Be

Good album.

i found this to be very uninteresting

Like a lot of hip hop, this would be better as an instrumental album.

I honestly really did not like this album. There were definitely times where I was vibing, but other times I wondered why this is rated highly. I don't necessarily dislike the album, but I wouldn't really come back to any of these songs.

Not my thing

With a handful of interesting backing track elements across the first half of the album, Be becomes less inventive and more lightweight the deeper you get. That said, it is still fairly solid hip-hop fare - nothing groundbreaking but more uplifting an experience than most 2000s rap tends to be, while I enjoyed it for the most part, but won't necessarily be returning to this album in a hurry.

2.5

2.5

Bro is speaking at me and I don’t like it most of the time. Great production, just not my thing.

I want to like this album but I just think it’s corny!!

Favorite tracks: Be I found most of this album to be a bit of a drag, which was a big disappointment with how much I enjoyed the instruments on Be. The only thing that set some of the songs apart from others are the featured guests, and having my ears perk up when someone else starts singing/rapping doesn't bode well for the album's artist itself. As far as the lyrics go it felt like he was trying to be deep but never really got there. My top example is Faithful, where he talks about his relationship with God only to come to the conclusion that maybe cheating is bad - this right on the heels of GO! which is basically soft porn. Overall not a bad album, but feels a bit generic.

Is this supposed to be some groundbreaking R&B album? I must be ignorant.

it was ok. I dont know what makes this stand out to put it on the list though. I won't remember this next week. 2.5 stars

Well here's another Common album. This is only the second record I've heard from him, the other being Like Water for Chocolate (which I hated), and I was expecting to hate this too. Honestly? A lot better than that one. This made a lot of sense when I realized Kanye was deeply involved with this record. Makes sense! Still not for me though.

Nice, I guess. A bit slick, but well produced.

Pas nul mais bon toujours un peu répétitif ce genre de musique et j'ai pas la motivation d'ecouter en profondeur les paroles pour juger de la qualité donc bon ça sort pas franchement du lot en termes de musicalité et j'aurai oublié d'ici 2 jours.

I'm really ready for this album to be over, but it isn't. Wait... oh, nope. Still isn't.

The makers of this list certainly love their hip-hop, it seems like it's half of the albums I am getting these days. This one starts really well with a great double bass groove (it's nicked, erm, sampled though). The second song is alright. Is this going to be a 4* hip-hop album? Unfortunately, it then goes downhill for me - GO! being too smooth "soul" like and there's more like that. Didn't enjoy apart from that bass groove so I'm going to listen to some 1970's jazz now, which has all that jazzy goodness but none of the annoying "yeah" talking over it.

I will never forget the mean tweet Common read on Jimmy Kimmel: “Common is the Pottery Barn of rappers.” It was hard not to bring that sentiment to my listening experience, as I’ve never listened to a full album by Common. I enjoyed the features and samples on the album much more than I enjoyed Common himself. It’s not that his flow is bad; it’s just bland. The lyrical content is actually great, but it’s entirely uninspiring to me due to Common’s flow. Looking back, I think I could’ve been the author of the aforementioned mean tweet, as I feel it’s the perfect description for Common.

Kinda forgetful. Had some cool moments though.

Annoying

It's ok but not my bag

Not a fan of HipHop, but I like it. Wouldnt hear it on a regular basis. But I see it's very good

Clean sounding hip hop, could not get into it

I’m never going to be a fan of hip hop or rap in general. This is, however, pretty good. Common is good at what he does, and even though I really don’t like Kanye West as a person, he is very good at sampling and finding interesting musical bits to use in music. So overall, this is good, but not something I would actively put on again

2,5

Good rhythm and rhymes but didn't hook me in.

I had never heard of Common before and didn't recognize any of the songs but there were a few I really enjoyed. There were biblical themes and several songs showing this came out in 2005. Not my favorite, but glad I gave it a shot.

It's a pretty good album but nothing overwhelmingly amazing I'd ever feel the urge to listen again

Not special.

not for me

I wouldn't willingly listen to this again. It's not the worst thing I've heard though.

Not my vibe. Too old school, too soul/r&b, too Kanye-adjacent.

++: Go!, Faithful, The Food +: Be (Intro), The Corner, Love Is..., Real People, They Say +-: Chi-City, It's Your World (Part 1 & 2) -: Testify 5,5/10

Pretty boring. Ages poorly compared to other 2005 rap albums, which was a particularly dry time in music.

Mer rap. Mer mixerbordsmusicerande. Det blir rätt könlöst, tycker jag. Men Common är duktig på hantverket och det finns intressanta grepp.

Appreciate the introduction to an artist I didn’t know but the music didn’t do it for me like others from the same genre and era (50 cent, Eminem). Wouldn’t voluntarily give it a re-listen. C.

My only exposure to Common is his acting as Sims in Silo. Soulful but just not my bag.

Maybe I don’t get it. It I found this pretty dull.

Great vocal tone - I think reading lyrics along to the music would maximise the impact. Some good beats. Would need to revisit this album with lyrics to appreciate the poetry.

Didn't love it. Maybe I think Common is too cheesy?

Ikke så ille til å være hiphop

Musically has a nice feel, not getting into the themes of the songs.

A couple fun tracks, but lyrics feel too cheesy to love.

bof

Hip-hop mixed with soul? Started out solid but then eventually got bored. It does remind me solid of that 2000s sound.

I’ve never really found my way into hip hop. I think I’m getting close though.

Thought the other Common album on here was better. I was expecting more with Kanye's production but even it felt boring to me. Rating: 1.8

I don't know... I have heard worse hip-hop/rap records here. Maybe it's because it's produced by West, or because there was nothing really outstanding here, but this was kind of dull.

smooth jazz version of hip hop

OK, not my cup of tea. Uninspiring.

I know he's super popular, but his style doesn't jive with me.

Kanye west

Meh. Didn't really grab me and then lost me totally when Kanye showed up.

Probably one of the better albums of this genre I have listened to so far, but that still means 2 stars or D+.

Solid listen, it's good but there isn't anything that warrants a repeat listen. Production is solid and the Kanye features are fine. I don't dislike any of the tracks but none of them are staying with me either.

Eh - not my thing. Kind of mid.

Decent enough but not my scene. Mid 2s

I like the '70s vibe that's woven through a few songs. In general, though, it doesn't move the needle much for me.

This was an okay album. I was pleasantly surprised by the use of musical instruments and melodies. But in the end I can only give it two stars because I can't relate despite having failed Calculus in school ;-)

To start: hip-hop and rap isn’t my thing on the whole. I enjoyment moments of this album and is not a hard listen but doesn’t do much for me on any deep level. Can tell Kanye has had a hand in this but doesn’t have the some catchy-ness of some of his work from a similar time. Did blend together a touch for me so don’t think i’ve got a top 3 but i do really like the closing track ‘It’s Your World’ as really like the spoken word element and also enjoy ‘They Say’ and love the repeating line on the twinkly keys and some of the vocals! I get why people love this but it’s not super up my alley! 2.5

I like the warm and soulful production of the album, it's excellently made. I lack the cultural and language knowledge to understand what this album is really about, though the rapping itself flows well and it's fine. Although a lot of the songs sound samey to me and nothing stands out much. The production itself stands out. 2.5 stars.

It's alright

lets say 2/5

Meh

This is #day282 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… from 1963 yesterday to 2005 today. I'm not sure why this album made the list. The music's okayish, a kind of hip-hop that sounds very much of its time, though I'm not hyped on the soul foundation. Then I learned it was produced by Kanye West and released on his label. I rated both his albums a 1... and don't tell me he used to be a different person. People never change. Let this one be a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day283.

It's not my thing, but I like the contrast of the soulful jazz music and the spoken word/street poetry component. Better than a lot of hip hop rap crap I've heard here.

too corny for my taste

Started well with the sound of upright bass, but after that it was pretty common hiphop.

This slipped once again to the boring side. I have never been a huge fan of Common, and this album points out why. His hip hop is too soft and loose for my taste, I need more edge, attitude, and some off-beat vibes.

Not my kinda hip hop. Nothing wrong as such, just doesn't hit me like I was expecting.

I'm no mathematician, but I sure counted a lot of songs with irritating, grating sounds that repeated over & over & over again.

I don't think that I enjoy Common in either way that I've consumed his content lately - musically or acting in Silo

The poetry is okay, but it's not musically interesting.

Começou bem mas dps de um tempo senti que era mais do mesmo o tempo inteiro

couldn't get on with this, fave song was They Say, liked how it was kinda chilled out but overall it just didn't work for me

The music was ok, not the usual hiphop I listen to - middle of the road 3 stars, but 1 less star because of Kanye

This was decent but not quite managing a 3

For what it is it isn't bad, it just isn't my kind of thing and I doubt I'll listen to it again

Yeah...oh fuk yeah. Famous...joint. ei jatkoon

Ei uppoa.

WTF, Kanye two days in a row?

Meh... It's not terrible. Flow and rhymes are solid. Not a fan of the production, but that's typical for me and modern hip-hop. Nothing really outstanding here though. Nothing makes me want to listen to it ever again.

Easy listening but ultimately disappointing. I expected jazzy “conscious” rap to be my thing, but the flow and delivery is monotonous and boring.

Not bad but I only connected with a couple tracks

This album is not targeted towards me, and it also falls outside my usual listening habits. In fact, my engagement with rap music has been minimal since the early 1980s, specifically during the era of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. I am just not a fan of the evolution and direction most mainstream rap. From a sound perspective, the album is well-crafted. The instrumentation is clear, intricate, and avoids excessive repetition. However, nothing particularly captivated me or compelled me re-listen, nor did any tracks evoke a strong dislike, although I did find the live track disruptive to the flow of the album. Also, I admit I have my own biases. I might have been more open to a higher rating for this album had it not included a self-admitted anti-semitic Nazi. But hey, maybe that is just me.

It's always a little sad when you get excited to see what album you get for the day and when it pops up you're just like, "oh man, that's a shame." I knew I wasn't going to like this when it came up. I'm not a hip hop fan at all and I can't imagine from what I've heard from and about Common that I'm going to enjoy this much. I've heard Common referred to as 'dad rap' and yeah I can see that. First impression - holy shit maybe I was wrong, sweet double bass is shaping up to be good! Then the album really begins. Nope, I was right. More typical hip hop degrading women and inflating self-importance. Maybe not to the same degree as most of the others, but still. It does those things in kind of like a nice guy sort of way if that makes sense. Still, no thanks. And not only that, but this record is produced by and largely featuring Kanye West. Fuck that guy. I'm out. 1.5/5 maybe rounding up just because of that double bass. And a PS, I was reading reviews but skipped down a few first. Thought I was missing something with all these reviews about math and PhDs 😂 Good work here guys.

Consider the extra star a professional courtesy

Okay.

Rap, which reaches nearly a 3..

nah, 2005 rap esp. with kanye nnaah bruv

ehh, so so

2.5

Meh. 2/5

Was Common ever in the conversation of hip-hop greats? Do we really need two of his albums on this list? This is the better of the two, but still.

Not a fan of rap really

Not at all my jam - but more musicality than I've heard of others in this genre...

It was okay. Rap is not really my thing. The last couple of minutes tied the whole album together though.

I’ve heard of Common but never listened to him. Very bluesy and r and b. Also very much messagey. Didn’t mind it but not my total jam.

Don’t know this smoother type of rap very well, Pleasant enough, not the target audience and didn’t connect/get into it enough to reach/know the content, which is on me which is fine.

This one didn’t click with me. Production is good, but I didn’t like the style overall. Guess it’s my mathematics phd and lack of verbal intelligence

Tydelig Kanye produktion. Lyden er meget hen af hans egne tidlige albums. Men uden de samme bangers som der var på de skiver. Første nummer fanger mig, men derefter fader jeg nemt ud af albummet.

Honestly, more enjoyable than I was expecting, but not for me.

Never even heard of the artist before and for sure won’t remember him in a few weeks time…nothing special, decent hiphop grooves, lyrics don’t stand out for me…

Apart from some interesting rhymes in the first couple of tracks, this didn't do anything for me, and the final track, It's Your World, I just found mawkish.

Another let down of an album. I have standards and those standards for hip hop don’t fit the “Common” slate. Parental Advisory alert? Check Anything else??? No Musically well produced, decent samples as well but the delivery of his rhymes are weak. There doesn’t seem to be any conviction, anger, direction with his delivery. I know who Common is, that says something but I clearly don’t know it from this album. Choice cut: Love Is

Cool production, honestly not too many thoughts on this. Good album don't see myself coming back in the future.

As with most rap albums, this really wasn't for me. I've heard worse, but this made no impression on me

Be is an album that clearly wants to be important, conscious, and uplifting, but too often settles for sounding polite and self-satisfied. It presents itself as soulful and reflective, yet much of it feels smoothed down to the point of blandness. The production is warm and tasteful, sometimes too tasteful, wrapping everything in a comforting glow that removes any sense of urgency or tension. Instead of pulling you in, it keeps you at arm’s length, nodding along rather than feeling anything deeply. Lyrically, Common is thoughtful and articulate, but the delivery rarely hits with real weight. There is a lot of talk about growth, positivity, and self-awareness, yet very little that feels risky or emotionally raw. The verses often circle familiar ideas without digging into them, and the hooks drift by without leaving much of a mark. Even when the beats hint at something richer or more dynamic, the songs tend to flatten out, choosing reassurance over impact. What ultimately holds Be back is how content it seems with being agreeable. It wants to inspire, but it rarely challenges, provokes, or surprises. There is nothing here that feels outright bad, but there is also very little that truly demands attention or repeat listens. It is an album that sounds good while it is on and evaporates almost immediately after.

..

5.5/10. Be what? It’s okay. I don’t have much to say about this album. Be.

Here comes my usual hip hop review: More relentlessly monotonous hip hop about the same boring subjects: humble brag, whine about "socially conscious" subjects, rinse and repeat Nothing original here. No thanks. Moving on to the next album.

Supongo que no está mal y Común me parece buen tipo, pero cada que me sale un disco de rap en esta lista me confirma que no es lo mío y nunca podré con el género. Me cansa enseguida y todos los discos me parecen idénticos, sean de quien sean. Lo siento, Común.

Didn’t think I was going to enjoy this based on its genre, which I know is bad but I’m just not a rap/hip hop kinda gal. However, as albums go, this was one of the more listenable ones I’ve had on this list from that genre. If it’s got a more interesting beat and some different vocals and melodies then it just passes for me.

Kanye and Chappell on the same song lame

S'alright, which is a more than glowing endorsement when it comes to hip hop for me. I quite enjoyed the instrumentals on these tracks, and I found myself warming to some of the vocal performances and lyrics. The Kanye track was my favourite, which surprised me as I have next to no familiarity with his discography. I may give some of his albums a listen when I clear my current backlog

I'm not a rap fan but as far as rap albums go, this was actually tolerable. For me to give a rap album a 2.5/5 would be like giving a different kind of album a 4.

Just gangsters etc, i dont get the hype

Not bad, but nothing really stood out either.

Maso

I'm not surprised I'm not big on the Kanye West produced tracks, never got into his chipmunk soul thing. I am surprised that the Dilla tracks don't stand out. Maybe kinda shocked even? the natural response to J Dilla beats is supposed to be 'oh hell yeah'. I'd maybe think harder about whether it should be a 3, but if you've got both John Mayer and Kanye West on your album you have to really justify anything above a 2.

I remember kinda liking this when it came out, but it feels like a harder sell now. Maybe it’s the Kanye West connection, maybe it’s John Mayer. Maybe it’s that I know Obama really likes the guy. I dunno. It’s not good when any president thinks you’re cool.

I like Common in general but found this album pretty generic and lacking any distinctive feel or creativity to push it over the top. Very average, if not slightly below average.

Þetta rapp var nú ekki alslæmt. Ég næstum því fílaði það en samt bara næstum því. Ég þurfti ekki að bíða eftir því að platan kláraðist en ég mun aldrei reyna að spila hana aftur. Þannig að já, ekki alslæmt en heldur ekki sérlega gott

Meh. Enjoyed some beats but mostly ruined by association with Kanye.

It's ok

Not my culture, cannot relate and not interesting musically enough to make it other than repetitive. This has just enough small musical interludes not to dismiss it entirely. but please no more rap albums!

It’s nice enough. But what’s the point in listening to it? It doesn’t break any new ground.

Just pretty dull really

Not for me thanks. I recognised the extra emphasis on the music, but the rapping was the usual...

Best part of this album is Kanye. Great album etc but unfortunately I have an aversion to Common.

I’m not too cool for many things. But I’m too cool for Common.

It's easy to hate Common for being a lax faux intellectual rapper. And I hate him for it. I'll give 2 stars for good production on this album though – a lot of socially conscious rap has such sparse and uninspired beats that you have no choice but to listen to the preachy lyrics, but the highest compliment I can give Common is that he picks good producers who can distract from his annoying persona. I actually found myself enjoying a few songs when I could just enjoy the beat without listening to him waxing poetic. But that's as far as I'll go

I fell asleep every time I tried to get through this - one time at 2pm in the middle of the work day.

Not my typical genre of music. Some nice rhythms but easily forgettable for me - no real lasting power.

No thanks. At least it wasn't hyper aggressive.

My buddies listened to this a lot in high school. It's definitely more pleasant and mellow than pop radio rap from the same time period. But it's a little serious. It's just not as much fun as ATCQ or De La Soul. Fine but not exciting.

Meh

Not my music

This one didn't speak to me.

It’s not awful, but the some of the production style is a little too smooth and R&B for my tastes. I suppose, at least, that’s another artist I never need to hear again ticked off the list.

It was ok, not my type of music

Very odd. I disliked it a lot less than I thought I would. Still no interest in it, but it's certainly more than a 1-star.

I don’t get the buzz around this album

Kan kanske höra något musikaliskt nån sekund här och där. Men mest är det nigga och motherfucka.

Ok

No lo conocia, pero no me convence. No es mi tipo de música.

Apart from the lyrics mostly pretty common and notebly a lot of repetitions. A lot of the instruments also seem to have been generated digitally. This probably is not noticable, if one is focussing on the lyrics. These may be generally good and were fine for the last song. But there the vocals were from my perspective badly performed. At least for me, the breathing seemed to be displaced. There were some highlights, but there are too many aspects below average to justify more than 2 / 5.

Es ist sicherlich kein grottenschlechtes Album, aber es ist halt Hip-Hop und Rap, der mich persönlich wenig begeistert. Common bleibt seinem Stil treu und liefert solide Texte und Beats, die Fans des Genres sicherlich zu schätzen wissen. Dennoch fehlt mir der Funke, der das Album für mich wirklich herausragend machen würde. Die Tracks sind solide produziert und beinhalten auch melodische Passagen, aber sie schaffen es nicht, mich emotional zu packen oder nachhaltig zu beeindrucken. Insgesamt ein eher unterdurchschnittliches Musikerlebnis.

Stories in musical form. This album is upbeat and speaks of current affairs as far as a non black non American can tell, but I didn’t really connect with the lyrics. The best song for me was at the end: It’s Your World. I do like how positive this album was compared to a lot of other rap albums out there.

This is better than the first offering I got on this list from Common. Still not my thing.

Meh record, not my kind of soul.

I’m not into rap

Not for me

3.92 rym qualche base sembra interessante, ma musicalmente non è il mio mi spiace non riuscire a entrare nel conscious hip hop, ma per me dei testi assurdi non bastano, ho davvero bisogno che la musica mi dica qualcosa

The lyrics are considerably more thoughtful and creative than most popular hip hop. But the beats and the flow are pretty average.

Not my jam, but good.

Rating this album is like rating a type of beer I don't like (Ciders). It may be well crafted, but not to my taste. I did enjoy the first song BE "The present is a gift and I just wanna BE"

Not really my genre. The first attempt I got in about 3 songs and just wasn't feeling it. My second attempt, many hours later, was more successful. It wasn't bad, but I don't feel like there were any standouts for me as well, and the collaboration with Kanye was "rougher" as per the latter's style, which I am less appreciative of. While I probably wouldn't object to hearing some or most of this album again, I am not putting it into my playlist.

If you make me listen to this genre, then this is the album I would select. I enjoyed Common's voice more that I imagined but wont be listening again.

It ok, just not for me.

Hold the back page. I like an album from this genre! Was fearing the worst once I’d read that Mr Common was a rapper and the album was produced by Kanye West. But…it was more than bearable. In fact, there was nice music! The vocals were really good and not too offensive lyrically and it felt like a nice R&B mood.

It was just okay. I didn't feel overly moved or excited about any of the songs

Kind of boring, not gonna lie. The most fun I had with this was reading that PhD mathematician dude's review - Shakespeare could never. Got jumpscared by the "Uneven Compromise" sample origin on "Chi-City".

Pointless rap

A poetic rap album littered with classics and yet it feels outdated, artificial, and pretentious.

Best oke

5/10

Not a huge fan of this one, I am just not crazy about his voice / flow. Also something about the production rubbed me the wrong way, either too much compression, too much high end, or something like that. Some songs also had annoying chipmunk vocals, or annoying back up singers. Also fuck Kanye

Ok

Day98 - common and kanye sound really good together. the music and beats are good to bad the lyrics are lame

It's the same thing with each rap/hip hop album I hear: burdened by awful hooks and choruses. Some of the rapping is really good. The beats are great in some of the songs. I love how Common raps about love in one song and the next he's talking about getting head ain't cheating. Haha. I don't know... Maybe rap just isn't my genre. Because I couldn't see myself ever putting this on and grooving to this. Maybe another rap album or artist will hook me in but come on Common. It ain't you!

Good R&B vibes, nice beats

Disappointing. I really like his flow, but this just feels a bit clinical. Not quite underground, not quite shiny pop hip hop. Stuck in the middle of ideas .

The first track was really fun but did not leave much of an impression afterwards

Kanye had a hand in this before he lost his mind. Had some other heavy hitters on this album…I’ve got nothing in common with his music. Ok actor though.

Not the worst

Great album not really a hip Hop guy this has me locked in lyrically

Good listen. I enjoyed it.

Ok; not exactly bad but didn't really connect for.me.

Another one of these where I'm like "nope, never heard of them", then found that we've already had another album of theirs on the 1001 list. Like Water for Chocolate was alright. Is this better? Probably on par. I don't have much opinion on it.

Well, Common is a good name because nothing on this album stood out. I put it on, fairly decent mix of kinda laid-back hip-hop….and then it was over. I just sort of listened to it but it went as fast as it came. No very memorable.

The only rapper whose concert is packed with more suburban moms than teens. 👩👩

Didn’t listen

2 - Me caga el Rap

Not my thing. Very simple compared to the rap I hear now.

This album was entirely forgettable. It tried to be profound, and the first and last track were pretty good. Other than that I wouldn't listen again. 2/5.

kinda didnt connect with me in the way i thought it would the intro the best song imo

Leaves me without any emotions

I can see why this is so lauded as a great album, but it doesn’t speak to me. But the messages weren’t made for me - a middle-aged white guy from the suburbs. I appreciate the artistry, and really liked some of it, but I won’t be looking to listen again.

Fine. Sounds like Common.

No, this was not for me. Some cool rapping and sampling throughout, but the only really noteworthy track is They Say, featuring John Legend and Kanye West. Also, Kanye’s production is clean and really good. Maybe if I’d been a bigger fan of rap music in general, but I’m not.

Hübsche Soul-Schnipsel, leider zum 100sten mal ausgelutscht und dann breitgetreten - laaaangweilig

👍

I was glad when it was over. The background was nice.

Not bad

If I liked HipHop then this would probably be where I'd start. Lovely bass playing, but for me that's where the good stuff ends. Like Intro, hated GO!. They Say was interesting with the interplay of the keys and vocals. Overall though, I'm still not a hiphop fan, don't every want to hear this one again.

Rapsy hip hopy

I am not the intended audience. Good music.

This is not my style of music but it was some of the best rap I have heard.

Not me

Yet more Hip Hop - not sure why there shoud be so many in this list! Wikipedia gives the genre as Hip Hop, Conscious Hip Hop, Hip Hop Soul, Progressive Rap, Chipmunk Soul - what the hell is Chipmunk Soul? This album's main claim to fame seems to be that it was mainly produced by Kanye West.

not gonna revisit this

Not my music

I didnt like it

Not my genre. Surprisingly tame and mainstream

I enjoyed the background music and his voice but I couldn’t really get into the rapping.

Not really my thing, I didn’t connect to the music very much, but I could still appreciate the stories he tells.

Sounds kind of like a watered down Roots. Whoever decided to put a Parental Advisory sticker on this one probably did so to sell more albums, but I can't remember a single swear on this album.

Be is polished, worthy and so frictionless I slid right off it.

I like rap but I don't like hiphop that much

Virkelig stadig ikke mig, selvom jeg nu har hørt pladen 2 gange indenfor 2 måneder..

This is a very listenable album and the production - by Kanye - is rock solid (the bass was coarsing through my bones throughout). i enjoyed it, not as mainstream as Kanye's own work (I'm thinking College Dropout here), but it has an edge. It reminds me a little of Marvin Gaye's Waht's Going On with it's social messages and children's aspirational voices strewn throughout. It lacks the catchy, memorable melodic hooks that I seek in the hip hop I love, but its a solid album. It's going to lose a star for not being the most re-listenable for me, but that's just my taste. I bet hardcore hip hop lovers will rate it much higher adn I am unaware of the influence it has had.. As with many of my reviews, I'll likely wan tto change it at a later date and, in this case, most likely rate it higher as I get more acquainted with it.

The last song was good. The rest were alright.

Not my favorite by Common and not my favorite in the genre. He has a good message as always but never really liked him a ton.

I don’t know if it’s because the album is a certain style but felt dated. Mostly common rapping a story over a decently catchy mixed track.

Rap is not for me personally but I liked some of the beats and the intro song.

I'll preface this by saying I'm a 54-year old English white man. In the two weeks I've been on here this was the first artist that I actually never heard of. I almost didn't listen to this album because EVERY song was greyed out on Spotify because of explicit lyrics, and I didn't feel like turning off my kid-filter for someone I'd never heard of. But I did. And I'm glad that I did. Melodies were nice, great backing musicians. Music reminded me of Mos Def or A Tribe Called Quest. Explicit lyrics weren't extreme, mostly the occasional N-word. I doubt I would listen to this again, but I'm glad I did once.

J Dilla and Kanye influence make this album for me. Lyrically he fluctuated between genius and cornball.

Mid

It wasn’t for me honestly

The singles were the good ones. Not too impressed.

Ikkje så dumt, ikkje så minneverdig heller

The principles of this so-called 'art' are rudimentary, at best. Simplistic rhythm section and unpolished, usually simplistic poetry. We're aware this type of "music" comes out of an impoverished environment. Impoverished and oppressed by predatory capitalism, of course, though its practitioners rarely , if ever, address that. It's regrettable that the billions of dollars made by the pretend moguls and their patsies can't be reinvested in the communities which spawned this style. Maybe then the reliance on jury-rigged technologies can be overcome and real musical instruments and instruction and real musical invention can come back.

Strong disliked the previous Common album I got on here. This one was slightly better. First and Last track both really good. The rest was pretty meh. 2.5*

Helaas is dit album iets te veel R&B voor mij, terwijl ik de stem van Common wel aangenaam vindt.

I like the intro. There's some funky beats in there man. It's a shame the rest of the album doesn't hold up to that. There's still some nice things going on, but it's just not my thing and lots of it sounds generic.

Another hip-hop album that is not relatable at all for me. Some of the samples are nice. Don't like listening to all the N-words, sorry.

Hip-hop rap. Escuchable, sin más.

This album just flowed along not sparking anything arresting along the way.

I didn't have high hopes for this, given that Like Water for Chocolate is the only album I've shut off partway through in 350+ albums. This was...fine. I'm not a big fan of rap and hip hop. It seemed like a decent album if you're into this type of music.

Wow. As an African-American youth residing in the inner city of Chicago, this album has inspired me to do great things. Wait a second, I’m not an African-American youth residing in the inner city of Chicago!

C+ Be(Intro) - 3 The Corner - 3 Go! - 3 Faithful - 4 Testify - 3 Love Is… - 2 Chi City - 2 The Food (Live) - 3 Real People - 3 They Say - 2 It’s Your World, Pt. 1 & 2 - 2 Returned to this with my new anti-Kanye lens and guess what? They (didn't) got better! MWahahahaha. It's a reference to- nvm I'll just drop the link: https://www.tiktok.com/@krantzcke/video/7192553832679935278 . It'd take too much to describe. Hopefully that link lives in. Otherwise, this review will make no sense.

It was solid but no really my thing.

Enjoyed intro and testimony as they stood out the most to me Liked most instrumentals with the bits of jazz mixed in. Some became a bit repetitive or dull as they sounded like other rap songs from the early 00s Vocals were okay, liked some bars he has but voice/flow wasn’t as interesting or didn’t capture me entirely. Testimony female vocals were great tho. For me that was the best song especially with the story telling from start to finish.

It's alright as far as rap goes, but not something I really enjoy. 2 stars.

holy shit, the sampling on "Testify" was so fucking annoying

Not listening to this. Electric Circus was a flawed but adventurous and sometimes very good album. This was closer to music by committee. "So, Mr Common, we have to tap back into the zeitgeist of 'One Day It'll All Make Sense' etc. You don't have the material? Worry not! We have you, and we have the incentive..." Yes, Be made lots of money. Still doesn't change the fact that it is a poor shadow of Common's first albums, and locked him into a creative cut-de-sac that I doubt he'll ever get out of now. yes, I am bitter. Can you tell?

Notable bars and beats are few on this LP – Common has a few great lyrical insights to share, but is easily outclassed by each and every guest feature on the album when it comes to wordplay. Instrumentals aren't helping given they're firmly stuck in the mid-gear of the early aughts, some blandly positive commercial vibes transposed into music.

Como já tem sido mencionado Rap é das coisas que menos gosto de um ponto visto musical. Quando o álbum começa e é algo mais instrumental fiquei agradavelmente surpreso. Contudo, quando cantam deixa um bocado aquém pelo estilo musical. Por fim é agradável de se ouvir, mas não algo que goste, o álbum ganha pontos pelo arranjo musical. Nota:4/10 18/05/2024

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

Not in my wheelhouse.

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

Nothing special

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

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.

Lost points when they brought Kanye on

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

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.

Vond niet veel aan dit album

Extremely underwhelming.

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.

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"

Kinda boring.

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.

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

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

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)

Mais um disco de rap que não me convence.

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

The Common Bee.

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

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

Nothing to see here.

mje

4/10 Best song - They Say

Supaboring

nice instruementals ; not looking good at the lyrics tho

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

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

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.

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

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.

Meh

Caught between 90s and 10's hiphop. Not quite Biggie, not quite Kendrick.

Hip-hop rap. Escuchable, sin más.

Second Listen. Gave it a 1/5 the first time. Not as bad this time

Meh. "The Food" was the only song I liked on this album.

can here the kanye influence but not as good as kanye

Had this album on and it really passed me by, while it was easy on the ear really nothing stood out. A bit bland.

Not really a rap fun but cool beats

It’s fine, it didn’t dislike it but it just really forgettable. The Kanye verses are probably the highlights and sadly there aren’t enough of them. There wasn’t single outstanding track. I mean, where are the hooks?

so-so

It’s fine, it didn’t dislike it but it just really forgettable. The Kanye verses are probably the highlights and sadly there aren’t enough of them. There wasn’t single outstanding track. I mean, where are the hooks?

Hoewel ik wel iets met rap heb, kan ik hier niet zoveel mee. Iets te weinig smoel ofzo.

Best een paar aardige nummers, en muziekaal best ok. Maar toch is dit niet iets waar ik echt warm voor kan lopen.

4.5

Nice warm Beats String Old school Attitude Still mit my cup

I’m 100% not the intended audience for this album. I’ve never really been a fan of rap but I can appreciate when it’s good. I feel bad giving it such a low rating. I like the background to the lyrics and can understand the rhymes which quite often I can’t in most rnb. I felt like it was thought provoking. Favourite track was testify. Just not my style of music

1.5

I liked Kanye's production, but was pretty meh on the songs themselves.

rap um pouco melhor... primeira faixa é razoavel, mas a maioria é tosca.

I actually like Common's varied works, but a couple songs on here that are impossible to listen to (Testify) ruined the experience of a whole album. The highs simply don't outweigh the lows.

Meh. Alright, I suppose.

Kind of boring - didn't really get it, like 99% of highly rated hip hop records.

Not quite sure what this album is doing here. It’s generic and just cheesy!