Be

No el coneixia, bo: rítmic, old school, pop..

hm

Another album that has interesting music tracks being overshadowed by gibberish pretending to be edgy and/or poetic.

Was ok

Common is stonekeeper

Could tell it was from College Drop out era and Kanye influence heavy throughout.

Nope, I still don't like rap music. I also don't like the collaboration with a celeb antisemite, though one could hardly blame Common for that.

The beats are nice, but the rap part isn't for me

Better than I thought but I could have done without some of the sexist lyrics.

Not in my wheelhouse.

A lot of songs were like spoken poetry.

Its basically quality all the way through

A very strong album from Common.

Late Registration era Kanye producing the most underrated lyrical rapper ever. This album is top art for the genre with timeless and quite touching lyricism and storytelling. Hip hop at its best.

Good, sophisticated and high quality rap album. The lack of any stand out songs though made it tough for me to rate it more than 3 stars

Starts off great but runs out of steam about halfway through.

Ok

VERY GOOD

good album

Decent album. Nice to get a r&b/rap album for a change. Some good music/beats

Just good vibes

Got a little chaotic musically in the mid tracks. I like it otherwise.

Nothing special

Not a hip hop fan, but this album by Common is excellent. Ye's production is superb: he needs to get back on the meds for the sake of music.

Ik ben geen fan van rap-muziek, maar de beats van sommige van deze nummers zijn wel relaxed. **

notes - rap/ conscious hip hop album by common - produced by kanye and j dilla - had a friend introduce me to this album a couple years ago, listened to it a few times - part of the “conscious hip hop” movement - hip hop focused on societal issues and political stances - theres a lot going on in the lyrics but the production makes it so theres more than just that going on - pretty laid back musically for the most part fav - chi city - great beat and hook least fav - testify - i wish the sample wasnt going the whole time, drowns out the rest of the song 4/5

INT

Riktigt bra! En blandning av jazz, r n b och hiphop. Tar ut svängarna bra!

This one slipped through the cracks somehow, only coming back to it now. I only knew a few Common songs before so glad to give this a full listen. It's a real gem of hip hop; thoughtful lyrics, great instrumentals and production. Common does just seem like a really nice guy, even though does have some weird ideas about interracial relationships. Great features from Kanye too, back when he was a serious artist.

Nope

Listened Before? N I don't understand what the appeal of post-2000 east coast rap is. Especially when Kanye is involved. I get it. You're poor. You live in NYC. That's not an excuse to drone lyrics over generic beats and let the hook come from samples. You guys suck. This is getting a 2 just because it's not a Kanye album, if it was, it'd be a 1. Added to Library? HAHAHAHA no Songs added to playlist: The intro, because its short.

Eh just a typical rap album I don’t get it

"Be" is the sixth studio album from Chicago rapper Common. It was primarily produced by Kanye West and was Common's comeback album after his commercially disappointing "Electric Circus." It was critically well-received and described as lean, commanding and safe. I liked this album quite a bit...at times very uplifting and great production. Common said this album was titled to just "be" who you are. "Be (Intro)" begins the album with a bass jam which goes melodic. The music reminded me of the 70's. Uplifting. He wants everyone to be free from the everyday burdens and "reach for the skies." The tone gets a little more serious on "The Corner." More beat driven. Featuring spoken word lyrics by The Last Poets , Kanye West backing vocals and sampling The Temprees and The Temptations. The corners used to be the Rock of Gibraltor of the neighborhoods. Now, they're places drugs deals are made. Great song. Things lighten up on "GO!" John Mayer actually in the backing vocals along with West. More R&B and easy listening. OK. I think one of the highlights of the album are the backing vocals of John Legend and he adds a lot to "Faithful." A gospel toe song and another single. Common's best storytelling is in the compelling "Testimony." The story of the trial of a guy where as the trial concludes, his queen pin lady laughs obviously she being the guilty person. The albums ends with two really good songs. Great vocals including West and Legend in "They Say." Another smooth sounding song. The last song is the soulful, uplifting "It's Your World." Be who you are! Don't give up the dream! Kid's singing. A man with a deep voice almost preacher-like finishing. A nice way to end. This was a really good album. I did appreciate the length at 42 minutes. Some albums in this era and the hip-hop genre (and others as well) extend well beyond that challenging multiple listens (within a day). Not so here. Recommended.

This was pretty bland, had a few okay tracks but I can't remember them now

Hip hop molt tenyit de soul, o bé r&b amb actitud rap. Lletres polititzades i una producció de quan Kanye West encara era un treballador clau en el génere i no un boig visionari. 'Go', 'Faithful', 'Testify'... el començament és de traca. Després el nivell va baixant, però el so és igual de poderós. Un dels àlbums de hip hop millor produïts i amb millors versos de la década

Cool hip hop album, never heard it in full but have heard many songs from the album. Surprised by how much Kanye on the album.

Never been the biggest Common fan, but this album is fantastic. Everything from the production to the rapping is some of Common's best work

Lost points when they brought Kanye on

I really liked the one song on here where he’s thinking about what if god was a woman and it makes him get horny

Miss this Kanye, wish he would just make music again. He and Common did amazing on this

I liked it.

I can't say much about hip hop except that I don't like it. Howeverm, to my ears, this album is a tiny notch above most of the others in that genre I got to know from this list. Can't really say why. 1.5/5

Don't like hiphop, I liked this.

Not really into rap, but enjoyed the samples he used and liked his voice a lot.

Not a massive hip hop fan but that was pretty good. Better lyrics than most rappers.

Nice voice, and backing music. Usual misogynistic lyrics despite some attempts to go the other way.

Some of the sounds are good and the lyrical content is better than most of this genre. But it's still just people talking over a beat which ultimately bores me.

It was a strong hip hop album. Don’t think I’d return to it but I respect the talent and delivery. It did flow into R&B territory a bit too much for my liking at times. It was good to hear young Kanye before his mind turned to mush as well. 4 stars

His name is Common because his music is nothing special

Common is really good at painting pictures with his lyricism. J Dilla's prod is on point. Not super into the neo-soul vibe though. I personally liked the tracks where Kanye was featured the best (I really prefer his production style to J Dilla's), and also Go! and Testify. Although I think this album is pretty OK I genuinely don't see what makes it stand-out enough to be on a top albums list. I think I just might have brainrot from listening to so much experimental hip hop that a dude rapping about how he loves his partner over a soul beat feels really corny and uninteresting. 3/5

Good vibes, though a felt a little repetitive in terms of musicality as the album went on.

It looks like a very influential album, but it sounds standard for 2022 ears. It probably deserves more than 3 stars, but it's hard to find reasons to rate it without the historical background. Maybe almost all hip-hop albums suffer from this problem since they are always too contextualized, but some of them (like this one) are hard to stay relevant after more than 10 years after their release.

Kanye West had his fingers in a lot of jars during the 00's and most of what he touched was gold. The production sticks out on this album, but it fits really well with Common's rap style and lyricism. To me it's a very 00's sounding, accessible hip hop in all the good ways.

2005 album that was entirely produced by Kanye or dilla not a fan of the vocal delivery but the beats are what make the album 3.5

16th November 2022 Listened on the drive and tube in to the office. Book club in the evening. Thought it sounded very Kanye then the man himself turned up later in the record. Liked this, 3.5 if I could.

Warm and soulful and a sweet overall listen. If it's good enough for Obama ...

Not my music..

Really liked this. Hip-hop from this era seemed to soften a bit, in a good way. Appreciated the 45 minute length as well, just right.

Can’t say I gave enough time or attention to the lyrical content of this album but given what I know about Common, he seems like a pretty right on guy. Being a Kanye production, the beats don’t disappoint. It’s just toe-tapper after toe-tapper on this record. And *shock horror* it’s not a 3 hour mega-slog of an album clocking in at a mercifully short 43 minutes. There’s no filler here.

Vond niet veel aan dit album

Not much to say - enjoyed listening to the album, but cannot remember a single song so it didn't leave an impression on me.

Wow, I loved the beats, the jazz influences, piano, horns, and strings. This was a great rap album. I would listen to this again many times. His rapping ability is up with some of the best rappers around.

Intro slaps Go! is cute Beats are chill Boring flow

Favs: - GO! - The Food - Real People

Favs: - the corner - go!

Not a genre for me, but it was fine enough with good variety

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I liked the variety and the overall feel of the album.

Great groove but I was a little bored at times. Common is a really good lyricist and I think if I enjoyed the hip hop genre more I’d have given this a higher rating.

Really enjoyed it!

I like the spoken word style that common and other rappers at this time were doing. Brings me back to feeling cool in college.

Enjoyed that a lot - Some really nice beats in there and heartfelt lyrics. A bit one-note but a good laid-back album to put on.

3 stars for the producing. 1 star for the feel and vibe. Subtract half star for inconsistent lyrics. Round down for some language choice.

I enjoyed this a whole lot more than I was expecting too. The first track was really good and I loved the story of the track with the video. It was certainly more the music I would choose to play, consequently 4*

Extremely underwhelming.

Some nice tracks

p905. 2005. 2.5 stars. Rap, so... not my thing. Seems to be well done, but only 2 stars as I don't like rap. Liked the last track though.

HL: “They Say”, “Go!”, “The Food” 3.5 Mostly liked West’s production, though the sample on Testify got a bit annoying. Surprised I haven’t heard more from Common, though I’m really only starting to learn about hiphop beyond the loudest & brashest acts (aka West) in my twenties. October 17, 2022

Eh, 00s rap doesn't really do it for me. Definitely heard worse, but also better. Well produced, nice booming bass that's not overpowered, some cool samples throughout. Lyrics were pretty cringey in places. It really started to lose me when the words were something like "so I diiid, whad I hadda diiid"... like ugh that's the Kanye West shit I hate. Gotta give it a thumbs up for keeping to a sensible album length though. 3/5.

Rating: 3/5

This was a bit mellower than the earlier rap albums I've listened to.

A few decent songs but wow some really dumb shit as well, guess that's what happens when Kayne produces it. Yeah these are great lyrics? Perhaps for a 16 year old. "Fantasize when I had her in the bathroom sweatin' with her ass up (go) The body of a dancer We had chemistry 'cause she was a Cancer Thought forever it would last for But forever moved faster so I had to (go) Still I gotta pause when I think about her in them drawers (go) And uh, ooh baby, she liked it raw"

It’s a rap album. It’s absolutely possible that I don’t get it, but it doesn’t seem particularly special.

Kinda boring.

Didn't liket he first time I listened to Common, didn't like this one, either. Super boring, except when it's annoying.

Too much homophobia and hearing the f-word (and I don’t mean f**k), which unfortunately ruins a lot of good songs and great special guests.

Cool album

Classic. It’s been a minute since I’ve listened to it, forgot how good it was.

Pretty good

I've been putting off reviewing this for a few days, mostly because I wanted to find a positive thing to say about it while not offsetting that nice thing with how fundamentally boring it is. The beats are tepid and monotonous. His voice is tepid and monotonous. Yes, I'm sure the flow is there, but man I do not enjoy listening. It's certainly different to have a rapper sample cheesy lounge music, rather than the usual funk, soul and disco staples. Sure enough, this album is reminiscent of one of those torpid 70s flicks about a sales executive for a packaging company having an affair with his secretary. These samples come straight from the scene where he lays in bed smoking while his secretary showers in the hotel en-suite. It's not interesting there and it isn't interesting here.

Never listened to common. The instrumentals are great. Plenty of good tracks. 3.5 stars.

Pretty solid album. Haven't really listened to Common before aside from tracks he's featured on. There's a nice chill vibe to this album, Common has a good chill flow. The beats are sufficient, a couple tracks stand out. There's some good stuff on Be and The Corner. The album starts of quite strong. Can easily hear the mid 2000s Kanye production / beat work. Though at this point in time It does feel a little like Kayne beats he didn't wan't for Late Registration. Testify is close to being a really strong track if the vocal was more intense I think it would sell it better. 4/5

mistä tiedän nääkin biisit? varmasti siis klassikoita. GO! on aivan todella hyvä. toimiva kokonaisuus, pehmeä tunnelma läpi levyn olematta kuitenkaan lälly

Tämä kuulostaa ajattomalla tavalla vanhentuneelta, ja biisit tuntuvat jotenkin keskinkertaisilta. Ei paskaa, mutta uudelleenkuunteluarvoltaan rajallista.

I really liked this. Probably a 4, also shows how much better that genre got very quickly from some of the early 90s stuff we've had.

Wasn't expecting much when the intro rolled in, but actually this was pretty good. Hadn't heard it before, but it captures that era of early-2000s rap/hiphop really well, a bit more accessible and commercial than most of what you got in the nineties but still keeping some edge. Quite refreshing subject matter too, only a bit of it about the streets/conflict with the police and a lot more about the broader culture of that area of American life. 3/5, none of the tracks really stood out for me.

chill background hip hop

Solid rap album, reminiscent of Tribe Called Quest which is on the whole a good thing.

Go go go go go go go go go

Track with Yeezy was my fav

for me, it's the catchiness and the nostalgic feel of early 2000s hiphop. reminded me of Mos Def's early work. Kanye's bars bars were a hit or miss tho...

Eh

Rap - I had excluded this from my albums as I absolutely detest it

Taman sam htjela mu pisat mail da mu je Kanye malo ukro zvuk. I onda sam vidila ko je producent pa ima smisla. SVE mi se svidjelo. Al apsolutno sve.

Jučer sam slušao njegov klasični Resurrection album, i dođe mi danas ovaj - također odličan koji je producirao u potpunosti gospodin West (čudo od producenta i njegovu produkciju mogu nanjušiti ko svinja tartufe). Stvarno jako dobrih stvari ima na ovom albumu. Be je jedna od najboljih pjesama koje postoje - a koja je ispod 3 min. Još odličnih stvari u nastavku: GO!, Faithful, Testify, Love Is..., The Food...uglavnom sve pjesme su odlične, neke su još bolje. Eto. Po mom skromnom mišljenju ovo je nekih 4.5/5, 9/10. Znam, da, opet hip hop opet ja "skroman" sa brojkama, ali šta da ja radim? Obožavam to, a ovo mislim da je više za širu publiku, ovo je baš onako lagan album, mellow, uplifting album sa odličnom produkcijom, gostima, ne traje previše, i mislim da je to zadnji njegov koji sam baš slušao.

6/10

Really nice album, this one. The early 2000s Kanye production brings a lot of nostalgia for me, even on my first listen of the record. It feels very warm and smooth and catchy. Only a few duds on here, but for the most part it’s very quality. 8/10

Really can’t fault anything in this. His flow and the lyrics are so on point and sound super fresh today as it would have when released. The beats are so smooth.

Not usually a hip hop person, but this was decent.

Pretty enjoyable, although not what I usually listen to.

Common is one of those guys... Is he an actor? Is he a musician? I know he's been in plenty of movies and made plenty of albums, but I can't name one from either category. He doesn't have that one song that everybody knows, ya know? Ice Cube does. Ice-T does. Tupac does. So on and so on. So anyway - let's see. I don't know any of these songs. I can't say that they stuck. But this is a very listenable record. The production on it, the samples, the arrangements are all really strong. I wouldn't turn this off if it were on.

The loveliness of some of the sounds on this album (especially those that dip into the grab-bag of lush 1970s soul) can't quite balance out the rather characterless rapping. Perhaps Common is brilliant, but every time I properly tune in I'm left a smidge underwhelmed.

Listenable, yes. But it's saying something when the only time I REALLY perk up during the whole album is when Kanye makes an appearance. It's like suddenly someone has pushed the speaker six feet closer to your ears. Common is fine. But he lives up to his namesake when he's standing next to people who are better at what he does than he is. Also, this is why you should never, ever have guest artists on your album!

pas trop mon truc

Smooth chipmunk soul hip-hop

Was ok

Þetta kom mér á óvart. Frábær plata. Gott vibe !

I'm not a rap fan but even I can tell that this is good. I like the retro influence and the lyrics are clever.

The beginning was almost promising.. but no, I changed my mind really fast

Had some good enjoyable moments, including Chi City and It's Your World. 3/5

Dope af this was a banger

Excellent - can see he was a big influence on Kanye

Flawless. Surprised I didn’t know Kanye was involved quite a lot.

Common has one of the smoothest flows in the game, and he puts it to incredible use on this album. But it’s not just about his lyrical dexterity-he speaks with emotion and frankness about his experience as an artist, a father, and a black man in America.

The production from J Dilla and Ye is enough to warrant the listen. It's incredibly soulful, catchy, and feel-good as each we're doing at this time. Common on the other is good but feels more like wallpaper to the music. He kept the energy at least but this didn't make me a Common fan.

Was cool but entirely my style. Too religious it had some catchy tracks.

Decent rap album. Cool features.

Serviceable voice but the cadence and flow is sorely lacking. There is a disconnect which makes it feel like he rapped to a metronome then sent the file to a producer who slapped it onto a backing track. The production is nice with airy and warm soul samples and nostalgia. Intro, The Corner and Real People could be good if the vocals were on beat. (2.5)

Banging album, sick production, great flow and rhymes

better than I expected rap album, decent message in some parts.

It's okay. Feels like old school hip hop. I enjoy it. Kanye is mid 6/10

Not sure about this - it’s a genre I’m not that Into

Nice groovezz

Common and Kanye really brought out the best in each other here. The opening tracks are untouchable. Starts with a beautiful thesis and swings for the fences on The Corner.

Es kann so einfach sein, mich zufriedenzustellen. Dies ist ein gutes Album, wenn auch nicht außergewöhnlich gut. Nie gehört.

A bit gospel. Lyric rhyming quality rap. Pop/mainstream, but decent. On the better side of rap for me.

Mais um disco de rap que não me convence.

Solid hip hop album

One of the greatest / most influential hip-hop albums of the 2000’s. Young Kanye throughout most of the album, and his production is insane. Along with J Dilla. Common speaking the truth through insightful rhymes and Melodie’s. His flow is spectacular within the entire album and his message is clear and takes the listener into the hard-life of a person stuck in the South Side of Chicago. And though Common takes the listener into this, he doesn’t glorify it. It’s a necessity for living, and providing of a harsh reality. Common takes you through life lessons that we all should consider. He legit teaches the listener what love is, should be, and how beautiful it is. Be (intro) is arguably one of the greatest intro’s to a hop-hop album. It takes insane courage to put a live song (The Food) on your album and have it hit as hard as it does. People forget that Common represented Chicago just as much as Kanye at this time. I listened to this album all the way back after I finished it, and throughout the rest of the day. I love it. Started the day today with “They Say”. This is true Hip-Hop and what a real MC is. These are the messages Hip-Hop should convey, and this isn’t an album to take for granted.

great storytelling over kanye production. chi town stand up

I remember the album being more enthralling when I was in high school. I thought it started off amazingly, but I sort of lost interest in the second half.

Solid album, basically Kanye with a common feature. Had some bangers but had a a couple duds

One of the best intros I've ever heard Lyrics are mid Kanye

It’s an album that I listen to often and Kanye’s production shines throughout. Be (intro) and the the food - live are up there on songs I’ll listen to for the rest of my life. Be is also a song you can show anyone and they’ll like it Slow motion is better than no motion

I have never heard a common song before and that first track caught me off guard. I thought it was gonna be another album with generic beats but thats not the case at all. This album would probably be a good listen if even common didnt say a word. He is a hell of a rapper. ye west 7/10

Production banged, obviously. Some really catchy hooks, good bars, and samples spazzed as well. They put on for our city 😈

Another generic r&b offering. Yawn

Loved it. Kanye killed it with the production. Always loved Common's delivery and conscious lyrics.

never really listened to Common. i can hear Kanye throughout, which i hadnt expected. while really good, overall this album is too serious.

Good album, Never heard a whole Common album before. He's very serious.

I don’t really care for the genre in general, and I didn’t think I’d like this album at all. I’ve heard of Common but never listened to anything by him. This is a much better album than I expected, and much more positive than I was expecting. There’s a good message here, and overall I enjoyed jt.

Never heard of Common. For me, this was a little dull

Huge fan of Kanye West as a producer. This album doesn't do that much justice to him. Maybe I need to listen to it more.

Decent as background music, but nothing outstanding.

Just full of good vibes and deep thoughts, and Kanye behind the beats really brings out the best in him. This is a new classic for me for sure.

Common continues the sounds he had from the previous record with excellent support from Kanye's production. To me, this album is a bit stronger overall, with some marked improvements in sonic quality.

Produced by Kanye West and J Dilla (but apparently not the two producers together), Be presents a form of "intimate" hip hop on which Common raps against some funky, classic soul backdrop and some nice jazz touches and a sort of old school feel. Faithful features a gospel choir; both Testify and Go feature some funk instrumental and vocal samples. The lyrics range from social concerns to some wise shtick about living your life and being a decent human being.  The album didn't really caught my attention at first listen, it all seems so simple on the surface, but it all made more sense in second and further listens; it surely is a grower. 

Good rap, sounds just like 2005. Can definitely heard the early Kanye production on the tracks. Common has good bars. Never really heard much from him before

Solid, chill album. I realize I don't listen to enough Common but that's going to change.

Starts strong, ends strong. Great flow and beats. Lyrics are decent. It's Your World and Love Is are favorites.

Jai ete surpris, je le connaissais cpmme acteur mais cet album est super bon. Il devrait en rester au rap, il a beaucoup de talent 4.75

The Common Bee.

i want to be a duck

Kind of repetitive, production is good but not enough to make it interesting

4.0

I don't think I was the intended audience for this album.

I'm really, really not a fan of rap music. So with very exceptions, 3 stars is about as high as it gets. But I did find this album very listenable and didn't skip any songs (very rare for rap albums). The music sounds smart, sophisticated and varied. I didn't pay any attention to the lyrics.

Hip hop. Soul. Bastante bueno.

J'aime beaucoup cet album. On est dans un style commun avec ce que fait The Roots (Questlove a justement collaboré à la production de l'album précédent, ce qui explique cela). Le flow ressemble d'ailleurs au flow de Black Tought. La production de Kanye West (sauf 2 pièces) est superbe et porte sa signature avec le traitement des voix samplées. J'aime vraiment ce qu'il fait comme producteur. Les 2 pièces produites par Dilla sont aussi très bonne.

Everything Common does is *****.

Common's voice is too smooth for me, working against the reifying-the-Street project he seems to be on in The Corner. Still, riding high on enjoyable music, I felt the significance of Be. Common, Kanye, and Dilla are all icons, and the producers' sounds come together here in a nicely compact package. However, the meandering closer gives up that production and leans heavily on the children-are-hope trope: An easy way to lose some goodwill.

Kanye lite. Nice production

Great beats. A few of my favorite Common songs, but a couple weird songs too. Good: The Food - Live, The Corner, Be (Intro), GO! Bad: Testify

Ive never been a huge Common fan, but I have also never listening through an entire album. I didnt realize this was basically a Kanye album (production wise). I don't love this album because I just dont love Common. The production is great though.

So fire...

Probably my favorite work from both Common AND Kanye

Excellent sampling and production elevate this album.

Kanye production >>>

CD

040126 10:21 3.5

I thought this was a good album. At the beginning I wondered whether this had influenced Kanye because of the similar style. Then he came in towards the end. So perhaps that is true. Similar lines about them calling themselves Jesus etc.... Great samples and good beatz

Enjoyed this a lot but found some of the lyrics a little problematic.

very nice socially active album, music is alright i suppose, funny seeing kanye doing things

Soulful and funky. Yeah.

Nothing to see here.

Be (Intro); The Corner; Go! ; Faithful; Testify; Love Is… ; Chi-City ; It’s Your World (Part 1 & 2)

mje

4/10 Best song - They Say

Pretty groovy stuff.

Listened to on 6/21/22 Favorite song: The Food, Love Is I liked this hip hop album way more than I thought I would due to the easy to understand but clever lyrics

The production is top notch

Ah cool. J’ai souvent vu et entendu parler en bien de cet album. Un hip-hop jazz dans la veine de The Roots. J’aime beaucoup. Je vais assurément y revenir.

Kinda sounds like an early Kanye album, pretty enjoyable

Good hip hop album. Cool story, great beats. Crazy ye makes an appearance. Cool representation of Chicago hip hop

Much better than the other Common album that was on here. The Corner is amazing.

Started well and then tailed off towards the end.

Not bad

Supaboring

Good album. Reminds me of Kanye stuff from the same period, except more uplifting.

Enjoyed this a lot, smooth hip hop with great production and flow. Testify is groovy as hell.

Not really a fan of Common and I don’t think Kanye’s trademark chipmunk effects have really held up, so I didn’t connect to this. But it’s objectively pretty good stuff regardless. C

that was a really great for a rap album 8/10, didn’t like Kanye but at least this album is a lot better than Kanye’s shit

The intro was great. Unexpected Kanye Some pretty good hip-hop, I like it.

Great music, amazing production, 8/10 Fave: GO!

Incredible bass lines. The lyrics are brilliant and the music can definitively keep you going. Has she made it to California?

Much more melodic than the music the guy at the back of the bus was playing yesterday.

Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.

Standout songs: Testify, Love Is..., It's Your World

Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.

Rap & R&B... bueno...

Este es uno de mis discos favoritos de hip-hop.

Heartbreaking: The Most Insane Rapper You Know Was The Producer On A Great Album

Loved this. This album has been on my “to listen list” for well over a decade. When I saw it pop up, I immediately grinned and KNEW today was the day. I put it on and was instantly blown the fuck away. From the smooth rhymes to the fantastic music, this one hit on so many different levels. So glad this came up, because it didn’t disappoint one bit.

Местами инструментал интересно звучал, что хотя бы как-то выделило альбом, но, в целом, он прошел довольно скучно и однообразно для меня. Выделю трек GO! 5- из 10

good hip hop even if it's not my taste

Yeah not bad. Not great, but not bad either. Just sorta.

L'album de la maturité pour La Fouine. L'artiste y fait ce qu'il sait faire de mieux en enchaînant d'abord ses célèbres gimmicks (Fouiny babe, Ban-ban-banlieue sale, Chuis pro-prié-taire, Fouiny est pro-prié-taire...) et en concluant son projet par une magnifique collaboration avec Patrick Bruel. En bref, un excellent album.

J'ai beaucoup apprecié le moment de cet album où La Fouine s'exclame: "Attends attends... C'est la bite à Booba!" Il est vrai que le choix du duc de transmettre un cliché de son sexe dressé à une ratpi pouvait surprendre pour l'époque, à l'heure où les sextos n'étaient encore répandus. Un beau témoignage d'histoire sur l'évolution du digital somme toute.

Another enjoyable hip hop album. More smooth than others of the genre, both in the music and raps which have a warmth of subject line relationships, family etc... a nice mature soulful sound. Half way through and enjoying the generally positive message. Then comes Chi city which has what I perceive as more traditional rap theme's...life on the streets, police conflict, etc. Still a pretty smooth sound to the music. 3.75 🌟

3.5 + I gave this record a couple listens back in 2005 while living in Chicago. Common seems like the guy who's friends with everyone - tall, handsome, easy-going, always smiling. He's got powerful friends like Kanye who genuinely want him to succeed. There are some nice tracks on this record, and his vibe is generally positive. I especially love the samples on "They Say" and the fact that it features Ahmad Jamal, another Chicago legend. Overall, though, nothing really grabs me - Common's flow is middling and his worldview lacks a certain edge.

I really liked the instrumentals but not his voice.

Good songs, great lyrics and production. Kanye West clearly heavily involved. 4 🌟

Head bobbing, nice elec guitar over a grooving beat, strings, high hat, I like Common's voice. Songs move nicely.

Rating: 10/10

Rap blandito y melodico. No es mi preferido pero me gusta

nice instruementals ; not looking good at the lyrics tho

a nice listen! it was a different kind of hip hop here. the soul aspect of the album mellowed it out. this sort of soft hop pop was gentle on my ears. it's nice to hear good lyrics without forcing itself down your throat. should be a nice album to revisit!

As I was listening to this album, I kept humorously referring to its genre as "soft hip hop" in my notes; these qualities were no doubt brought on by its close soul and funk ties. For me, these qualities made it all the more enjoyable. In the last decade or so, rap music has mostly migrated away from gangsta rap to a different style of rap. This album predates most of those big names that were part of that cultural shift. Common (and credit where credit is due: his producer, Kanye) were clearly onto something with this sound. Not a big standout for me, but enjoyable to listen to!

It's just rap. I hate rap.

Le producteur est chaud

OK tier.

sounds muy bueno to mich

Well crafted use of samples and vocalisation, but as a result nothing jumps off the page, although a pleasant listen.

Right from the smooth intro this was goood, very easy listening. Enjoyed Kanye's bits too.

THE LAST TRACK WAS CUTE Good times were had.

Another essential hip-hop album, the production and storytelling on this are just very very good

This album slaps

Really good. I'm not a Kanye fan at all, and he had some of his fingers in this pie, but I guess Common managed to keep it good.

3/16/22

I like the way he blends Gospel and Rap on this. It's not generally my kind of thing, but that fusion is interesting.

More R&B than hip-hop which isn't really my thing. Some interesting beats and lyrics and I should probably give it more of a chance than I'm going to. I just found most of it a bit boring.

Never heard of Common, some nice beats and breaks but not really my up of tea

a few of the songs came to be extremely repetitive and annoying but other than those specific songs it was pretty chill. could have been more interesting but it wasn’t awful.

First and most importantly to me - the music is excellent - gives a real 70s analog soul/r&b feel and Common has a great voice and I really like his flow. No trap beats either thank god. "The Corner" has a fantastic groove and has the feel of a gritty 70s movie. "Testify" and "Real People" are other favourites. Actually the bookends of "Be" and "It's Your World" are perfect as opener/closer and I think "It's Your World" is the highlight - really love the spoken word aspects to finish the album. Be....eternal. Hip-hop isn't the genre I'm most familiar with but I know enough to realize what i do like, and these ingredients are the perfect recipe for me. He lets the music shine through enough that it makes it a better musical experience than a lot of modern popular music. After a few listens this is a strong 4 - this is an album that will continue to grow on me. 8/10 4 stars

Not bad but I will never listen to it again.

3.5

I found this album on my own a year pr two ago. Before then, I had an image of Common in my head as a cornball a la John Legend (who happens to be featured here). Maybe he, like Legend, has earned that title over the years since ‘Be,’ but it could not be further from the truth here. ‘Be’ knocks. 4.0

I enjoyed it

I like the jazz sounds

An exceptionally produced and delivered album. Kanye West’s contribution gives this album a sense of optimism and takes Common’s work into new territory. This album exudes warmth and reminded me of What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye, both in feel and by the album cover itself. The album only suffers because it is not innovative. It is however, Common’s most cohesive.

A 90s throwback without the 90s

just alright

Better than the other stuff that I’ve heard by him but I feel like this is the type of album that needs more than one listen to really sink in

I took the time to listen to this carefully. So solid.

first song goes INSANE

This album is not meant for me, so I really shouldn't vote on it.

Amazing first listen, Common’s smooth voice over Kanye’s voice is pure perfection.

Quite a generally good hip hop album - but not the most memorable. Nice find though

Couldn't do it. So many other hip hop classic albums have really hooked me in, but this was just sample city, all over the map. Got to track 5 (Testify) then started skipping, looking for something. Didn't add.

This was my introduction to Common and it was really quite a pleasure. In the barrage of crap rap and hiphop this was a breath of fresh air. Great lyrics, great music and no need to shout.

Awesome album.

It's not de kind of music I like, sorry.

Næs plata. Get alveg hugsað mér að stúdera hana vel.

Bom álbum, mas não é meu estilo.

Great stuff

Nice conscious rap with a jazzy vibe (somewhat reminscent of the Jazz elements on 'To Pimp a Butterfly'). I especially like the first song on the album 'Be (intro)'. Doesn't reach the same levels of insight as Kendrick does (but who does, really) but has interesting mixes of black consciousness, religious inspiration, and promoting ideas of being something in this world. I like the bookends some of the in between songs not being as interesting to me. Probably on a 4,1/2 stars but let's be nice.

Good music, not exactly what Id like but Ive listened and feel good.

‘Be’ is notable for being my first real sustained look (and listen) to Kanye West in any capacity, as he handles most of the production duties here, whilst also appearing on several tracks. As for the actual album itself, there’s nothing really ground-breaking on it in my opinion. ‘Be’ is just a solid album and a mercifully concise one at that which never overstays its welcome the way a lot of rap albums tend to.

Just not into it

4.5/5. Very solid, very catchy, very woke, very Kanye

liked this more than I thought I would

I really enjoyed this. It's smooth and strong.

Итак, первый альбом из 1001. Прослушал от начала и почти до конца, последние две песни не зашли совсем, перематывал. Всё-таки чикагский хип-хоп и рэп - совсем не мои фавориты среди жанров музыки. Но трек №2 "The Corner" оказался очень даже слушабельным, почему-то прошла ассоциация с саундтреками к игре "Cities XL".

Not what I was expecting, a lot more listenable and enjoyable. Not something I would listen to frequently but still better than other albums of this genre

3.5

New to Common, I think this is solid. Beats are cool, most tracks are smooth and pretty inoffensive, kind of easy-listening.

Some real good tracks here. Love the nods to a whole lot of legendary sounds and artists, yet he's strong enough to make it his own -- very hard balance to strike, and it's impressive. Love his sense of melody and storytelling, too. I'll give this one more listens. Solid, solid album.

So SO smooth and beautifully produced. It's soulful, conscious rap, and I loved the features!

I love Common's beats, even if his vocals get kind of buried. They don't have that super in front compression. Oh shit it was produced by Kanye. That would make sense. Go is a great song. Testify kills.

Great rap album

Since the first song you know you are in for an experience, soulful beats chopped by none other than Kanye West and J Dilla, two of the best music producers ever, while one of the greatest Chicago MCs Common throws great bars one after another on symphony with the beat. Powerful soulful music with Conscious rap about street life, love and thought provoking lyrics that can really bring so much joy listening to. Fav Tracks: Be (Intro), The Corner, Faithful, The Food (Live), They Say, It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)

Already know I love it!

Decent Album, features Ye. Easy listen

Great album, Lori relaxing beats, lyrically amazing. Very enjoyable!

best intro

Excellent production, songwriting, and lyrics.

Reminds me of Kanye

Wasn't what I thought it would be.

Maybe if Common had chosen the name Unique or Special his music would stand out more. Instead it’s kind of common. Which isn’t bad, it just doesn’t stand out enough amongst his contemporaries. It was fine until Kanye showed up, and though this is pre-problematic Kanye it seemed like Ye’s voice and style overtook what little Common had going for him at that point.

I really liked the intro track, so I thought I was going to love this. But unfortunately I didn't like much else on the record.

*Faithful A lot more Kanye than I was expecting. Don’t know anything about this but always thought about Lupe Fiasco.

Damn, the production's off the charts here. It's all so smoooooth. Really happy to have experienced this one, because I don’t think I would have otherwise. Standout tracks: - Be (Intro) - The Corner - It’s Your World

Great album. Very soulful

Horible. 1/5

Смесь довольно ненавязчивого речитатива с фоновым мягким фанком. Вася В слямзил свой Царский Альбом с некоторых треков Коммона

Great. Can hear a lot of influences like NAS and how he’s influenced others like Mos Def. Can’t believe I’d never heard this before.

Full of works of art would highly recommend to anyone. 4.6/5

pretty nice

Meh

Great verses worth multiple listens

I'm already very familiar with Common circa late 90s through the aughts. Back in my college days I used to love conscious backpack rap. I saw many greats at the First Unitarian Church in Philly - Murs, Atmosphere, Aesop, Blackalicious, etc. IMO Like Water for Chocolate is Common's magnum opus. It's the perfect hip hop album. Be is still pretty good. The production is peak Kanye. GO! is so god damn infectious. Lyrically the album seems a little lighter in tone, more laid back. The middle section flounders, don't love Faithful > Testify > Love Is... The chorus in Testify is grating - aggressive, out of place and distracting from the story. Taking a live cut straight off Chappelle is classic, love it. Album finishes strong. 7.5/10