Reviews (page 3 of 7)
A bit too long but really nice chilled hip hop vibes. Lyrical themes stand out as quite alternative for the genre. Common has a really breezy and enjoyable flow but J Dilla's beats are my favourite element, there are a real myriad influences on show in them. Docked a point because it's too bloated mainly
It really grew on me. The first half I was pretty ambivalent toward it, but starting with the 6th sense it became really incredible. My favorites were the 6th sense, a song for assata and pops rap III. 8/10
Another great socially-conscious hip-hop album. I like this sorta shit. It drags on a bit. But it had some great hooks and beats. Nothing shattering, more of an art project than something I'd play at a party.
Soulful, Afrocentric, and ambitiously lengthy, Common's release at the turn of the millennium stands as one of the most beautiful fusions of neo-soul ethos and traditionalist jazz rap. The production crew is incredible here, with standouts like J DIll, D'Angelo, and DJ Premier taking notes from similar groups like the Root, Black Star, and the Pharcyde to sculpt these funky, light, and undeniably cool beats. I love the funky drive of the song 'Heat', the stripped-back clunk of songs like 'A Film Called (PIMP)', and that stuttering sample flips on 'The 6th Sense'. Common himself has a standout voice, both literally and figuratively, and it's clear that with this album, he set out to use that welcoming voice to present topics he felt were most important to him. I love his depictions of culture on the song 'The 6th Sense' alongside that slick Bilal hook. 'The Questions' with Mos Def is probably the most consistently enjoyable song here and I love Macy Gray's version of 'Geto Heaven'. I have to shout out 'Thelonious', not only because of how slick the beat and Slum Village features are but also because it has Dilla tearing it up on the mic also. I can't not mention the emotionally powerful and intriguing string-backed story of Black Panther member Assata Shakur on 'A Song for Assata' which has a gorgeous chorus by CeeLo Green. Just some incredible hip-hop that, musically and conceptually, was rejecting the sounds that were being ushered in at the turn of the millennium. So many great songs here that exhibit both Common's lyrical prowess, and the beat-making ability of his peers.
- Habe ich noch nie von gehört. Scheint ja aber ein richtiger Insider-Meilenstein zu sein. - Fand ich total geil. Obwohl es als HipHop Album jetzt schon über 20 Jahre auf dem Buckel hat und man das Alter vor allem im Rap finde ich immer merkt (Häufiger hat das bei mir eine negative Auswirkung) habe ich das Gefühl, das diese Platte RICHTIG gut gealtert ist. Sowohl musikalisch als auch textlich und technisch - Der Typ hat eine angenehme Laid Back Attitüde. Die Samples und Beats sind super nice. - Habe wirklich nichts gehabt, was mich daran gestört hat. Auf der anderen Seite ist beim ersten Hören jetzt auch kein Track so richtig hängen geblieben. 4/5
It gets off to a relatively slow start but gets considerably better. One likes the chill flow as much as the positivity, though like so many hip-hop aritsts, there is a bit too much in the way of self-reference. "Time Travelin," "6th Sense" and "Geto Heaven" are all terrific.
Just like the Be, pleasantly surprised again! Common has a new fan from the generator. Hell yeah.
May 31, 2024 HL: "Time Travelin' (A Tribute to Fela)", "The Light", "Funky for You", "The 6th Sense", "Geto Heaven Part Two" I found the perfect album to bridge this album with 1999 (yesterday's album): Voodoo* by D'Angelo. On one hand, D'Angelo has a lot of similarities with Prince, both in romantic R&B jams and in being a multi-instrumentalist prodigy; on the other, he worked with a group called the Soulquarians to usher soul/R&B into the 21st century. The Soulquarians included members like Erykah Badu, the Roots, and Common. I don't know a whole lot about Badu or the Roots (time enough), but album #197 on this journey was Common's Be (2005), an album which evoked The College Dropout a lot more than Voodoo. I'm curious to see where this album's sound lands on that spectrum. Okay, it officially supplants Be as my favourite Common album! Probably too long, but the big guest list and messing about with genre helps keep LWFC from becoming stale. J Dilla's production is smooth as heck, but the song that jumped out at me the most was handled by DJ Premier of Gang Starr, "The 6th Sense". Like the aforementioned Badu & the Roots, I know I'll be coming across Gang Starr at some point on this website, which I look forward to. *Voodoo was much more enjoyable to me than Brown Sugar (1995), the one solo D'Angelo featured on 1001 Albums.
This is the second Common album I’ve reviewed. The first, Be, was decent but didn’t blow me away. I’ve said it many times before but hip hop is a big blind spot for me, so there are likely lots of nuances that I miss. However, this album was really pleasant. I enjoyed the self referential commentary on lyrics about women as they are so frequently reduced to meat in this genre. It was eloquently done here.
Brilliant, thought provoking at times, could be a rimless one
The great silver lining about being a bit behind on this list is that I can choose which album to put on when. It’s Deep Clean Saturday, so this album’s hour 20 minute runtime feels less like a chore and more like a perfect pair for today’s work. Always loved this album. Long! I don’t think I’ve ever gotten past the pimp song and skit, lol. That’s a skit to wake you out of a daze, one of the lasting memories I have from this album. You get the sense that Common feels sure of himself here. Tons of confidence. It’s “Jazz Rap” via Tribe, all grown up, with plenty of delicious horns, Afrobeat bins fides (I see Fela’s son on the title track and throughout), and lots and lots of good vibrations. Feel good records, not super ornate or adorned— they get their point across. The playing is understated but excellent throughout. A slew of recurring guests, and one of my favorite DJ Premier beats (“The 6th Sense”). Great to put on and just vibe to. Never asking for too much, understated in a nice way. 4/5, have come back to this many times and will!
I didn’t know I liked Common this much
first listen the amount of legendary musicians / producers on this record is astounding
Common did the impossible here. He wrote and produced a hip hop album that clearly speaks to his life experience, and the world around him, without saying nigger 200 times or devoting two tracks to his dick. Bravo!
Uusi tuttavuus mutta ihan ehtaa tavaraa! Hyvä meininki. Tulee sopivasti mieleen dela, tribe, roots jne. 4/5
Pitkäaikainen suosikki ja kyllä vaan toimii. Commonin tyyli on just omaan makuun. Jos tästä karsisi vartin tyhjäkäyntiä ja homoslurrit pois, niin antaisin vitosen. 4/5
Rennolla otteella voimakas levy. Ei liikaa kukkoilua, tiukkaa asiaa. 4/5
I liked this a lot. “A Song for Assata” is my favorite. Some of the themes were a little dated but it’s a solid album that took me through almost seamlessly.
Highly political but effective. Loved the jazz elements. Quite artistic but also pragmatic.
Very chill, great flows. A little dated in some elements, but great overall.
Great album. 4 Favourites: sixth sense, the light
Pretty good stuff from the guy in the T-Mobile commercial.
Heat Dooinit The Light The Questions A Film Called (PIMP) Payback Is a Grandmother A Song For Assata Time Travelin’s vocals sounds like background vocals. Not a fan. Great story telling and talking about real life things that matter. Easy to listen to and makes you think. Has a good vibe behind it.
Like Water For Chocolate was a refreshing change from the usual hip hop gangsta fare and joined a mini renaissance of conscious nu soul hip hop albums from the likes of Mos Def, Talib Kweli and The Roots. The star of this album is J Dilla / Jay Dee whose production is exquisite and Common’s flow pairs perfectly with the beats. Lyrically, Common is frequently interesting, occasionally (and surprisingly) homophobic (for which he has apologised) and occasionally obscure.
I love hip hop
I only listened to the first song. Not even the whole thing. I just want feeling like music yesterday. The album a day pace is a little too quick sometimes.
Solid Chicago hip hop
3,6
It sounded like the hey Arnold theme song
YUM
Gotta listen to it more but it’s getting a repeat
Smooth but a bit too long for me.
If there’s anything to take away from this album, don’t mess with common’s grandma
Another formative album for me. So many standout tracks that I still revisit. The features are all incredible and the Dilla impact is perfection. Almost rated a 5 but there are multiple albums in his catalog I think are even better back to front.
Def dig the sounds of this era of hip hop.
I would listen to this again. Nice jazzy instrumentals on tracks which is a lot different from what I’m use to hearing on hip hop tracks. Common has good flow too. 3.5 rounding up.
Mjög djassskotið hip-hop og skemmtilegt. Renndi tvisvar, gæti mun oftar.
Standouts: Time Travelin' (A Tribute to Fela). The 6th Sense, A Film Called Pimp, Payback is a Grandmother, Geto Heaven Remix T.S.O.I., Pops Rap III...All My Children 3.5
This has been one of my favorite Common albums for a while. Pretty much anything by the Soulquarians from this time period is going to be my favorite ____ album. So I’m coming into this biased. That said, some of this hasn’t aged well. Particularly his use of the f-slur. I’ve read that he apologized and vowed to never use the word again around the time his next album came out, so that’s nice, but it’s still hard to hear in this, especially because he seems to emphasize that word in the line. Another downfall of this album is the length. Others have mentioned this. It’s somewhat front loaded. But it’s hard to ignore the production on this. The beats are phenomenal, Questlove’s drumming is amazing as always, the features are kind of a who’s who of that era of conscious/underground hip hop, and Com’s flow is distinctive and comforting. Common is not my favorite MC, but I have a lot of respect for him. The caveats take away one star from this. This is not an album I constantly find myself going back to, but I very much enjoy the tracks that I enjoy.
•Owned •A project that represents the dual return-to-roots themes that dominated hip hop in the late 90s: a focus on the MC, on the art of rap; digging in jazz and funk crates for inspiration. The result is Common's composition book taped together and backed by some of the most genuine producers hip hop has ever seen. Wait until we get to Things Fall Apart... •4/5
I listened to this on my HomePod and this album is in Dolby Atmos. Sounds amazing
If this did not inspire Kendrick to make TPAB, I would be seriously amazed. Super soulful, really conscious message, and all the features thus far have been brilliant. And it's an absolute relief to finally get a hiphop album worth listening to from this generator!
Enjoyed this one
Soulful and low key for the most part.
Favourite tracks: the light; thelonius; nag champa; song for assata
A great album high 8
A little on the long side and dont like the lyrics but the music is excellent of course and out of the Common albums I know this one might be its best.
First time I've ever listened to a complete album by Common and this did not disappoint. The production and rapping are incredible and gel together well. The entire album is great, but The 6th Sense is my favorite.
4/5. This is one of the most complex and intellectual albums (like to pimp a butterfly). Although yes, there are some simple songs on the album, each one has deeper meanings than the surface level implies. Conscious hip-hop gets better with time and this might be a 5/5 for me but I don't fully get it yet, but what I did hear I very much enjoyed. The beats are so smooth, but not quite full hip-hop, a mix of jazz and funk as well. A great series of rap tracks that feel super influential to artists like Kendrick, Jay-Z, J-Cole, Run the Jewels, etc.
3.75
A bit overlong, but still expertly rhymed and produced with a cool jazz air. Could very much do without the gay slurs though.
Can’t go wrong with Questlove. I don’t usually gravitate towards rap, but I appreciate the skill and the poetry.
Groovy, impactful and 4 stars.
Great rythm with a mixe of rap, jazz and lounge music making it very interesting. Feels like old school hip hop and from my view very pleasant music to accompany your mind for a while. One of the favorite is the light
Much better than I first thought.
Similar to the other Common album on here, it's very smooth - easier to listen to while working than most hip-hop albums, although that comes at the expense of paying proper attention to the lyrics. I see quite a few reviews mentioning homophobia but that largely slipped under my radar with only one play through. Not denying it's there, mind. The misogyny of "A Film Called (Pimp)" was distasteful, but I guess MC Lyte got to return fire. Fave tracks - "Time Travelin' (A Tribute To Fela)" was a great opener. Like "The Questions", too - love a bit of Mos Def...
I've not listened to much Common before. This was quite enjoyable. Reminded me of Mos Def. The album was a bit long though.
apart from the 2 unnecessary homophobic segments it was a really solid Neo-soul rap project with good storytelling and production, where the quality did not wane over the 76 minute runtime. brilliant
Grest album love the lofi rap
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.
bättre än förväntat
This is one of the best albums I’ve listened to. It clearly has had a great impact in rap today. My favorite track has to be the sixth sense. I mostly listened to this with earbuds in the car. It gets a medium to high 4
Pretty good
This was kind of a hard day to listen to a long album where the focus was on the words more than the music --- just didn't have the time to devote to it that I think it probably deserved. But I also think this album benefited from my low expectations of Common after listening to Be seven hundred albums ago. I had a hard time connecting with that one, so I expected similar difficulties this time that didn't quite pan out. I'm giving this one a 4 just to distinguish it from Be's 3. Ratings mean nothing!
Mélange de hip-hop et de jazz très sympa sur les premières pistes. J'ai largement préféré à /Be/ du même artiste.
Deuxième fois qu'on cet artiste, que je ne connaissais pas. J'aime encore mieux que "Be", celui d'avant (mais en fait sorti plus tard), bon samples, un peu jazz, un peu soul, assez posé, bon tout. Peut-être un peu trop long, et c'est dommage, j'étais pas loin des 5 étoiles.
3.75
Another great common album. Hadn’t heard prior but was an instant hit. I don’t know if I’d put it as high as Be but maybe that will change with time.
Awesome that we get another from Common on this list! I've been meaning to listen to this album for years, as I've heard it's his other peak, next to Be. It's very strong, some fantastic beats and you already know with Common that the rapping is going to be consistent. I love too that he ends so many of his albums with a poetry reading from his dad, adds such a cool layer to his music. This one's fantastic. Be is still my favorite from Common (and would likely never be dethroned), but this one is excellent too. There was only one track on here that even sounded familiar, but I came out with a ton that I really dug. Favorite tracks: Payback is a Grandmother, Cold Blooded, The Questions, Thelonius, Dooinit, The Light, Funky for You, The 6th Sense, Pops Rap III. Album art: Definitely a strong statement here, and gives a heavy meaning to the title. Love the framing and design, and that the title font is spaced unevenly, adds a cool edge. 4.5/5
Common had a pretty good flow. I liked how each of the songs worked into each other. I would have liked if some of the intros of songs were at the beginning of the song (ex. the phone call which goes into "Peace Is A Grandmother" should have been at the beginning of the track, not the end of the previous track). That's just nitpicking, though. Common's topics ranged from the thoughtful to spiritual to vengeful. It was refreshing to hear someone with range and not someone so full of braggadocio. The lyrics... are what they are. Songs like "Heat" made me wince just because of the language. But the bet behind them made up for it, I guess? As the songs went on, they got better. "Questions" is great, but who doesn't love Mos Def. BTW, you write a line in "Thelonius" like "Dreamin' when I wrote this, box me if I go too wild" you better give more props to the Purple One, knowwhatimean? So I liked it a lot, a couple of the songs I winced at the lyrics, but only in that it's not something I could pull off.
I enjoyed this album. It's not a masterpiece but very solid. Stylish beats, like a mix of soul and rap. Cool sound. Pretty deep (and at times funny) lyrics, though I couldn't always figure out what his message was. Like the end of The 6th Sense and A Film Called PIMP. Is he trying to be ironic or sarcastic? Is he playing the oblivious heel on the latter on purpose, so MC Lyte can be the heroine? I guess he got me to think, so some credit there. It's at least a 3.5 and I'm going to round up.
Has a nice chilled, laidback vibe to it. Rapping was calm and almost serene to listen to.
"Like Water for Chocolate" is the fourth album by American rapper Common. It was his first major label album and was produced by a host of people including Questlove (executive), Derek Dudley, J Dilla, James Poyser, DJ Premier, D'Angelo, Karriem Riggins and Common himself. This album marked the beginning of The Soulquarians of which most of these producers were collectively known as and appeared on others' albums as well. The genres listed are hip hop, alternative hip hop, conscious hip hop and progressive hip hop. It has afrocentric and socially conscious themes. The album was named after the 1989 Laura Esquivel novel of the same name and Common said was also named for his Pisces sign (water) and soul/blackness (chocolate). It was his commercial and critical breakthrough. The sound of ocean and birds, jazzy horns and Afrobeats open "Time Travelin.'" Women chanting. Pyschedelic rapping with echoes. The song is a tribute to Afrobeat music and human rights activist Fela Kuti. "Cold Blooded" has guest rappers Rahzel and Ray Hargrove. This has more of groove. It's funky and very 70's sounding. It better be as it samples Parliament, Fred Wesley and the JB's and the Steve Miller Band. The second single "The Light" has reverb-type beats and is soulful. Great poduction by J Dilla and sampling of Bobby Caldwell in the chorus. A hip hop love song. One of the best I've heard. A sample of Gil Scott Heron's "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" begins "The 6th Sense." This is soulful and uplifting. The hip hop culture and social consciousness. Common tells a story in "Payback is a Grandmother" of a thief who robs his Grandfather. Sirens ends the song. A spoken word song ""Pop's Rap III...All My Children" featuring Common's father ends the album. Relaxing. Jazzy. Chill. It's funny; I was just watching Common last night in the Apple TV series "Silo." Recommended by the way. This album is dense, groovy, souful and funky. I think executive producer Questlove had something to do with that. Songs of love, ills of society, battle rap and family. Great production with all involved. It is sprawling and long at 77 minutes but a lot here worth giving this a listen.
I love this style of hip-hop. Really good album. Looks like the first song is a tribute to Fela Kuti who had that baller jam album a few weeks ago. I like the beginning and the end of the album a bit more than the middle. I like the story and how it's kind of a concept album. There's a good amount of homophobic lyrics, but I get that 2000 was a bit different in that regard.
Solid bars and strong beats. Points lost for some blatant homophobia.
I struggle to listen to lyrics sometimes, especially on a first listen, so I tend to mainly judge albums based on the sound/production/etc. It can be difficult to properly judge albums that are more lyrically-based, such as a lot of hip hop and folk. With that said, I really enjoyed a lot of this album. I loved the production and soundscape, and really enjoyed the jazz and funk influences.
It's nice to have a bit of mellow jazzy hip hop on as background music so there being no killer hookline or anything bombastic is a good thing. The only thing to really grab the attention was Pops rap at the end. his voice is like a beautiful slice of buttered toast.
This album was awesome. Had some classics and reallly got me in a great mood. I think some of these songs could have ended earlier but that’s my only complaint
I thought this had a lot of interesting content.
Proper jam this, perhaps repetitive in parts but keeps the 4th star as it flows so well!
Amazing
Pretty good rap. Mostly nothing super great, but ‘A Song For Assata’ is such a great song. Overall, maybe not the best, but enjoyable.
This is some legendary hip hop. Deep, funky, varied beats from start to finish. 'Heat' and 'The Light' are the first songs to jump out at me.
I was really suspicious about this one since I had heard Be a few years ago and didn't like it at all. But this one is a whole lot different, being much closer to jazz rap like The Roots or Mos Def. It really changes my perspective of Common so I'm glad I listened to this.
I use to listen to a lot of common. I think he bring something different in the industry during a few years. Love the jazz rap
I really love neosoul and I’ve always liked common’s vibes. This album isn’t perfect, there’s some slightly jarring language and it’s a little long. A solid album overall, but I wanted just a little more
This is my favorite of all Common's releases. for some reason I have always grouped Common's works with The Roots releases. Not they are linked thematically or that close musically. It is not simply ?uestlove''s production, although that may be a factor. They seem to share a certain desire to incorporate hip-hop into traditional soul element that was different from many hip-hop artists. On that level this is a huge success. In 2000, this was great hip-hop to me. This wants to be a major statement from a major artist. Common is clearly a major artist, but the songwriting is very good, but not great to my ears, and some songs could use some editing. So, a very good, but not great score.
A really well made neo-soul/rap fusion. You can tell that this was made in the same sessions as Dangelo’s Voodoo just from listening to it. The horns on “cold blooded” were awesome and “Funky for you” was a highlight for me. Jarring to hear Common, of all rappers, use an anti gay slur given what he is today. Not quite a 5 but very good.
Smart, well crafted music, with rich arrangements, strong lyrics and creative vocal effects. My main critique is that it runs a little long. Fave Songs: Time Travelin' (A Tribute to Fela), Cold Blooded, Heat, The 6th Sense, A Film Called (Pimp), Geto Heaven Part Two
common Common W. This is a soulquarian classic, great storytelling, funky beats, funny lyrics at times. It is a bit too long but not unbearable. Best tracks: a song for assata, thelonius, the 6th sense
Yeh, this I can get into. Old school hip hop blended into soul, funk, bit of Macy Gray. Great music to work to.
Good album, the lyrics didn't seem to age well though.
Very enjoyable rap album from a time where I know almost no music from.
Solid record
Good, raw hip hop. Common's beats are great, his flow is on point and his message in each piece is clear. This reminds me I need to listen to more Common. 4/5.
Good stuff! Certain parts reminded me of Buckshot LeFonque (a Branford Marsalis side project). Enjoyed this one - 4/5.
Nice opening, well put together. Good listen 7/10
The beats on this album are so chill and funky and smooth. I love it. Common's vocals complement them amazingly with conscientious lyrics. I need to listen to him more.
4,5
There’s enough cringy stuff on here to cause it to fall short of a five for me, but there’s just as much inspirational stuff and the music is darn good. I enjoyed this!
This is good. I like the instrumentals, and I like the guys voice. The lyrics are also pretty solid.
Common doesn’t excite me as a rapper. I can’t quite pinpoint why. J Dilla is the real star here. It’s his stellar beats and production that elevate ‘Like Water For Chocolate’ to classic status.
The usual Common mix of conscious preaching, brag-rap, love songs and storytelling. The Jaydee (pbuh) production gives the album it’s edge over his preceding albums
Словно один и тот же трек на протяжении 77 минут.
Really liked this!
Laid back hip-hop
I've been a rap fan forever, but never listened to much Common. After hearing this album, I'm thinking that may have been a mistake. Above average album for sure.
I more recently started listening to Common, with his 2021 release and really enjoyed it. Silly me, I didn't realize how long he had been around. Some fantastic grooves, great collaborations.
Buen disco de jazz Rap
In genere mi fa schifo l'hip hop, ma qua mi devo ricredere, mi è piaciuto.
Probably a better party album than anything. Common does some of the best story songs
Hadn't listened to Common before. Liked it, not my favorite rap but told some interesting stories in some songs.
Very intelligent lyrically combined with fun beats.
This was an incredibly enjoyable album. The beats were strong and I could hear influences ranging from Latin music to funk and nineties R&B. Common is also a very gifted lyricist and rapper. My only complaint is the 77 minutes runtime.
I will be listening to this album again. Loved the meaningful lyrics with the slow groove. Favourite songs: The Light, The 6th Sense Payback is a Grandmother, Pops Rap III
Loved this, smooth rap some really catchy hooks and beats
nice!
At first the production is a bit rough and distorted, so it is hard to enjoy, but then it really picks up and some great tunes come out of it. Common is remarkable and technically proficient rapper that can rap about anything and sound great. That should be the focus of the album.
I really like the groove this album cultivates. Smooth, jazzy, bass lines that are lyrical as fuck. Definitely one of the better rap / hip hop albums I've heard so far. Aside from the groove the raps seem interesting and intelligent, at least at first blush. Bears further investigation to get the full feel of this very good album 4.25 🌟
Be is a little better
pretty cool album, I love old-school hip-hop it does sound a little dated tho, I feel like for a rap album from 2000, he could’ve been doing something a little newer overall 7/10
Super bon album de rap avec des bonnes influences jazz
Common fucks, and this album is great
True Rating: 75/100
Solid! Self aware! Smooth!
Very nice old school
Tres bon album de new york rap. Dj premiere, une belle decouverte j’ai hate d’en entendre plus. 4.65
Definitely a record that deserves a deeper dig… what was happening socially, politically, and around the world in the late 90s? Quite a bit of variety and his voice is top
Jazzy, a la Guru, vocal flow I can’t diagram. Really good instrumentals. J Dilla on production for most tracks.
Como Agua Para Chocolate. Más allá de las atractivas influencias jazzeras y de neo soul de este álbum, el lirismo y la producción son los protagonistas indiscutidos. Sin duda de los mejores trabajos de Common. Para mí un sólido 7/10
Solid album
Really solid hip hop record
Classic, smooth hip-hop. Conscious ideas. Favorite song(s): Questions, 6th Sense
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Heat, The Light, A song for Assata
A surprise find here - Really enjoyed it throughout and will go back and listen again
This is such a solid record from front to back. Absolutely love it.
Mos def, dj Premier lauter Guade sachan
Jo
This album is so good. I liked this a lot more than Be.
Best tracks: Time Travellin’, Dooinit, The 6th Sense
Still not the biggest fan of Common, but super funky beats. Good for driving.
Had some good flooooow. Didn't listen closely, but I liked it and will probably re-listen.
really enjoyed it more than I thought I would
Good compilation of well known songs. But seems like cheeting to call it an album
very good, quite long but good
Classic
Not what I usually listen to, but I appreciated the complexity of the sound
Very much in my "like" territory as far as hip goes, an artist I haven't listened to enough. Especially effective deployment of guest artists.
Very good album. Common is definitely underrated.
Slow jamming.... altogether nice album for a low key vibe, productive.
good
Solid, absolutely good tunes.
Awesome album. Introduced me to Common
Mfer is sense. Way too deep for a surface level listen.
Solid, can't remember comments anymore but ya 4.
2000s conscious hip hop
Classic rap, pretty good!
Added to my collection. Very chill and conscious lyrically.
Ægte hiphop, lyrisk, afslappet
R&B
Surprisingly pleasant and skillfully produced hip hop
The album is too long and no one would mistake Common for the world's greatest rapper, but the backing tracks are fantastic. (3.5)
I think this is good but it’s just too damn LONG man. Reign in the excess. They got EVERYBODY on this album huh? A lot of stuff probably flies over my head but I enjoyed large parts of it. Some of the rhymes are a little tortured and inelegant. Also I try to take all these albums as they are but I do think you undercut your message of being the more intellectual socially conscious rapper by still tossing around homophobic and misogynistic language. Genre conventions and all that, it was the 90s, I get it, but even so. The production and sound on this is realllllllly good, absolutely a highlight. Did you guys know Common is Stonekeeper? Second act montage needle drop in my biopic: “The Light”
never really listened to common before pretty much just knew of him as an actor guy,, but this album was goooood. i don’t think common’s bars are as deep and poetic as he thinks they are most of the time. there’s definitely uuhhhh some bars in here though! really got me with that fela tribute, aaaand interpolating the water get no enemy horn line on pops rap iii……. the thing i love most about this album is the collaborators, it’s kind of crazy how many incredible artists he brought together on this album. jill scott’s feature was soooo good, the features overshadow common’s actual performances for me tbh but most of the songs go hard nonetheless. those j dilla /questlove beats hit. groovy stuff. great storytelling, i really loved song for assata especially . really like 4/5 -1 star for the homophobia :( cmon now
This album is a vibe, combining styles across musical generations. The only issue I had is that I constantly thought one song had ended and a new one started only to realize it was a switch in styles within the same track.
Finns några riktiga bangers här men det är lite för många ointressanta låtar för ett högre betyg. Uppe och nosar på en fyra
En bra trea, inget fel här egentligen men sticker inte ut tillräckligt för högre betyg
Funky, jazzy, easy to listen to. Favourite Track(s): The Light, Funky For You Least Favourite Track(s): Pop Rap III... All My Children
I haven't listened to rap regularly since probably middle school, so this will be interesting. I'm not really overly into Common's rap style. The rhythms and lyrics I'm getting aren't really appealing much to me. I'm probably only picking up on the silly stuff tbh. I'm generally not great at picking up lyrics anyway, so that's not a huge negative - I don't generally consider the lyrics too heavily in any music. The music under the raps? Fucking great. Super chill. Really digging the music. But the rap itself is kind of meh. Overall pretty middling.
Some really good tracks but some serious duds. Some of the lyrics didn't age well. It's my understanding he had acknowledged the homophobia and denounced it.
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.
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
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.
pretty good, i love a storytelling sort of album, just interesting stuff and a nice sound throughout
Something more elaborate here than just simple loops, but it still isn't my cup of tea. Good production value.
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.
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
No tengo mucho que decir
First listen
I liked it, the skit where he hit the woman was uncomfortable. felt out of place
Shrugs. It's fine.
Prefer Be, but this is still enjoyable.
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
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.
Fine but forgettable. Not sure why it’s on the list.
If this album were half the length I would probably rate it a little higher.
Nice backround music. Not annoying
D’angelo without the nice voice
Easy rap
Good rap beats and fast lyrics
Literate, good flow. Involvement of other artists.
A Common win
Must listen again!
2.5 stars
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
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.
I like the vibe, but it's way too long. And some of the lyricis aged poorly.
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.
pretty good
2.6 2x
This would make a very good instrumental album But it's not one, so it's a 3. Pretty average
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.
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.
Enjoyment: 5 Replayability: 5 Cohesion: 7 Flow/Pacing: 7 Artistic Merit: 8 Weighted Average: 5.95 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
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
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.
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".
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.
Good! Not one i'll go back to really, but wouldn't be upset at all if it came on
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.
Solid three-and-a-half-stars rap record, a pleasant surprise.
meh. I tried to like Common, but he just feels so common.
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
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
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.
"the stakes are high, like my uncle is" revived shakespeare to write this one for them
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.
Pleasurable and head-boppable but beat is super basic and the rapping isn't like insane
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
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.
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
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
Meh no sé me olvide, lo pondre como 3
Liked the jazz influences, but im not big on rap.
2.75
Fine album but an hour and a half? Just because CD technology allowed such long albums, doesnt mean they should.
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.
Great flow, surprisingly mid beats. I think this one is a "me" problem bc it's obvs a classic.
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
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.
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
Pretty eloquent style - more than just a commercial pitch man
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.
Not my taste, but I wouldn't turn it off if it was playing.
It's just another rap album.
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?
Groovy
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.
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
Some really cool songs but 77 minutes of it started to drag on. And I know it’s a sign of the times, but a lot of sexist and homophobic lyrics that rubbed me the wrong way today
77 minutes of fake woke. Beats were good doe.
Thought I never heard of this guy but I actually have a liked song in my playlist. Must have been a recommendation from one of my sons. Anyway it’s another rap album. Lots of collabs and nothing got me interested. Too long. It’s fine. Sometimes when I listen to rap I feel like. Am being lectured or preached to.
я ничего не расслушала, но голос у него умиротворяющий
I don't think I've heard anything by, or even heard of, Common before this album, which is always an intriguing proposition with this collection. And thankfully, this was one of those positive surprises. Although it's nearly twice as long as it probably should have been, nearly every track is both solid and musically more interesting/varied than most of the rap/hip-hop albums in this collection. My favorites were mostly the ones that had guest artists on them, like the opener "Time travelin'", "Cold blooded", and "A song for Assata", plus "The 6th sense" and his dad's "Pops rap III". And while the "conscious rap" aspect isn't all that subtle, Common has a good sense of rhythm (and rhyme) and a sense of humor, and enlisted a great production crew in the Soulquarians to blend in a nice variety of music and samples over and under the beats. I'm not sure it's quite in four-star territory, but it's definitely worth at least 3.5.
A little editing and a little more of the music would have made this a great album. Sometimes the rapping dominates in a way that becomes more like spoken word.
This grooves and was really catchy throughout. It was definitely a little longer, but I enjoyed it overall. Actual rating...3.5 Liked Songs: "Time Travelin' (A Tribute To Fela), "Cold Blooded" , "Dooinit" , "The Light" , "Funky For You" , "Nag Champa (Afrodisiac For The World)" , "Thelonius" , "Payback Is A Grandmother"
find it very hard to get excited about conscious rap which, as a genre tag, feels stuffy and moralizing, more focused on being an alternative to something else than anything in/of itself. it also immediately invites itself to scrutiny - i find the homophobia and misogyny here a lot harder to forgive when Common's positioned himself as a healthy alternative to hip-hop's regressive aspects. maybe he's only interested in the aspects that feel regressive for straight guys, i don't know. the whole thing of pretending there isn't any "consciousness" to Mobb Deep's street-level grindhouse, or Wu-Tang's comic book mythmaking, is so silly. but! i'm reviewing a record, not a movement, so i do have to say that this is pretty listenable as a collection of songs. it does sometimes get preachy, the awkward moments stick out really noticeably, and like so many potentially-good hip hop records it's just way too fucking long. but i just can't stay mad at the Dilla production, the lovely Soulquarian features (god, was D'Angelo a breath of fresh air) and the energy and inventiveness, which i have to admit to, of Common at the center. he's a sturdy MC with a kind of warm expansiveness to his lyrics - i can't say i find him too exciting, but you do get the feeling he was going for a real everything-record here, and i did find myself wrapped up in that. won't return to this, but it does seem like a really well-executed example of a certain thing that isn't entirely for me. looking forward to getting to Be, which appears more focused - here's hoping!
Solid album, but for this style of Hip Hop: too late to be lefendary.
The production and features can’t make up for how corny Common can be.
“The world’s oldest proFESSION… whole thing is like a LESSON… ain’t no second GUESSIN…” Cmon dude be serious
Enjoyed this, though on first listen I think I might have preferred Be. The Light is a great track
Fine, very much in my wheelhouse but not sure if I needed to listen to two Common albums before I died. I've managed 1.5.
Is every day going to be a duplicate from now on…great album though, 3 stars!!!!!!
Solid, rap, album, pretty enjoyable. But nothing crazy for me personally, three stars.
Aujourd'hui on parle de Common et de son disque Like Water For Chocolate, sorti en cette année charnière qu'était l'an 2000. Pour moi, c'est une période de transition brutale : je terminais ma décennie à la radio et mes quatre ans de sacerdoce dans mon magasin de disques indépendant. J'avais passé des années à jongler entre les imports obscurs de neofolk, les pressages limités de chez 4AD et les sorties industrielles les plus abrasives. Alors, quand ce disque est arrivé sur le comptoir, porté par une hype critique qui frisait l'hystérie collective, j'ai voulu y croire. On nous vendait le retour du vrai hip-hop, celui qui a du cœur, des instruments et un cerveau. Le disque s'ouvre sur un hommage à Fela Kuti, et là, j'admets que le côté organique m'a tout de suite titillé l'oreille. Il y a cette chaleur, ce grain de son qu'on ne trouve que chez les Soulquarians. Avec Questlove à la batterie et J Dilla aux manettes, on est dans le haut du panier de la production. C'est rond, ça bave juste ce qu'il faut, c'est vivant. Il y a un petit côté A Tribe Called Quest qui n’est pas pour me déplaire, cette nonchalance jazzy qui te donne envie de hocher la tête mollement. Mais très vite, un sentiment de "déjà-vu" s’installe car c’est classique, très classique, voire trop classique. On sent que chaque note est à sa place, que chaque rime est pesée pour ne pas trop bousculer l'auditeur. Tout est maîtrisé, tout est trop "bon élève". Common, c'est le rappeur que tu peux ramener à un dîner de famille sans que personne ne s'étouffe avec son rôti. Il est conscient, il est spirituel, il est respectueux. C'est admirable, certes, mais artistiquement, c'est parfois un peu anémié. C'est du "conscious rap" qui se regarde un peu trop dans le miroir, s'assurant que son bonnet est bien ajusté et que son message est bien clair. C’est propre, c’est lisse, et au bout de 77 minutes — parce que oui, le mec prend son temps — on finit par avoir envie d'autte chose pour se réveiller les neurones. Le groove est là, c’est indéniable. Des morceaux comme "The Light" sont des modèles de production soul, des sucreries qui passent toutes seules. Mais c’est bien ça le souci : ça passe trop tout seul. Ça glisse sur l'esprit sans laisser de griffure. Pour moi, la musique doit être une confrontation, ou au moins une expérience qui te sort de ton confort quotidien. Ici, on est dans le confort absolu. On est dans la moyenne haute de ce que le hip-hop peut produire quand il veut se donner des airs de grand art, mais ça reste un exercice de style très balisé. Au final, si je dois être honnête avec mon parcours de disquaire et de radio-man, ce disque mérite sa place dans les "1001 albums" plus pour son statut de jalon culturel que pour sa capacité à me faire vibrer aujourd'hui. C'est le témoignage d'une époque où le rap cherchait une légitimité dans le passé (la soul, le jazz, l'afrobeat) plutôt que de s'inventer un futur radical. C'est un 3 sur 5, ni plus, ni moins. C'est la note d'un bon artisan qui a rendu une copie impeccable mais sans génie provocateur. Un disque dans la moyenne, pour un moment de détente organique, mais qui finira inévitablement par prendre la poussière entre un album de D’Angelo et un Tribe Called Quest, parce qu'au fond, je préférerai toujours l'original à la copie certifiée conforme. C'est le paradoxe de ce genre de disques : c'est tellement "classique" que ça en devient presque transparent.
Great production and some very good songs, especially The Light. Not as good an album as Be though, and it's way too long. Still too much homophobia and misogyny on here, which kind of undermines a lot of the more "conscious" messaging of the lyrics. Kinda mad there's two Common albums in this book but no Mos Def! Rounding this up to a 3 though, because I think more hip hop albums in this style are needed in the book.
Коммон репует хорошо, но мне не хватает нерва
Same as The Roots. Cool, but no idea what any of it means.
i enjoyed most of this, it could've easily been two pretty good albums. instead we get one decent album that feels bloated.
Not what I expected. Pretty good! 3.5.
Before Common helped define a new wave of Conscious Hip Hop moving into the mainstream around the middle of the 2000s, he dropped a criminally underrated and under-appreciated project called Like Water For Chocolate. Despite it now garnering quite a bit of love on online music forums and online Hip Hop circles, I almost never hear this album discussed out in a broad sense with other people like Be is. If I am being honest I wasn't really vibing with this album all the time, especially with how spotty I thought the first half of this project was, but the more time I gave it the more it started to grow on me until an absolutely stellar closing put a nice pretty bow on this project. I don't think it is nearly on the same level as Be, but there are some highlights here that utterly clear anything on Be without a shroud of doubt. The features from the likes of Neo Soul classics like Jill Scott, Bilal, Cee-Lo Green, and of course my favorite of the bunch D'Angelo really help tie the bridge between Soul and Rap into a very stylish blend on Common's part. Like Water For Chocolate may not be the best album in the world, but if you let it enthrall you in a world full of creativity and inspiration, you will walk out moved regardless. Maybe I will give this a relisten down the road but for now I feel pretty happy with where I stand with this project.
As far as Hip Hop/ Rap albums go I quite enjoyed this, and by that I mean I was able to listen to it all the way through and nod my head along at certain tracks. Did I connect with it enough to listen again, no! But I got through it and it wasn’t half bad for a genre I am not into.
I loved Common’s features on so many tracks from the 2005-2015 period but this was a little lukewarm for me. A bit long, although I really enjoyed the last few tracks in particular.