Apparently, the song contains elements from the Parliament song Funkin’ for Fun. Common is a good rapper. He’s easy to understand, which I think is key. These days, I’m not so sure that’s as important. Track 4 is Dooinit, and I have to admit, I’m not into this. Hip-hop just isn’t my bag, baby. I don’t really hear anything that gets me fired up. Today, just might be one of those days. Track 5 is The Light, and it has a bit of Jay-Z’s Hard Knock Life to it for me. The song contains elements from the Bobby Caldwell song Open Your Eyes. It’s fine. Track 6 is Funky for You featuring Bilal and Jill Scott. I always loved Scott’s voice. She could belt it. I have so far been kind of disappointed with the music on this album, but I do like what is going on here. It’s kind of a cosmic hip-hop groove. This is one of the first songs to really kind of catch my ear. Track 7 is called Questions and it’s a song about questions. It’s kind of the 2000s version of Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm. It is a cool little song. The music on it is chill and laid back, with a nice electric piano playing. Two decent songs in a row. Track 9 is The Sixth Sense and this was a single. I have no memory of it. Common said this is “real hip-hop music from the soul.” I guess. It’s just more of the same with a sample repeating in the background over and over. Track 10 is A Film Called (Pimp), and it features Bilal and MC Lyte. I guess Common is a pimp looking for his trick, MC Lyte. Except MC Lyte isn’t into being pimped. The song is a bit goofy, but it’s fun. MC Lyte is great on this song. Track 13 is called Payback is a Grandmother and it’s about Common’s grandmother, amongst others, being robbed on a boat. It’s insane, but great. Easily my favorite song on the album. "There was a Hardy Boy mystery I tried to solve again Dude that broke in my crib, it wasn't involving him Four in the morning, my phone ringing I'm thinking, "Who the f*** is this, " on the other line screaming Told em, "Keep down, " but they was breathing hard It was my grandmother telling me that she had been robbed I told her hold (hold) tight (tight), I'd be right over Freezing but this situation made the night colder Knew this was the night (that what?) that she played poker With some friends in a club at the boat getting bub' Said she seen these thugs on the boat for a while Not gambling but every now and then they'd smile Then blow! They had Mag's And told everybody, ‘Put your s*** in the bag’” Brilliant. Adding this song to my singles list. Track 14 is Geto Heaven, and it features Macy Gray. Ah, Macy Gray. She blew up, then crashed hard, then just disappeared. The song is fine. Gray sounds like Macy Gray, which is to say, she sounds weird. Track 15 is A Song for Assata and it features Cee-Lo Green. I really enjoy Green’s voice. The song is about Assata Shakur, who was Tupac’s grandmother, though apparently some doubt that. Whatever the case, she sounds like one hell of a woman. Check her Wikipedia. She lived a life. I really enjoyed this song. Critics loved the album, and it was on most best-of-the-year lists in 2000. The album ended up going gold and sold around 800,000 copies, when album sales still existed. Now, me? It was all right. I just don’t know what to do with hip-hop most of the time. It’s not for me, but I like funny, I like cool. This album is cool and has a funny song, but a must-listen? I don’t think so. I’m sure hip-hop fans want to boil me in oil, but it’s okay, we all like what we like.
kalo sxetika. stin arxi apla mou fanike ligo vareto gt den sunuthizo na akouw tetoia fasi alla meta mou arese kai epsaksa gia ton tragoudisti
Cool
Equivocal, we'll say, on gender issues, but I like that he murdered all those guys for his grandma. Rhythmically dull, but I suppose it's fine to dance to, and the background production keeps things interesting. I know so little about the trajectory of hip-hop that my evaluation is meaningless. Did I like it? Not really. Pops says it's probably not for me anyway, which I accept. "I went from bashful to asshole to international" is a world-class line though.
I like the jazzy vibe from the off, initially not liking the flow and his rapping but as I got into it it was quite fine. Good to actually move off of all that bravado gangsta thug shit and turning it on its head. Took a while to get into but actually enjoyed the more soulful vibe. 3 Star, possibly higher with more listen, though it is bloody long
I preferred Be. I like his laid back delivery but found the production on this a bit too vanilla/ laid back and lyrically a bit cringe.
Like Water for Chocolate I quite enjoyed Be, without being fully sold, giving it a 3, but this is clearly a notch or two above that album. He hasn’t necessarily got my favourite vocal tone, but he is clearly a dextrous and skilled rapper. An obvious issue though is the homophobia that's sprinkled throughout. He has since said he was in the wrong about it and that he wouldn’t ever say any of those slurs now, but for a progressive rap album and rapper with a strong accent on social consciousness and positivity, eg on A Song for Assata or on the anti-misogyny The 6th Sense, it is noticeably jarring. A further issue is that it’s waaaaay too long, there is no need for this to be 1hr 17mins. I don’t think it needs 16 tracks and I don’t think so many of them need to be 5 minutes plus - like lots of albums across genres in the CD era a degree of judiciousness is missing Aside from those elements of homophobia this is musically and, for the most part, thematically excellent, from the acknowledged Fela Kuti-isms of the excellent opener to the live drums and the overall jazzy sound. Although Kanye West’s production on Be had a fun, disposable sheen, Jay-Dee, ?uestlove, The Soulquarians and DJ Premier’s production on here has a far more satisfying sense of weight and depth, putting it alongside contemporaries like The Roots and Mos Def,(who are name checked and also appear, of course. Alongside Time Travellin’ and the excellent A Sing for Assata, highlights for me were Heat, The Light, the synth-bassy Funky for You, The Questions, the flute-y Nag Champa, Thelonius and the 70s-ish Payback is a Grandmother. Despite those misgivings this is a great turn of the millennium alternative/progressive hip hop album, and is easily a 4. 🍫🍫🍫🍫 Playlist submission: A Song for Assata or Nag Champa…I’ll go Nag Champa
In a case of nominative determinism, Common doesn't particularly seem anything extraordinary, at least not on the basis of the first track which is a rather dull entry point to what is a very long album. The second track doesn't fair too much better and the repeated declarations of 'hot shit' sounds like a shout out to diarrhoea. Nevertheless there's certainly a very consistent feel to the album - a laid back and vintage funk and soul. Questlove's influence in particular looms large, with a great many tracks emanating Roots vibes. The Mos Def-featuring 'The Questions' is quite brazen in imitating their sound. It clears a quality hurdle, but it lacks peaks and troughs; compared to it's influences it can feel flat.
i like common always great instrumentals
I’ve decided I really like Common, and yet despite that I didn’t really like this album. There’s some really great rapping on this album, no doubt, but there’s also a lot of fluff that you could cut entirely, especially towards the beginning. The highs of this project are still REALLY high though, so I don’t mind too much. It’s just a really long album, it’s something of a beast to get through. Favorites: The Light, The Questions, Payback Is A Grandmother
nothing special imo
Like Water For Chocolate was definitely an album i had a good time with. Ever since hearing Be, i did know that Common was more than capable person of making good hip-hop records and this earlier work from him shows it pretty well. The production here is really well done with that nice mix of hip-hop and R&B and i should have expected it would be good since DJ Premier put his name on one of the tracks. The lyrics can range from really good to pretty bad but that is certainly a common (no pun intended) stigma among records like this. While i still like Be more, i really can't deny that this album is really good. Best Song: The 6th Sense Worst Song: Thelonius
Meh no sé me olvide, lo pondre como 3
Wow what a hidden gem of a rap album. It's so modern in so many ways despite it being 26 years old. The lo-fi backtracks with witty lyrics have always been the rap I enjoy the most. It's good vibes with a powerful message. I love this album, 8/10.
This is #day641 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to closing out another artist on the list, as this is my second and final record by Common. Honestly, I've no idea why this list needed two albums from him. It also just happens that this kind of soulful hip-hop isn't really my jam. Much like the previous time, this gets a 2 out of 5 for me. Looking forward to #day642.
okay i think is a rap album. not sure. doesnt sound that bad with the saxo the first song. up until song 3 the album seems cohesive the light is good the sixth sense song is good, reminds me of kanye west
Cool
I dont like it
Liked the jazz influences, but im not big on rap.
It’s a crooner! Long, mainly boring. Probably a milestone in Elvis’s career, but 2 good tracks (In the Ghetto, Suspicious Minds) don’t lift the album as a whole above 2 stars.
This album had really good bones, but kinda annoyed me. The music and beats were very good, with nice jazz influences and interesting moments, however I really didn't like this guys flow. He seemed to take breathes at the oddest moments. Also the homophobia broke it for me too.
Okay so to start, the homophobic themes weren't it for me. The rhythm and flow very very lacking and it constantly took me out of the songs. I did like that this album had more jazzy tunes, but there was still a lot left to be desired.
2.75
This album had a few interesting tracks (A Song for Assata being the standout) but on the whole it was far too forgettable to be so long.
Overstayed its welcome.
not bad at all. it's calm for the most part while delivering its message, as any Common album would do. fav track is A Song for Assata.
Fine album but an hour and a half? Just because CD technology allowed such long albums, doesnt mean they should.
Strong conscious rap, low 4
Not my genre, but I appreciate this is well crafted.
Even before the overt reference in The 6th Sense I was hearing a modern take on Gil Scott Heron in Common’s performance. It’s an intelligent and grounded take on hip hop with a snappy, crisp, jazz-y production. I like the way he projects his voice and how he mixes serious points with humour. I also admire his love of his family and him inviting his dad onto rap.
Common gets a solid 4, absolutely my kind of hip hop - conscious, jazzy, varied instrumentally, chillllllll
This was delightful to come back to. I’m my mind it as going to be a likely 4, maybe, maybe a 5. But I’d forgotten just how good this is. To my mind it’s one of the top 10 all time conscious rap/hip hop albums. It is maybe a little soft, a touch milquetoast, even boring a times. Yes. So yes this 5 is rounded up for nostalgia.
Great flow, surprisingly mid beats. I think this one is a "me" problem bc it's obvs a classic.
Be is een absoluut favoriet album van mij. De heerlijke vroege Kanye West producties en de bars van Common, het hit op elke juiste manier voor mij. Ironisch dus dat ik dit album nog niet eerder heb gehoord. Dilla productie, een op het eerste oog ijzersterke feature lijst en Common die hopelijk politiek beladen teksten op soulvolle productie spit? Dit moet haast wel weer een topper zijn! En ja hoor, voor mij is dit weer echt een goed album. Niet even goed als Be, ik denk dat ik de Kanye West productie gewoon net ff wat sterker vind. Maar daarnaast is Common ook gewoon echt wat verder dan op dit album. Hij is op dit album opvallend grof, wat ergens ironisch is gezien zijn latere status als backpack concious rapper. Laten we het jeugdig enthousiasme noemen voor nu. Maar als het hit? Ja, dan is Common misschien wel een van mn favoriete rappers. Hij rapt als een buitenstaander die verwonderd om zich heen kijkt. De schoonheid in de ghetto ziet. Zn mensen daarin ziet lijden ook. Soulvolle productie en heeeeerlijke hooks van Bilal, Ceelo en Macy Gray zorgen voor een ontzettend lekker en vermakelijk album. Net zo goed als Be? Nee, maar dat is voor mij een van de beste hiphop albums ooit, dus zeker geen schande. Maar dit is wederom een ijzersterk hiphopalbum. FAVO:Dooinit, The Light, 6th sense, Geto Heaven part two, A song for Assata
Not as obnoxious as modern rap. Appreciate there's some attempt at music going on and it's quite listenable, but still not for me. 3
Time Travelin’ (A Tribute To Fela) [feat. Vinia Mojica, Roy Hargrove & Femi Kuti] — Not too energetic, and a nice slow. Good start for what the album might be. Heat — This one’s pretty fun. Decently catchy too. Cold Blooded (feat. Rahzel & Roy Hargrove) — Good duo to Heat (keeps the energy and vibe) Dooinit — oh thats why its marked E explicit…. (f slur) The Light — Has a more standard barrier between verses and chorus. It works! I like. Funky For You (feat. Bilal & Jill Scott) — It’s pretty good The Questions (feat. Mos Def) — A decent background song imo Time Travelin Reprise — Quick song, bit of an Intermission? The 6th Sense — I think this one’s got more energy than the previous songs. Not a bad thing, just surprised me a bit. also HELP THAT FINAL BIT A Film Called (Pimp) [feat. Bilal & MC Lyte] — This one’s p alrights Nag Champa (Afrodisiac For The World) — Pretty alright Thelonius (feat. Slum Village) — I like this one it’s fun Payback Is A Grandmother — I’m not sure if I’m the biggest fan of this one Geto Heaven Part Two (feat. D’Angelo) — Oh no lyrics? nvm there are but they’re just not shown i supporse. This one’s good :3 A Song For Assata (feat. Cee-Lo) — Might be my fav of the album so far alongside Heat and Cold-Blooded? Pops Rap III… All My Children (feat. Lonnie “Pops” Lynn) — Less melodic singing and more preaching but not in a bad way. Geto Heaven (Remix T.S.O.I. - The Sound of Illadelph) [feat. Macy Gray] — Interesting n fun song. It’s pretty up there.
cookin. arrangements and production are fantastic, and vocals are usually well-articulated while still being stylish (and mostly lyrically solid).
Unexpectedly good
Hmmm, some good stuff amongst this but overall I feel like it was a bit of a slog and has dated quite poorly. Too long. Too much pimps and hoes chat. Good sound but even that can get a bit meandering.
For me one of the best hip hop albums of that time around 2000. It still has this spirit of the 1990s yet the new time with universal themes yet very specific experiences of Chicago and black subcultures. Common is a self-conscious wordsmith aided by great beats and their samples.
Not my kind of music
Great jazz rap album. Some outdated terminology and ideas but the beats are refreshing. The 6th Sense, whilst a solid track on its own, has an absolutely unnecessary skit at the end which ruined it for me. Fave track: The Light
Classic Common man. The Sixth Sense an all-time hip hop track with an incredibly rare, actually somewhat funny skit included. Unheard of. 4/5
**Any album that I don't finish gets a 1. I tried. I had to turn this one off. It was too much of a slog.** I remember when it came out. Hitting play brings me right back to that year, that radio station, what was going on during that time—but I don’t like this album. It just feels really noisy and overproduced which is strange because the album is stacked with talent. I was excited when this album came up in queue, but yeah…not a fan. (And of course a 1-star album ends up being 90 minutes long, too.)
Man, the producers really carried this album to high heights. So many jazzy, funky and delicious sounds and samples. From google: Common's 2000 album Like Water for Chocolate was primarily produced by J Dilla, with major contributions from the Soulquarians collective, including Questlove (executive producer), James Poyser, and D'Angelo. It wouldn't be much of an exaggeration to say that that is the brain trust that birthed Neo soul. I'll be surprised if we didn't get a D'Angelo record down the line. It will probably be voodoo, because it's his most famous, but black Messiah is a 5 star album. This album was pretty long, but it didn't lose me nearly as much as some other others of the same length; there were so many interesting musical ideas, with some nice food for thought provided by common. I think he's plenty of respectable as a rapper, and I most appreciate the general positivity he supports. I wouldn't be surprised if those legendary producers were as drawn to his character as his skill as a rapper, because I don't think he's at the very top-tier when it comes to that. Still, he definitely has talent, and most of all the content of his lyrics is conscious and gives you something to think about. My favorite song might have been questions, not only for the delicious electric piano loop, but all of the thoughtful and/or playful questions. The one that stood out to me the most was "is black my complexion or is it all in my head," or something like that.
This might be another "Dad, why didn't you play this for us more often?" As often happens, I have a pretty good idea how I'll rate it before I listen to it again (since I own the CD), and just have to decide between 2 adjacent numbers -- in this case, 4 or 5. I'm listening to this while I'm having breakfast, and noticing that I have a tendency to lose focus, and let the music fade into the background. Which, I think, is part of why I'm leaning toward a 4. I high 4 (4.5 would be very tempting), but, I think, a 4, rather than a 5. Did I ever tell you my Common story? This was probably not too long before I retired, so maybe 8 or 9 years ago. I was going out to lunch (or possibly dinner) with a few female co-workers (so, attorneys). We got to the lobby of our building and were heading to one of the exits, and this tall black guy walks by. I didn't recognize him, but when we got outside the women were all suddenly like giddy, giggly teenagers, "OMG, that was Common! etc., etc." Ok, not a great story, but it was very amusing for me, to witness the temporary transformation of my serious professional colleagues into teenagers. ANYWAY, back to the music - a pretty amazing group of contributors, including Questlove, D'Angelo, Bilal, Jill Scott, Roy Hargrove, Cee-lo Green, Femi Kuti (son of Fela), and Pino Palladino (famous bassist). I like the way he incorporates a lot of different black music styles and influences, jazz and soul and funk in particular. There's a lot going on (in a good way); would probably justify (and reward) repeat listens. I think the biggest thing keeping me from giving this a 5 isn't really the fault of the album, but that I just don't like hip-hop/rap enough. At least this kind of hip-hop/rap, where the words are the primary focus, and the music is kind of background. (I'm thinking of DeLaSoul as a contrast, where the words are in service to the music, whereas here it seems more the other way around.) Still, it's hard to imagine a better album of its kind than this one. A (strong) 4 stars.
There are some great musicians credited on this album, mostly notably J Dilla. I think he gets most of the credit for the quality of production. Common didn't come across as woke as I think he would like to. I mean he really seems to think highly of himself. But I guess that's a job requirement for being an MC I enjoyed the story telling, featured vocalists, and instrumental performances moreso than Common's rapping. light four
Kendrick le nah. Just kidding. Kinda liked this. Chill funky vibes. Decent flow. Apparently the lyrics are rough, but if you aren't paying attention it's pretty good.
Pretty eloquent style - more than just a commercial pitch man
The collection of people on Common’s major label breakthrough is like a who’s who of intelligent, socially conscious millennial hip-hop. With the amount of quality with all the people, this album has quality tracks BUT what with them being sooooo long they do occasionally seem a bit of a mess. This mess is also linked to how bloated this album is; it all gets a bit too much in one sitting – someone should’ve edited this down. Best Tracks: Heat; The Light; The 6th Sense
Top Rap Album
I didn’t mind the other Common album on the list. I don’t like this one that much. It’s over-long at 1 hour 17 minutes and it feels it. It’s repetitive. Sure, it’s got a different sound to listen to rap, but more variation and less hubris.
I have a hard time with Common. Like The Light was one of my favourite tracks of the era but over a full-length, I can't help but find him pretty cringy. Good beats but sometimes a bit too much.
I went in thinking I would like this album, but truly meh
Classic
I tried numerous times to listen and couldn't get past a few songs. Plus he always wore that stupid hat.
A staple in the genre of conscious rap, honestly feels like a groovier Good Kid Maad City a decade before its time. I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s as good as Kendrick but really who is? As far as a rap album goes I don’t know how much more you could want out of this (besides less homophobia, could definitely go for less of that).
I don't follow hip hop at all but isn't Common the guy that makes hip hop for white people with minivans? I can already tell this one is going to be a slog today, an hour and 17 minutes of this is going to be really tough to get through. After reading a few of the reviews here I was a little hopeful that this might be a but different from the rest of the hip hop that I've heard. Maybe a hint of jazziness here and there. Alas, that's not the case. It's basically indistinguishable from the rest. Less violent which I suppose is a tic in the pro column. But the rest of the homophobia and misogyny and self aggrandization is out in the forefront. It's not for me. 1/5
Not my taste, but I wouldn't turn it off if it was playing.
Classic hip hop record for the most part. Part of it hasn't aged well. When Obama invited this guy to the White House, Fox News and other Republicans shit themselves over it. Remember that? If Q-Tip sneezed the White House would probably collapse. RIP J Dilla who produced this.
It's just another rap album.
About as good as his acting in Silo.
The first track is interesting. I know this is under hip hop, but it feels more like experimental electro pop. Track 2 starts off great. This album is pretty good. Not my thing, but I’m finding a lot I really enjoy. On long albums like this I get bored. It’s the same thing over and over.
Decent stuff, not as good as I imagined an oferring from Common would be. It drags a bit, but then again today is my first day back in Lithuania on holiday and feeling a bit distracted, at least 3 stars for sure. I will have to REVISIT this one, probably 3.5 on RYM?
Chicago!
I’ve heard of this rapper but never listened before. The sad part is, the music is pretty good. But the lyrics are so obscene that most people will never hear it. (Here’s a thought, if you don’t want people using the N-word, don’t sing it.)
I couldn't get through it. I don't mind hip-hop, but I didn't enjoy this at all.
A reasonable example of chilled hip-hop/rap. Not my thing but easy enough to listen to.
This was incredible!!!
Some good songs but mostly quite forgettable for me
Ohhhh, this was probably the first genuine let-down I’ve had on the generator so far. I had already listened to Common’s previous record on the list, “Be”, which I adored, and so I came in very much excited; that said though, not only is this a less ambitious and varied album than “Be”, but, despite it only being five years older, being vastly more dated in it’s homophobia and misogyny. Normally, I could just note and disavow such lyrics and move on, given the album’s age, but here, not only does Common’s more laidback and softer sound not complement this at all, but it’s often just straight up hypocritical. All in all, “Like Water For Chocolate” is mostly just a documentation of Common’s growing pains as an artist, still trying to figure out what his style and themes are; and like most albums in that vein, it’s just kind of a gimmick album looking back from who that artist is now. Also, it’s way too fucking long. When are the non-punk musicians gonna get the hint that an 1hr+ album runtime should be used very conservatively? ‘Cause 90% of the time, you /really/ don’t have enough you can do to warrant that.
Wasn’t a fan. Didn’t finish
Groovy
algunos temas están buenos, y unos son muy hablados, no me coparon tanto, me gusta la estética de este muchacho, cambia mucho entre tema y tema la vibra
For a hip hop album, this was more "beats" than rap, which I enjoyed quite a bit. Otherwise it dragged. Just ok.
This had some hard vibes about it, and I really enjoyed the production but I’m just not into rap enough to rate it higher. The beats are cool but go on too long because the focus is all lyrical, I think it’s length went against it by the end.
Not into rap. Also jeez man why are these rap albums so damn big holy shiet. The only good thing I got outta this is that it blocked the sound of my dad fighting with the annoying ass neighbours.
I liked the album cover, and the overall concept of the album sounds also interesting. However, musically speaking (and bearing in mind that I'm not a fan of hip-hop), I found this one pretty boring (the length is not helping either).
Like Water for Chocolate is an album that really relies on gripping you with its atmosphere. The beats are gorgeous, soulful and there's always something extra in the background to give each track a new dimension. Common does a good job with his flow, even if it's a bit reserved at times, and there are some really nice features here. Sadly, the album didn't really grab me today, but that might be just because I'm having an exhausting day so far. I'll be sure to give it another listen soon. Favourite track: The 6th Sense
I can appreciate his talent, but not my cup of tea
Sounded good, but I guess I didn’t listen to the lyrics.