Like Water For Chocolate

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

4 stars

Went in with some expectation. But rap isn’t something I actively listen to. I did like elements of soul peppered into the hip hop. Most of the lyrics are yuck. One activist song towards the end. Imma just confused where this person stands.

A hard rate. I liked the music, but it all kind of ran together. It also felt like everything was dragging on by the end. Those are the negatives. But the positives are Common had good flow and I really do enjoy this style of smooth hip-hop with a good message. I think a true rating would be 3.5, but I'll round up.

The 6th Sense is a banger. The rest felt pretty flat. The beats are okay but something about his flow is lame

Good lyrics, nice tunes.

Common fan since he was dating Badu.. (so beautiful, he is the black Brad Pitt) seen him live and and stood next to him while Erykah did her show, same venue, the night after (SOB's in nyc) I think he is great & really like a lot of tracks on this record, but there are a few I don't like at all - giving it a 3.5

There is a wide and deep range of storytelling across this album. As it explores R&B, soul, and spoken word, it kept my attention.

In 2000 this was about as good a hip hop album as there was. Now - an above average history lesson featuring a who's who of guest artists, producers and collabs. a solid listen - of a little long.

Common is synonymous with socially conscious hip-hop and this is no exception here. I’m not overly familiar with his work, this album was only the second Common record I’ve listened to, but I like what I hear. The influence from Fela Kuti and Afrobeat permeates this album which is never a bad thing. The homophobia and misogyny that is endemic in rap from the era does bring it down a bit and it is overlong by about 20 minutes, but this is a solid package overall.

I’ve owned the CD since early 00s. But I’ve always been slightly bored by it. And though it might sound blasphemous considering his clout: I never really cared for J Dillas beats. They are organic with a really nice bass sound. But honestly they never really bang. The only time this album gets a bit exciting is when a stuttering DJ Premier beat interrupts the proceeding in ”the sixth sense”. It doesn’t matter that it’s a formulaic premier-beat, it still slaps. I gave ”Be” five stars but this is an album that I rarely want to return to. Commons lyrics are a bore: trying to be insightful and conscious but still ”hard”. It makes it all feel a bit insincere, and frankly a bit boring. It’s an album I want to love but never managed.

Solid beats, got my foot tapping.

Very intriguing. I think there was more here than I caught, and it also made me want to go back and find it.

Didn't really get into this at all. Quite background-y. Maybe if I knew more about hip-hop I would be more impressed?

5/10

have you ever been listening to your rap mix and thought 'wow, i really wish some common would shuffle in right about now'

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

not for me

Was pretty good. Didn't hear anything I thought was super exceptional. 3/5

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

7/10

This is my 2nd. album by Common. I loved the first one, but this seems overly long, and honestly not that interesting. The flow is fine, the production is fine, the lyrics are iffy, and everything seems 50% longer than it should be.

8/10… hip hop / r&b

J’aime pas trop street 80

Our first rap album on the list. I am not familiar with Common at all. Mr. Common? I liked the instrumentation of the tracks. I don’t have a good ear for rhymes, I’m always amazed and befuddled when I hear someone rap their favorite song because I seem to always have a hard time understanding what they’re saying. That is to say I’m not a very good rap critic. I just don’t like the flashy bravado rap which I didn’t hear much of here. This album was ok. It was chill and not tough to listen to though I don’t think I’d revisit it.

Common is on record expressing many bigoted views. Separate the art from the artist. Not bad, the music holds up and does not feel outdated to listen to today. Some of the songs I thought were corny, like the one about his grandma getting robbed. The pimp song, the back and forth was kind of fun.

It's good! Good flow, good production, good vibes.

Some sort of rap, listened to most of it, nothing to shout about. Won’t be playing it again

good to know that kanye carried be. this good but def a lot weaker than his later material

p871. 2000. 1 star. (C)rap. Well done of its kind, but let down by the usual obnoxious sexist, homophobic language. It's far too long - points deducted for multiple tracks 5+ minute tracks. And 20 years on this sounds soooo dated.

I don't know much about rap but I think this album is exactly what hip hop is about.

Really smooth, love the production on this album. The flow between songs is something I really appreciate, it all feels so cohesive. Delightful vibe, very chill.

Rap

Very good album. Some really good songs, I mostly like the grooves. Surprisingly easy to have in the background.

Pretty good hip hop album

Album 894 of 1089 Common - Like Water For Chocolate (2000) Rating : 2.5 / 5 Hip-hop isn’t usually my go-to, but I try to approach each listen with an open mind. There were parts of this one I appreciated - the tone and feel of the beats gave it a good groove, and the production had a smooth flow. That said, the lyrical side didn’t stand out for me, and a lot of it felt familiar compared to other albums I’ve already heard in the genre. Not a bad listen at all, just not one that connected with me in a lasting way.

This has some of my favourite songs, but by own criteria for these other albums, it is too long. I'm also not really sure about some of the lyrics which might be homophobic, or it's ironic? I'm not sure.

Would be my favorite old school lyricist, the jazz influence and the impeccable flow and clarity, but a star off for the misogyny and homophobia, and no, no points back for lamp-shading the hypocrisy.

Not as smooth as commons other albums but really top quality

Alright, this took some convincing to like, thankfully it's long enough to give you that time. Common is very obviously into the wordplay, rhyme scheme, how the hell did he keep 8 rhymes going at a time over 16 bars type of rap. For every line that comes across as intellectual theres another that exists to serve the rhyme scheme and then, very often on here, randomly, a homophobic bar. As usual, I don't think it's fair to entirely excuse that as a product of the time but it is. Lame but not an outlier of the time. The soulquarians are so good on this. Truly every musical moment on here hits well. I love how bored and tight Questlove can be, J Dilla's beats are incredible (rip), and Pino holds this thing down so well. Technically, this is a 5 on his skill/dedication/etc but on enjoyment I'm hitting a 4. I'm not saying there's a direct line of influence but it's easy to see where like Kendrick and Mac Miller come from listening to this. There's high potential to listen to this 50 times and hear each bar differently or find things you didn't notice and then read the wikipedia page of the thing he's referencing and then listen to it again and then grow more appreciation for the album. I think my 4 hang up is that there's not really any singles other than the light that I would return to on this album, I would just listen to the entire album again if I wanted to return and I don't really want to do that.

Definitely enjoyed this album. Hadn’t heard Common before, just knew of him as an elder statesmen of hip hop. Beats great, lyrics great, flows really good. Just toooooo long 4/5

Vocals that are smooth and buttery. Common is a G.

I like the beats, but there doesn't really need to be over an hour and a quarter of this. I liked Macy Gray in Geto Heaven Part 2, and the last track with Pops was also a highlight.

The backing tracks are mostly very chill and clean, but they started to feel very samey before I even got halfway through and it was difficult to finish. I struggle with lyric-focused music and so hip hop is really not my thing. I liked the Afrobeat intro on the first track though.

A cool idea but a little overly referential and generic. Didn't blow my mind, didn't hurt my ears.

Mixed bag. The rhythms and backing music are smooth.It’s the lyrics that are uneven to me. One highlight was A Song for Assata. I learned something there and will research more. He knows how to use his talent for the greater good but didn’t always listen to his better angels on this project.

I've only ever seen Common on TV so I was pleasantly surprised to find rich textures in his music!

The beats were melodic and smooth. Guest artist’s voices were a perfect fit to the puzzle. Nothing outlandishly bad here but none of the verses truly hooked me in the way that other rap does.

# In-Depth Review: Common's *Like Water for Chocolate* ## 🎵 Overview *Like Water for Chocolate* (2000) is Common's fourth studio album and a landmark release in hip-hop. It marked his major-label debut under MCA Records and represented a significant artistic evolution, blending conscious lyricism with soulful, jazz-infused production. The album is often regarded as a cornerstone of the neo-soul and conscious hip-hop movements, thanks to its collaboration with the Soulquarians collective . --- ## 📝 Lyrics Common’s lyricism on *Like Water for Chocolate* is introspective, socially conscious, and deeply personal. He explores themes of love, spirituality, social justice, and self-awareness, often with poetic nuance. Tracks like "The Light" celebrate romantic love with vulnerability, while "A Song for Assata" narrates the story of Black Panther activist Assata Shakur with historical precision and empathy . However, the album occasionally suffers from lyrical contradictions, such as espousing enlightenment while using homophobic slurs or misogynistic similes (e.g., "deep as a skinny girl’s cunt" on "Heat") . These moments undermine the album’s conscious messaging and reflect the complexities of Common’s artistic growth at the time. --- ## 🎶 Music and Production The album’s production is a masterclass in genre fusion, blending hip-hop with jazz, funk, Afrobeat, and soul. J Dilla (Jay Dee) is the production MVP, contributing to over two-thirds of the tracks and infusing the album with warm, soulful grooves . Standout production moments include: - **"The Light"**: Dilla’s iconic sample of Bobby Caldwell’s "Open Your Eyes" creates a smooth, timeless backdrop for Common’s heartfelt lyrics . - **"The 6th Sense"**: DJ Premier’s boom-bap beat provides a gritty canvas for Common’s introspective bars . - **"Time Travelin’ (Tribute to Fela)"**: Afrobeat rhythms by Femi Kuti pay homage to Fela Kuti’s legacy . The Soulquarians (Questlove, D’Angelo, James Poyser, etc.) contribute live instrumentation and collaborative energy, giving the album a cohesive yet eclectic sound . However, the album’s length (77 minutes) and occasional pacing issues make it feel bloated to some listeners . --- ## 🧠 Themes 1. **Social Consciousness**: Common tackles issues like racial inequality, police brutality, and the commercialization of hip-hop ("Dooinit," "The Questions") . 2. **Spiritual and Personal Growth**: Tracks like "G.O.D. (Gaining One’s Definition)" and "Nag Champa" reflect Common’s struggles with faith and identity . 3. **Love and Relationships**: "The Light" and "Geto Heaven" explore love with a maturity rare in hip-hop at the time . 4. **Afrocentricity**: The album draws inspiration from Black musical traditions and historical figures, emphasizing cultural pride . --- ## 📈 Influence *Like Water for Chocolate* cemented Common’s status as a hip-hop innovator and helped define the early 2000s neo-soul movement. Its influence is evident in: - The rise of conscious hip-hop artists like Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, who emulate Common’s blend of social commentary and personal storytelling. - The mainstream acceptance of genre-blending production, as seen in projects by artists like Anderson .Paak and The Internet . - The album’s collaboration model, which inspired collective efforts like Black Hippy and Dreamville . --- ## ✔️ Pros 1. **Groundbreaking Production**: J Dilla and the Soulquarians created a rich, soulful sound that remains influential . 2. **Lyrical Depth**: Common’s introspective and socially conscious lyrics set a new standard for hip-hop . 3. **Cultural Impact**: The album elevated Chicago’ hip-hop scene and inspired a generation of artists . 4. **Standout Tracks**: "The Light," "The 6th Sense," and "A Song for Assata" are timeless classics . --- ## ❌ Cons 1. **Lyrical Inconsistencies**: Homophobic and misogynistic bars clash with the album’s conscious themes . 2. **Overlong Runtime**: At 77 minutes, the album drags in places and could benefit from tighter editing . 3. **Pacing Issues**: Some tracks (e.g., "Payback Is a Grandmother") suffer from underwhelming production . --- ## 🏆 Conclusion *Like Water for Chocolate* is a visionary album that balances artistic ambition with cultural significance. Despite its minor flaws, it remains a timeless piece of hip-hop history, celebrated for its production brilliance, lyrical depth, and role in shaping neo-soul. It is essential listening for anyone interested in the evolution of hip-hop and conscious music.

There are a lot of tracks here. 16 and only one that could be seen as a skit. While each one is a pretty good listen, over time the effect is dulled. Good call back to Ghetto Heaven tho.

428/1001

This one’s tough. The Soulquarians’ production is incredible - warm, soulful, and locked-in. “The Light” and “The 6th Sense” are classics, and “A Song for Assata” is powerful. But then you get hit with jarring moments of misogyny and homophobia, which clash hard against the album’s conscious, liberation-focused vibe. It’s a record that sounds amazing, but it’s hard to enjoy because of those contradictions.

This was just tedious. Can't connect with anything contained in this album.

I liked the jazzy, soulful beats and the production. Didn't listen too closely to the lyrics, probably for the best.

Very much enjoyed the gentle beats and fun raps. Didnt really listen to the lyrics so if they're super offensive I take this review back.

Judge Sims in the before times

This was okay. There were some songs that I quite liked (the opener especially), but there were also some that were a bit mediocre. It’s also a bit too long. The beats are very cool tho.

One of the better hip hop albums so far. The rhymes are incredible.

There's some good beats on here but Common's flow doesn't do it for me.

Common really brought it on this one. The album has a smooth but sharp feel to it, mixing thoughtful lyrics with strong production that still sounds fresh. He’s always been a solid rapper, but here it feels like everything clicked into place. The collaborations help a lot too. Having artists like Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Cee-Lo Green, and Macy Gray pop up gives the record a ton of range and personality. Each guest adds their own spark without taking the spotlight away from Common. It feels like a community effort in the best way possible. And bonus points for this era being immortalized on Chappelle’s Show. That connection just makes the album feel even more rooted in the culture of its time.

Some good tracks

Pretty good, i really liked to social commentary and the beats! I think commons's flow can get a bit repetitive though

He’s okay. The Light has always been a good lesson song. Lol.

The title and cover for this album make a powerful statement about endemic and systematic racism, and the music and lyrics back that up mostly. I really enjoyed the nods towards Afro-beat and jazz, with production from the great J Dilla adding a lot to the mix as well. However, there is still an uncomfortable amount of casual sexism and homophobia on here. Apparently Common has now apologised for this, but it’s difficult to understand how you can be opposed to one form of injustice while not seeing yourself perpetuating the same attitudes towards other oppressed groups.

Rather chill hip-hop, with bits of jazz in the background. Unfortunately containing flaws inherent to the genre especially at the time it was released, thankfully it was aknowledge by the band.

Pas mauvais, mais loin d'être au même niveau que certains autre album du même genre.

Great sound, enjoyed a lot.

A relaxing album with jazzy beats and a very pleasant flow. It feels a bit like the swan song of 90s hip-hop, right before the 2000s turned rap music into something more mainstream. It’s technically good, Common is an interesting MC, even if he doesn’t bring that much to the table in terms of innovation. There was no surprise, no « woaw » moment - just a good craftsman doing his thing, sometimes in a very tongue-in-cheek manner. A few tracks are a bit too funky or RnB-esque for my taste, but I can get over it. I really liked « The 6th sense » and a couple of other songs. I saw some people complain about the length of the album... It’s true that it can feel a bit overstuffed towards the end (« Geto Heaven » was especially annoying), but hey, at least Common isn’t conning us with a 35 minutes album featuring 17 skits and 12 collabs. Would probably listen again, but mostly as background music.

1 beat loop album... Ok the beat is nice, 1 track would be fine but 1 whole album !!!! You understand well : i did not like it

Strangely, I didn’t know him, but if he’s backed by Kanye West and calls himself family with The Roots and Questlove, he can’t be bad. Like with Nas, the monotone flow can get a bit tiring, but those warm jazzy samples and (mostly) well-written lyrics are really cool to follow. The little duet with Mos Def and « 6th sense » are the easiest tracks to get into otherwise it’s better to read the lyrics to keep up. I’m into this whole « conscious rap » vibe, and I’ll definitely come back to it.

Pretty standard run of the mill millennium era hip hop. Good beats, good flow

так поступово-поступово починає тебе занурювати, дуже класно, дуже качає, не агресивно, але напористо. було приємно почути оригінали деяких семплів, які я чула в треках інших жанрів. не люблю слухати про феготів і оце все, тому текстами не пройнялась, тому можу оцінити тільки музику.

Eh not bad but not all that interesting. I liked the Spotify radio that came on after this more than the actual album. 4/10

Woman abuse confirmed

Really dig the production, especially the Jay Dee tracks but the overall songwriting didn’t grab me too much. May grow on me with an additional listen

Not my genre

It was alright. I should've paid more attention.

conscious rap (sozialkritisch), mos def ähnlich

Interesting but rap really isn't my thing

the quethtionths

I really don't know how to rate music like this. I'll just split it down the middle and round to 3. 2.5/5 #149

Can't relate to socially conscious hip-hop at all. Common is a better actor than rapper imo

I liked it. Similar to d’angelo with some nice features

Socially conscious rap with disparate musical styling: pretty good! I loved the first song, although I do admit I got a bit bored throughout some of the later songs. It was smooth and ambitious, but could be a bit soporific at times

Liked this quite a bit. Very jazzy and Common has good flow. A little too long for my taste, but I never found myself wanting to put something else on.

bby - 6 lil loser - 9

Really smooth album! A lot of great tracks in here. Good production, most of the lyrics, vibes, so on and so forth. Just solid all around.

A pretty cool album, I quite liked the beats, but good lord the lyrics consistently took me out of the experience.

Another rap album with great production and sublime jazzy beats, but dragged down by period-typical homophobia and other nonsense in the lyrics. Especially glaring this time since this is a "conscious" hip hop album.

The production on this was really good (ignoring the homophobia since he apparently spoke out against it later)

I've always liked Common! On this album he finds himself with some BEAUTIFUL production, on top of his usual flavor of conscious rap. He tends to opt for a more peaceful attitude, and that never stopped him from having good rhymes! ..Wait, what was that slur just now? Standouts: Cold Blooded • The Light • Funky For You • The 6th Sense

Great rap album, great production. While some of the lyrical content makes me cringe today, his social messaging is still relevant. Any album that can make me laugh, ponder the unfairness of society, and tap my foot is a winner for me. I just think it would've benefited from a little more editing.

Good listen. Common is a great storyteller. What a vision this album was and had such deep soul and messages.

Tad samey 3/5

86% Best: Heat; Dooinit; The Light; The 6th Sense; Thelonious; Payback Is A Grandmother; Geto Heaven Part Two Must-Hear? Sure

It’s bloated and has some of the pitfalls of its time (homophobia, which apparently Common regrets, so thanks I guess man), but otherwise what a solid, well-produced, thoughtful record. The soulful sound has aged great and Common’s performance is passionate and controlled. I’d revisit.

I liked this more than I expected considering its length and the fact I knew none of the songs. I'd listen again! 3.5

Good album something different

Inconsistent, but pretty fun album overall

There’s a great album here somewhere - needs a tighter runtime.

Common lays down stories and trials and tribulation with a smoothness and vibe that can't be matched. Luring you in with smooth beats and a steady voice, not brash and in your face like other rappers. Jazz and soul influenced, steady gentle backbeats. It works. My Rating: 4/5

6/10 Not too bad 7-30-2025

Common is lame af

Pretty good.

Nice enough, but nothing to write home about.

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

Not a rap fan

Pretty forgettable. Sadly, Kanye still remains the best rap artist I’ve heard on this project.

This was needlessly bloated both in album length and a lot of the song which were extended with repetitive aspects or pointless skits (mostly pointless) but other than that was was a good album, the second half was what especially shined for me personally but the whole album had great production and decent flows at least throughout, some familiar features aswell. Favourites: time travellin’, dooinit, the 6th sense, Thelonius, payback is a grandmother, Geto heaven pt2, and a song for Assata (my personal favourite, loved the storytelling). Overall, 7/10.

Favorite Song: The Light

Love his song "The Light"

One problem I have with nearly all hip-hop/rap records from that time is how the lyrics are often socially critical, exposing racism and other issues. At the same time, they include homophobic, misogynistic, ableistic, and fat-shaming lyrics. On top of that, all they then add is that idiotic gangsta stuff. Great beats, samples, and production cannot level that sh*t out. Running times of +1 hour make it even worse. That said, Common is a bit better than most, but still too much.

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

Decent overall, though so songs drag on longer than they should

Chi city classic. Love Common!!

Hip hop isn’t always my favorite, but this was pretty cool, good beats on a lot of the songs.

Some great jazzy beats, but not a fan of Commons flow.

19/07/2025 Found this album quite boring. Never heard of this guy, and I can't imagine he'll pop up again anytime soon. At least I hope not.

Great 3.5/5

I like the jazzy sound but I checked out when the homophobia came in

I’m starting to form a new rule when I rate these albums: if I get a rap or hip-hop album that is over an hour long, the highest I will give it is a 2. Every single rap album that has gone on for over an hour always, fucking always, loses my attention. Unless it brings it S-game, not it’s A-game. And honestly, this album brought its C-game. It’s not complete dog shit, but for its size, it’s nothing to write home about. Most of the songs are painfully average and some are just corny as hell, A Film Called (PIMP) and Payback Like A Grandmother especially. It drags on for way too long for what it provides. The only saving grace this album has is that I like that it’s more jazzier and smoother than some other rap albums. Otherwise this would be sitting next to The Chronic among my least favorite albums. Favorite track: The Light Other hits: Nag Champa (Afrodisiac For The World)

Well, I've listened to all of his bolded album, I and can conclude this one is his best. The overly optimistic energy of Be irked me a bit. I'm not saying this album is The Infamous levels of gangster, but it's much more rugged than what Common is famous for. Of course, it wouldn't be good without the signature brand of conscious, optimistic, neo-soul, boom bap rap, which is what makes it unique. Common threaded between sappy and real really well here. The production is also great, with a lot of heavy hitters like Questlove, J. Dilla, D'Angelo and Common himself. What also pops up is that beside the well-placed sample, we have a live band laying it down. The only minus I have is the length. Somewhere around the 12th track it loses steam and I zone out. But until then, it's a great combination of grit and storytelling.

3.7 - Enjoyed this

Yeah alright, not bad. Fave Tracks: Heat, The Light, A Song for Assata, 3.7/5

Just came up flat and well common.

Meh, never was big on Common

Cool!

Respect it. Common is just not my vibe.

bleh

First impression pre listen: The hip-hop albums on this list have a tendency to be long and bloated. This one seems to veer towards that trend too. For me personally can hip-hop be pretty hit or miss depending on the production. I'm not overly familiar with this artist, but at least I know his name. Hoping the quality justifies the runtime. Individual track notes: Time Travelin' (A Tribute To Fela) I just reviewed both Fela and Femi. A fun conicidence. I was not expecting something so jazzy. The reverby background vocals add a psychedelic twist. Good groove. Don't love the vocal effect. A bit of a boring rapping style. The lyrics contain some interesting references. Decent. 3.5/5 Heat The beat is alright. Common has some good energy on this track. Not exactly the most interesting track. Average. 2.5/5 Cold Blooded Really don't like the hook. Sounds kinda goofy. I like the production, but Common's performance isn't really anything to write home about. Average. 2.5/5 Dooinit I guess the first verse has some heat to it. I like that he calls out other rappers. Cringe slurs. The hook is pretty okay. Has some interesting points about the culture here and there. Fine. 3/5 The Light Great beat. Love the sample for the hook. Some decently romantic lyrics. Pleasant enough. Feels comfy. Decent. 3.5/5 Funky For You The beat, the sampling and the general production is amazing. Sure there's some solid commentary in there, but Common is so boring as a rapper that it's hard to care about it. Love the ending. There's some great experimentation there. Love the vocals. Decent. 3.5/5 The Questions Great beat yet again. Horrible hook. I'm sorry, there's probably something in there that could be interesting, but it didn't manage to keep my attention. Boring. Dislike. 2/5 The Travelin' Reprise Honestly really cool. The jazzy pshychedelia is really infectious and hypnotic. I like the horns a lot. Good. 4/5 The 6th Sense Almost every beat on this album so for has been really good. Great vocals on the hook. The lyrics shift between great and dumb on a dime. Drags a bit. Cringe skit at the end. Average. 2.5/5 A Film Called (PIMP) Unlikable premise. Decent hook. The production is amazing. Boring performances. The female rapper is about as boring as Common himself. Average. 2.5/5 Nag Champa (Afrodisiac For The World) Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Some cringe homophobic lyrics too. At least the beat is pleasant. Dislike. 2/5 Thelonius Spiritual lyrical miracle adjacent. Who cares. Dislike. 2/5 Payback Is A Grandmother I'm fully checked out at this point. Yeah the production is good, but there's just very little to grasp onto musically. Dislike. 2/5 Geto Heaven Part Two Good feature. Solid message with some decent lyrics, even if its a bit straight forward. Kinda catchy. Fine. 3/5 A Song For Assata Great jazziness. Great storytelling. Harrowing story. Fantastic chorus though the performance is a bit cheesy. Simple and compelling concept that is easy and satisfying to follow along with. Love the ending sample. Good. 4/5 Pops Rap III....All My Children Another great beat. The spoken word is really smooth on top of it. Feels like a solid poetry session. Good message. Decent. 3.5/5 Final Review: What Common lacks in personality and interesting deliveries he makes up for in lyricism. At times he does come across as a bit arrogant in a "look how much deeper and mature I am than these other fools way". But mostly he sticks to interesting messages and some solid storytelling. I don't like the homophobia though. And while the lyrics can be interesting in a vacuum, he also happens to be the most boring rapper to ever walk the planet. Taking himself seriously beyond measure. He approaches the beats very similarly when it comes to structure, and his flows aren't very diverse. You don't really see him taking any risks or showing much personality. And don't get me wrong, he's good at his schtick, but it does run a bit dry around the halfway point in the album. The album is saved from being a total snoozefest by some truly amazing production by Dilla, Questlove and Poyser. The jazziness, psychedelia and hints of RnB make the beats dynamic and fresh sounding, and the way they've implemented the samples is stunning. Everything is placed incredibly well, and it completely saves the album from being a total disaster for me. It's almost like Common is the least interesting part of his own album, and I feel there's at least a hint of truth to that as even the features often overshadow him. I do feel like even with the great production that the album drags quite a bit and I don't really think the runtime is even close to justified. It had me completely checked out at some point due to how bloated it is. I'm being a bit harsh with this one, but I'm likely never gonna return to it. 2/5

Rubbish

This was way too long. Really didn’t enjoy the lyrics. I did like the actual music a lot of the time. Three 6+ min songs Five 5+ min songs Why?

Just sounded like generic rap to me. It was ok as background music, but probably won’t get another spin.

bloated

A little more soulful and slower than I like my rap usually, but not bad

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

Too much happening in each song for me to focus on what was happening in the lyrics.

Why it sounds like gay sex then he call me a f****t? I like the beats but they have so many people and other noises at times it gets muddled. Commons flow is ok and it does get a bit tired by the end of this really long album. The messages are mostly good except the one about pimpin that just did not age well. He said the big c word. 6/10

This was a lot better than other stuff at the time. I do like Common, overall, but my favorite tracks were the ones where he worked with artists, and I felt like his actual rapping was often overshadowed by the music of the Soulquarians. Of course, I'm reviewing the album, not just Common, so that actually adds a start in this case. Huzzah!

Time Travelin' - so good - LOVE the music stop-start device. Every song is great - lyrics particularly good in: The Light The Questions The 6th Sense Love how much he mentions his daughter too. Love the Hardy Boys mention in Payback Is A Grandmother and the storytelling style to that song. LOVE the phrase "with a quickness" too. The last two are fairly dull, but other than that incredible all round.

So long, so pointless. I suppose if the artistic process behind the music is setting up a drum machine and some vague keyboard sounds you can pump out over an hour of music reasonably quickly. Every so often something sounded pleasant because the sample was interesting but mainly it was turgid.

Not really a fan of this. Generally better rap than a lot of what I've heard, but still too much for me. 1/5

Basic decent rap album. Nothing overly consequential.

Une surprise, c’est du hip hop, mais il y a un quelque chose de différent ce celui que j’ai écouté (provenant des USA, parce que le hip hop Québécois, c’est une autre histoire). Il y a un côté jazz et soul (je crois) que je trouve intéressant.

3.5

its alright

Eh

På musikkfronten er det veldig bra, og ditto på rapfronten (der har jeg dog ikke mye peiling). Fin flyt i albumet

It's not as good as Be IMO, and could do with a bit of a trim, but some great stuff on here.

I like the albums that inspired this album better

REAL cool. i had heard a few songs of common but didn’t know he was THIS good

Nice grooves, bad lyrics

This is a bit of a drag. Way too long.

Better than the later Kanye produced album I've heard. It has its moments where it's on for sure. Unfortunately lots of filler though, and it really makes it drag a lot of the time. Could have easily made this a shorter and more powerful album.

Excellent production and concept. 4.5 stars

Common is only a B- rapper in terms of flow and style, he has a monotone delivery and pretty repetitive cadence, but is a good story teller and expressive writer on the conscious/intellectual side of the spectrum, though that’s all still pretty basic as far as it goes. The stars here are the producers who’ve put together an incredible set of beats, J Dilla especially, who has that warm soul/gospel forward style with a bit of vintage crackle, funky bass parts, and nostalgic feel good atmosphere. Others bring a jazzier feel or an old school boom bap + scratching style to it so there’s some variety across the (long!) album.

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

Best Song: The Light. Great vibe, excellent chorus. Worst Song: A Film Called (PIMP). Much too slow, and has probably the worst chorus and feature on the album. Overall: Common has a great flow, and the whole album has a relaxed, rolling rhythm to it. That said, it is overly long, and starts to lose its appeal due to the long runtime.

I like the general atmosphere of the album. I like the flow. But it's too long and nothing sticks.

This was good to work to and I like it but all the songs kinda sound the same... there were a few that stood out but overall it's just kind of an hourlong groove

Forgot to rate, then forgot I listened to it until I played it back a second time. So I guess that wraps it up.

Common’s voice is so so soothing. The album Be is 10x better, but I would never kick him out of my ears.

🤷🏻‍♂️

J. Dilla. I love how this guy pops up like Zelig in all the 90s albums I loved.

Very cool

I like his stuff. -1 for content

Not my normal genre but trying to open my ears a bit more to different genres. In my honest opinion I didn’t enjoy it that much, but dint skip it either.

while this album was a little long, it was really good, something about his beats are light and feel-good. Rapping with none of the mean muggin in your face gangster tone. Just letting lyrics flow over some jazzy beats. I liked it

Love, love, love it.

33/1001. Another new artist for me, and another positive surprise coming from hip-hop. Funky, soulful, witty... but seems to repeat what's good. In the end the songs blend one to another and not too many stand out. Definitely have to check out some more Common. In the end an album with lines like "From bashful to asshole to international" deserves nothing less than 4.

Common has never clicked for me. Still hasn't.

Pretty tough to discern from a lot of other rap I've heard. I enjoyed it, but I don't think it had enough to say to justify the runtime

First couple of songs, didn’t like this then I got to The Light and I thought ok this is hopefully improving. Turns out that was the only song on here I enjoyed. Overall hated it, felt like it went on for an eternity.

brilliant, nostalgic

Not something I am interested in

This is album is not terrible, but why does it have to be soooo long? I pretty much got the point midway through. This is a common (hehe) problem with hip-hop, they just overstuff their records to the brim. At least there are no cringy skits/interludes on this one.

Last time a Common album came up I praised it for being wholesome. I can’t say the same for this one. Pure trash, just like 98% of all other music of this trashy genre.

This is definitely not my genre, but I really enjoyed listening to this album. All of the tracks were pleasantly musical and the recording was very clean and well-done. I like Common's style and I really enjoyed the last song (apparently) recorded by Common's dad, haha. Four stars.

Dis shit slappin’ although it’s very samey all the way through

Never did like Chicago rap. Too mellow and this album is not different. All the beats sound the same and it’s way too long

What a surprise - another Hip-Hop / Rap album. I don't carte what type of Rap it is - Progressive or Regressive - it's still crap.

Great samples and beats but not my thing

Gros ronflement.

Beats på dette album passer meget bedre til Commons vibe end dem, der var på vores forrige album med ham. Nogle virkelig gode features. Hvis den var skåret til ville den have sneget sig op på 4

For lang, for mange fillers. Beatsene er rigtig fede, men synes de var federe på den anden Common plade vi havde. Han er ikke en særlig spændende rapper, men han er bedre til at rappe end han er til at være skurk i John Wick 2

Jesus Christ is this album long.. i don't really care for his style.

Not as good as the other inclusion on the list.

Interesting beats and use of influencing styles, but again… I hate the lyrics

cool and refined

Common might be too 5 rappers tbh. this was a 77 minute album and it never felt too long. always interesting stuff going on. i’ve gotta listen to him more

Common is definitely skilled and adept at his craft, but this just doesn't appeal to me.

Made me feel cooler than I am. Tried this album before I really "got" rap, it was fun to fully appreciate it this time. Lyrical and smooth, groovy and chill. Not chock-full of "WOW!" moments, but a nice ride.

sound is cool but rap is not my type.

No le di su oportunidad escuché 2 temas y me aburrió lo siento

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

never heard of that but it's a cool album. i'd listen to it again

Favourite songs: The Light, Dooinit, Time Travelin' (A Tribute to Fela), A Film Called (PIMP), The 6th Sense, Heat, Payback is a Grandmother Least favorite songs: Pops Rap III....All My Children, Geto Heaven Part Two 3/5

I've had this one since it dropped, and it's always the same three: Time Travelin', the Questions (every other Yasiin Bey line is a gem) and the 6th Sense (minus the terrible skit at the end). I'm glad Common is acting now?? Maybe???

This was just another one

Oké, best coole muziek. Ik zou het misschien niet direct opzetten uit mezelf, maar ik kan wel inzien dat dit een iconische sound was. 3.1

Quite liked it. Became background music a bit but could enjoy the lyrics and vibe when it did catch my attention.

Notable songs - The 6th Sense old school rap with a sprinkling of new age from the 2000s. Sorta like a mix of Lauren Hill's Miseducation sound with the politics of Tupac. You can hear the transition towards hip hop of the early 2000s but still has the sound of the 90s. The music incorporates more funk and soul that also reminds me of Nujabes, who probably was inspired by this album ngl. Im not the most well verse with modern HipHop but I feel like there is less of it that is political like this album, outside Kendrick who else?

Not for me.

Common is one of the most important rappers of the 2000s. Unfortunately he doesn’t get the play he should. Unlike many of this compatriots in the rap game, Common speaks of this world around him much in the same way as Golden Era rappers like Chuck D and Queen Latifah did. I liked his incorporation of jazz and funk throughout which gave his music street credit. Key songs for me were The Light and Doonit, which back-to-back were powerful. The album did begin feeling a bit long after a while, but it was definitely highly listenable.

Random thoughts: - I listened to this 2 times through passively. Nothing caught my ear in particular. - How did Common get so famous? I clearly know who he is but can’t really name a single song or album. I find that strange but maybe that says more about me than anything else. - maybe try this one again with a more dedicated ear

1.5 Gay panic

At this point I can just trust any Soulquarian's album on this list because so far none have let me down. The only more or less thing I could say against this record is just the fact that some lyrics can be... well as weird and bigoted as a 00s rap album can be but at this point I'd be more surprised if an album from that era didn't say something weird. Either way, great album

I remember this being pretty huge. Didn't really grab me.

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

4/5

I’m halfway through the project, give or take, and I now know I just don’t really get on with rap or hip-hop. I’m sure this is fine, but I don’t get it and didn’t enjoy it.

I enjoyed this, I haven’t heard of the artist before either

Was tired when I listened, may have skewed my opinion but it didn't help keep my brain ticking.

Great production!

point9.

Two tracks on here that I found okay, so 2 stars or D.

some sweet ones but lots of duds and too long

Not really my vibe

This is when rap became a bit more melodic and it wasn't just talking, but I am not a huge fan of the songs from this album, although it was alright having it in the background. If you pay more attention to it, it would probably make more sense, but it's a bit meh.

Joy, another rap album well over an hour long. There's no way Common listened through this and thought to himself "yeah, this doesn't need trimming at all". There's not a chance he had this much to say. Some tracks are six minutes long and the whole album is an hour 20 minutes. It's too much. Its not good enough to be that long. The beats don't really grab you, the flow isn't the best. It's all just a bit dull most of the time. I'll end on a good note. 'Geto Heaven Part Two' was alright, 'Cold Blooded' has a pretty cool guitar riff beat and is a decent track and 'The 6th Sense' is really good and easily the highlight. It's got an uplifting sound, Common sounds good and has something interesting to say. These three can go on a playlist, the rest can get in the bin.

Some standouts among pretty typical misogyny and idiotic swagger. It’s hard to reconcile the four sweet nostalgic and the wonderful historical songs with the typical ones mentioned above. Hard to rate, but in this case of these four songs, I’ll give the album the benefit of the doubt.

The more I think about this album, the more I really like it! I think the blend of confessional style rap and smooth background beats combine this into a worthwhile listen. Definitely enjoyed listening while working as well

Decent album

Boring and the fact he he’s to rely on the n word a lot also says enough to me and with his homophobia and anti feminist lyrics I wouldn’t listen to it a second time one time was bad enough

Good, but I don't think I would listen to it again.

The beats are competent. The production is solid but isn't anything exceptional. Common's flow isn't particularly distinctive and his lyrics aren't memorable.

One of the worst trends in music in the late 90s/early 00s was all the artists who decided they had to fill out the *entire* length of the CD because it was there. This album is way too long for me, and I had an unfortunate tendency to start tuning it out when it felt like an album should be ending. The beats sound good though, and I like his voice, just I wish it had been about 45 minutes instead! Between 2 and 3 on this; I rounded down for Licensed to Ill and ever since this site has been convinced that hip-hop is the one and only genre I don't like, I don't think that's necessarily the case! So hopefully rounding up here will fix that.

That was pretty cool, I knew of Common, but don't think I've ever listened to him. He had rythem and rhyme, so that was a plus.

Álbum repleto de ese sonido "jazzmatazz" que marcó la transición de siglo en el rap americano, y un clásico dentro de ese estilo. Funky a la vez que calmado, funciona muy bien como música de fondo. En general, un álbum muy sólido e influyente, con una producción excelente, pero demasiado largo. Además, la voz es súper monótona y acaba cansando. No puedo darle mejor nota porque no creo que lo vuelva a escuchar en su totalidad.

I have heard Common before, and I never had any issues with him, but his music also never clicked with me. This album came out at a time where I was looking for hip-hop that was either even more classic sounding like Jurassic 5 or really bombastic like Outkast. However, now, going back to it, I really enjoyed it and could see myself listening to it again.

Great Album, not my favourite as I prefer Be or Finding forever! I love "the light" 3.5/5

I like the lyrics, but not the music. 2.5/5.

I tuned into Common on the album after this, Electric Circus, which took more cues from rock and psychedelica. Never went back and listened to this or the album after Be, despite them being widely regarded as the high points in Common's career. I liked the storytelling and the more jazzy sound on this but ultimately it's a bit too long and I checked out a bit towards the end.

Hangulatosnak tűnik, letöltöttem

The last track with his dad won me over. But really the whole thing was pretty good.

Complete

3/5

Never heard of Common, this album seemed pretty standard for the hip hop at the time. I guess a lot of the themes went over my head as the wiki seemed to think they were far deeper than I picked up. Not sure a film called pimp is really a "send up of his own conscious image". There were some decent sections here and there but overall not for me.

It is rather decent, a bit of a throwback to more narrative rap. The Questions, Thelonius, and Payback is a Grandmother are brilliant. Love the use of samples, and bringing in thorough instrumentation. Common has decent flow. More of a 3.5 than a 4, but a 3 feels harsh on what is a good, lengthy, well-thought-out album. Mos Def and Slum Village are excellent collaborators here.

I'd never heard of common before, although googling him tells me it's the guy from Silo! I actually thought some of this was really good. For an album released in 2000, it sounds more old school, there's some great bass in some tracks. There is some of the gangsta tropes here, but it isn't overbearing. It's more chilled than that. Not sure the more soul parts are for me though. But overall, when it was good, I thought it was very good. Highlights: Dooinit The light The 6th sense Geto heaven part 2 4

bops on bops

Listened to the first 3 tracks and didn't want to listen more

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

Not the most enjoyable to listen to, but Common did a great job getting his points across and I found the album pretty educational, as well as pretty clever a lot of the time. Because he nailed these key areas that I often complained about in other rap albums, I feel like it elevates him to a four.

Ok

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

hmmm do I know Common? The intro to this first track would have made me think it's jazz...but the wiki says it's rap. YOOOOO WTF!? This guy is also an actor and is in Silo!! What a trip. This was a great album. 4 stars.

3.5

Too long, not enough variety

Enjoyed this. Vaguely aware of the geezer, but never listened to any tunes before, other than a few he’s done with old Kanye. He’s a good storyteller. Simpsons: Guest star (The Great Phatsby)

This wasn't like water or chocolate. More like dog shit

Nah, not for me

Perfect album for a spring afternoon. The vibes, production, and amazing rapping all just make this an amazing experience to listen to. I will admit it is a bit long, and the production definitely isn't as good as Be, but this album's flaws are easy to look past with how great everything else is.

time traveling- 6 or 7. interesting heat- 5 cold blooded- 5 dooinit- 5 the light- 5 funky for you- 5 the questions- it's the quastions yall. 6 time traveling reprise- 5 the 6th sense- 5 a film called pimp- 5 nag champa- 5 thelonius- 5 payback is a grandmother- 5 geto heaven part two- 5 song for assata- 5 pops rap iii all my children- 5

Nothing earth shattering but pleasant enough. A bit too long.

I liked the jazz elements, but there wasn't anything new from the hip hop world that grabbed me. I bailed after the first 15 minutes when the 'faggot' jokes kicked in. Oh dear.

Bit of an odd one Starting with the positives - this is one of the better rap albums I've listened to so far on here. I liked the beats, some of the songs I genuinely really enjoyed! Now for the bad - this has aged terribly. It was too long for my liking and I wasn't a fan of the talking or the random phone ringing noises Overall ok album 3 ⭐️

Solid listen, although like a lot of hip-hop albums from the time period its a little long at 78 minutes. In hindsight, it's clear why this is an essential listen; it captures the energy and spirit of top-tier producers/musicians (Questlove, J Dilla, D'Angelo) in their prime. The lyrics match the music in quality, and overall it will be rewarding to revisit.

Same topics and same inherent problems as most solo rap albums on this list. Not impressed.

So a lot of these tracks seem to have the lyrics completely disassociated from the underlying samples. It's a somewhat unpleasant and tediously long album. 2.5* and I can't round up.

Pretty solid album. A bit long - maybe should have been two separate albums. Still good.

Love this guy

Thought this was quite good - Common is definitely a rap I should look into more. He's got great delivery and it seems like his lyrics are thoughtful and good storytelling (I didn't pay as much attention as I should have). The hooks and choruses with many different guests were solid and brought a nice R&B edge to the music.

pretty good

2.5/5 For me this album is the example of what hiphop generally sounds like. It has good lyrics, beat, rap and some silly stuff on there. But after a few songs I lose my interest. Overall it’s not bad and it’s no pain to listen to it, so just a 2.5.

surprisingly bad! i knew I didn't like modern Common but I figured there must have been some good era of Common, that does not seem to be the case though. leads off with a weird down tempo jazzy interlude that's both aggravating to listen to and insultingly labeled as "a tribute to Fela" (big swing and a miss from Femi) and pretty much continues along those lines

This is a very good album. I'd give it a 3.5 if I could, but I'll bump it to 4 stars because there just really isn't much out there like it. Common is, rightly, lumped in as a "conscious" rapper, but there's a lot more than that on this album. There's jazz, there's blues, there are collaborations, there's standard braggadocio, hard core rap. It's really a great presentation for the breadth of Common's vision and skill.

I've never been a huge fan of Commons flow but I did enjoy this album. I can understand why it made the list.

In the first two tracks, Time Travelin' and Heat, the clear standout is the basswork. You might as well lose the vocals entirely because the bass is so darn great (particularly when combined with the light, muted guitar riffs). The rapping is fine. Pretty monotonous and droning, as per the genre. But those backing instrumentals... man. Much jazzier than I'm used to for late-90s/early-00s hip-hop. Lots of Dorian mode (the best-sounding mode). That chopped-up electric guitar sound on Cold Blooded is fantastic. Just imagine that song as an instrumental. With some minor editing, this music could reach the heights of Floyd jam sessions. Unrelatedly, my favourite track on the album is Geto Heaven Part Two (mostly for the abundance of great instruments like the piano, harp, flute, and violin). And my favourite part of the album is Common pronouncing "questions" as "kwustiss". As many fellow reviewers have pointed out, the lyrics are fairly homophobic. This is, for our purposes, bad. I don't tend to pay lyrics much attention unless they're particularly bad, yet I was paying much attention to songs like Dooinit. Which I suspect also contains some racist poetry about halfway through its runtime. (Only need a drop of sexism to complete the holy trinity of rap! But, judging by the unusually pro-women lyrics at the end of The 6th Sense, it looks like Common covered their tracks.) Speaking of runtimes, the album is too long to really justify. If you've got 77 minutes of material, either release two albums or cut out the less interesting half. Another interesting element is the abundance of very sudden jumps into what sounds like a completely different song about a minute before each track ends. Now, if you have a fade or otherwise reasonable transition, I can understand it. Even hip-hop interludes, when found at the end of songs, typically don't leap straight into a skit but fade into it gradually. I guess Common isn't a typical rapper. But that doesn't make him better. 2/5 Key tracks: Cold Blooded, The 6th Sense, Geto Heaven Part Two

Far far too long, no where as his 2006 album on the list, but it does feel like he's doing something more interesting than 2000s hip hop. In a time of awful shit like Eminem, his backing tracks are different and more musically satisfying

I'm conflicted about Like Water for Chocolate. On one hand, Common crafted quite the album; he pays homage to Fela Kuti and discusses a political activist's wrongful imprisonment. He holds nothing back in his lyrics, which really hit you in the gut. On the other hand, the album is very long and because of the many collaborations and directions Common went in, it isn't terribly cohesive. I nevertheless appreciate what Common did here. At the end of the day, I didn't enjoy Like Water for Chocolate as much as Be, which contained more soul than just straight hip hop. 2.5

I definitely struggled when it came to staying present with this album, and the album's length did not help matters, either. There was quite a bit of funk-driven hip hop on this album, which I can appreciate, but overall, this just never seemed to grab me.

Nichts für mich.

4/5 liked the funky hip hop vibes

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

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

I feel like this was a bit bloated. It also didn't really wow me, but I think it is a fine enough inclusion on this list

Rap/jazz/soul fusion. Not for me and not much standing out. Some commentary on feminism and women in African American culture Best track - Payback is a Grandmother

C'est drôle, il y a à peine un mois, le générateur m'a fait découvrir Common avec Be, un des meilleurs albums rap que j'ai écouté. Malheureusement, les éléments que j'adorais sur Be sont introuvable sur cet album, qui ressemble à a peu près tout les albums rap ever.

This was really cool. Common has great social commentary and a very nice voice and flow.

Blind album and know the artist from another album on the project. I had a lot of the same feelings for this album as his last, but it was different in some ways that I feel I would not make. Less appealing.

It’s too long as a result the pacing isn’t great but it has high highs

Started off promising but deteriorated quickly. Low on the mudda fucka’s (although there’s ample use of the word fuck etc) but definitely big on the niggas. Also a bit of homophobia thrown in. Not my cup of tea

This was a very uneven album for me, but when it was on, it was quite good. Probably the most introspective rap album I have heard so far, and the touch of having his dad chime in at the end was a very cool touch (in addition to being a good track). I may be wrong, but this is probably the most mature rap album I've come across on the list. It doesn't pull punches, but softens in good places and ways that don't compromise his experiences.

I wasn't super into this. I'm not very familiar with Common, but I don't think I'd revisit this record.

Too long and I didn't care for the hooks :( 77 minutes! I liked Pops at the end though. 2.49/5

Some good grooves, perhaps a touch long, and on a couple of tracks the lyrics/content is suspect

3 maybe 4

Back in the day, I had some friends who were really into Common, so listening to this album was like a trip down memory lane. The lyrics capture that early 2000s hip-hop vibe, and Common’s smooth style meshes perfectly with the production. What stood out to me the most was the easygoing, smooth, and jazzy feel of the beats.

2.5

Итс окэй. Затянуто. Лучшая песня - The 6th Sense.

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

I actually dig this a bit

A good thing about this project is expanding my exposure to many genres and artists I have not previously listened to. I have come to appreciate the talented artists in the hip-hop/rap genre even though, at the same time, I acknowledge it will never be my "go to" music. I do.still have reservations about some of the messages associated with this genre. However, I have a better understanding of its roots. Aside from the above comments, I liked the feel and rythym of this album, even if some.of the messaging/themes sis not resonate.

Fav: The 6th Sense Least Fav: Dooinit Second half much more interesting than the first

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

I've always appreciated Common's artistry and activism, but I never fully got into his flow. The production is smooth and uniformly engaging, although the record is more of a slow boil. It takes its time to reach its peak and then it recedes again. Like Water for Chocolate rises above other hip hop from 2000 but it also falls short of its promise.

5.5/10 - It was a worse version of the other common album. There were fewer synths and other things that drew me to the first album.

This was such a pain to get through. Over an hour long but not a single memorable song on the whole album, which is surprising because I mostly liked the last common album. Felt like the whole thing was just filler

Some pretty eclectic influences. I enjoyed it!