Be

I can be hit and miss with the genre but this album slaps. I immediately vibed with the beats and had my head nodding along from track one. It dates from the greatest era for American hip-hop (mid nineties to mid noughties) and is a great blend of all the best bits; A taste of the early hip-hop sound, a dash more complexity in the flows, and some production flare from the noughties. A lot of the production and intonation put me in mind of Kanye West (before he went mental) but Be has a much nicer voice on the ear. It's an interesting one because usually my enjoyment of hip-hop albums is inversely correlated with how seriously the artist seems to take themselves. This album bucks that trend because the lyrics are trending far more towards the meaningful end of the spectrum than I usually enjoy. The beats and flows are just so buttery that I can definitely imagine myself listening to this in the future.

this one toes the line between 4 and 5 for me. but i look at the cover art and just can't stop smiling myself

Pretty good!

I enjoyed the songwriting!

Definitely need to add this to the rotation and listen more, great album

3.5

One thing I internalized from my one day attending Kiese Laymon’s class before I dropped it for fear of being one of the white girls rapping… is that Common is a mfin poet. Excited to listen! // 2004. What a time. Kanye’s presence is distracting me. Closing out with his dad’s spoken word on the last track is perfect.

I get it but it’s not for me

I listen to a lot of current Hip Hop, but if we are being honest, Hip Hop had its most innovative and stromg period from around 1985 to 1995, with tons of legendary albums being released each year. However, 1001 albums seems to focus entirely on early 2000s Hip Hop which can be considered as Hip Hop's Dark Ages. While this is a pretty good album, there are literally hundreds that are way better and more relevant.

Super solid!

Be+

i do forget just *how* much Kanye is all over this as an MC. one of the great hip hop albums of the 2000s!

The Good: B The Bad: F The Ugly: come on… isn’t it o Be vious? I tried… I failed. This album was presented to me a week ago, only today did I find the time to listen to it… and I did not like it. There are things on the album that aren’t bad, so it is possible that me having been working for 13 hours is a massive influence in the way I consumed this artists endeavors… I will give the B a C… as it didn’t make me want to kill the album off…

Remember 2005, when a progressive, socially conscious artist could collaborate with Kanye West and nobody thought twice about it? Yeah, me neither.

Slay, this kinda feels like watching a Terrence Malick film.

Enjoyed this album! Lyrically it was really strong and a couple of different sounds in there but also some of the beats and backings were one note

My ears aren't offended but I find this boring

Loooooved this. I knew “Go!”, which is one of my favorite beats ever already. The production on this is so amazing, the lyrics are amazing, the features are great. Makes me nostalgic man. I will be going back to this.

Common is such a great lyricist with some of the best delivery in rap. The early Kanye production still sounds so fresh. Overall almost faultless.

Good for the gym. Didn’t love the way he talks about women

So good, need to re-listen. Obviously a Common album and his delivery and flows are top notch but prime Kanye clearly has his hands all over this. Production is absolutely immense. Fav tracks: Be, Go!, The Corner. Saved a song: Y RYM: Y (#470)

6/10 - nice relaxed RnB

Not my favorite of the 2000s hip hop albums I've heard, but still pretty good. The music compositions were a little too sample-reliant for my liking. They weren't boring, though, so that kept it engaging. Kinda interesting how much Kanye is on here. The tracks have a sound like his, and he has featured vocals on at least a few of them. Seems he produced it, which makes more sense. I can't really pick out anything bad about it; it's just more that I didn't really love it or find it better than solid/good. Not sure I'd listen to this one again, but it was a decent listen for me here. Overall: 3.2/5

Ну норм

Smooth. Great messages

Competent. But none of the songs really land with me. I won’t return to the album.

Smooth production and inspiring lyrics. Favourite Track(s): Faithful, Be Least Favourite Track(s): Real People, Chi-City

Common is an excellent rapper with a smooth, entrancing flow and I love J-Dilla’s beats. This one is worth revisiting.

esse cara manda bem

This album had a stranglehold on me in college. Definitely sounds a little corny now, but can't deny how good this is.

I liked it

Classic. The Kanye influence is apparent. “They Say” is still a jam 20 years on.

Me encantó la vibra

Really enjoyed it, Kanye influence is obvious on this record. Tight rapping, good lyrics, fun songs, some really good music and sampling. Not the heights of the rap greats but a really good four. 4/5.

pretty bland surface level lyrics with uninteresting instrumentals

Rap isn't usually my thing but I enjoyed this one. It flowed nicely.

This is the second Common album I have received so far. This album was released five years after Like Water for Chocolate. No matter how much I tried, I could not get through LWFC. This album, Be, I want to give two or three more listens. It is amazing to me how in the course of a few years an artist can change and fine tune in such a way that everything and snap together and fall into place. I was really bummed when I didn't love LWFC because I love Common's work. Be reminded me of all the things I love about this artist. Common is an incredible storyteller and musician and I hope that there are more of his albums on the list.

I wasn't a fan of Common before, but I am now. Smooth as silk, beats that keep you going, storytelling that grips, Common delivers it all. He's got a wonderful voice that's pleasant to listen to and doesn't lean on tropes other artists cling to in order to keep you entertained. If only he didn't think he needed to hook his wagon to Kanye, because Common stands just fine on his own. My Rating: 5/5 But I don't have a PhD in mathematics, so what do I know?

This album is fine. It's got a message but I just don't really feel the album itself stands out in any way.

I know Common, but nothing from this. Solid early 2000s hop hop with the Kanye sound. Nothing too stand out 3.5 rounded up Heard before? Some Owned: No: 73/293 (24%) Will I get: No

Kanye West producing is god

this was really enjoyable!!

Album bastante genérico de hip hop, esta bueno

Nope. Rapper, Crapper.

Enjoyed this so much more than I was expecting to

idgaf about this sorry

I mean its aight

Not bad but not feeling it

absolute peak

He’s a good lyricist but I hated the production of this album, the looping back tracks and the high pitched backing vocals drove me crazy.

Strong start, tailed off a bit

Really enjoyed this album. To my ears they were no out and out bangers but the whole sound was cohesive and flowed nicely. The Kanye influence was strong at times, but that’s not a bad thing. Will revisit.

Will happily throw this on again. A few tracks felt like they were missing proper hooks, but great most of the way through.

i didn't realize Kanye was... all over this Would I listen again: enforcing my Kanye boycott, so no Deserves to be on this list: yeah it's made its mark on history 3.9

Ok, but not my cup of tea

Tremendo

Here is an in-depth review of Common's sixth studio album, *Be* (2005). --- ## Overview & Context Released on May 24, 2005, *Be* arrived at a pivotal moment for Common. His previous album, *Electric Circus* (2002), was an experimental, psychedelic project that alienated core fans and underperformed commercially. *Be* functioned as a deliberate recalibration—a "rebirth" rather than a mere comeback . Common enlisted Kanye West (then riding the massive wave of *The College Dropout*) as executive producer, alongside the legendary J Dilla, to craft a sound that was soulful, grounded, and distinctly Chicago. --- ## Production The production is the album's most celebrated element. Kanye West produced nine of the eleven tracks, with J Dilla handling the remaining two ("Love Is..." and the closer "It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)") . * **Kanye's Signature:** The sound is instantly recognizable as peak-era Kanye—warm, sample-heavy soul built on chipmunk vocals, lush piano loops, and gospel textures. Tracks like "Be (Intro)" and "The Corner" exemplify this cinematic, orchestral boom-bap approach . On "Go!," Kanye manipulates a Linda Lewis piano sample into something both playful and grand, bolstered by John Mayer's guitar and scratches from A-Trak . * **J Dilla's Touch:** Dilla's contributions provide a contrast—more abstract, bouncy, and fluid. "Love Is..." features shimmering keys and echoing Marvin Gaye vocal samples, creating the album's most lush sonic environment . The closing track swirls with piano that perfectly captures a sense of worldly wisdom and closure . **Criticism:** Some listeners find Kanye's production *too* dominant. One review noted that the chipmunk soul flourishes and sped-up vocal samples sometimes clash with Common's more demure, steady flow, particularly on the album's second half . Slant Magazine argued that the production felt "claustrophobic and limited," suggesting Common was merely teaching from "the playbook of a college dropout" . --- ## Lyrics & Themes Common's lyricism on *Be* is widely regarded as a masterclass in conscious, poetic rap. The album's central thesis is right there in the title: **simplicity, authenticity, and presence**. * **Self-Reflection & Identity:** The opener "Be (Intro)" sets the tone immediately with themes of freedom, purpose, and spiritual forward motion . On "They Say," Common directly addresses critics who accused him of selling out after gaining commercial success, defending his artistic integrity while acknowledging the pressures of fame . * **Urban Life & Social Commentary:** "The Corner" is a street scripture featuring The Last Poets, capturing the raw complexities of Chicago street life without glorification . "Real People" tackles the discrimination faced by African Americans, while "Chi-City" serves as a high-energy anthem of hometown pride and cultural defense . * **Love & Spirituality:** The album explores love from multiple angles. "Go!" details a turbulent, sexually charged relationship with clever innuendo . "Faithful" (featuring John Legend and Bilal) is a two-part meditation—first on maintaining faith in a higher power, then on remaining loyal to a partner. Notably, Common poses the provocative question: *"What if God was a her?"*—a bold theological take for 2005 . "Love Is..." finds Common reflecting on how growing up in rough neighborhoods shaped his understanding of affection . * **Narrative Storytelling:** "Testify" is a dark courtroom drama where Common raps from the perspective of a woman defending her man, only to reveal a shocking twist ending. While ambitious, this track is polarizing—some find the narrative gripping, others find the twist groan-inducing and the choppy beat disruptive . --- ## Influence & Legacy *Be* is now considered one of the defining albums of mid-2000s conscious hip-hop and a landmark of the Chicago rap renaissance . It proved that commercial appeal and lyrical depth weren't mutually exclusive, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. The album captures a unique moment in time: Kanye West just before global superstardom, J Dilla in one of his final major contributions before his passing in 2006, and Common at the absolute peak of his artistic clarity. It influenced a generation of "backpack" and soulful rappers who sought to balance intelligence with accessibility. Rolling Stone described it as a continuation of *The College Dropout*'s sonic world, but make no mistake—this is Common's show. His voice, stories, and philosophical grounding are the stars . --- ## Pros | Strength | Details | |----------|---------| | **Exceptional Production** | Kanye West and J Dilla at their creative peaks; soulful, warm, and timeless beats . | | **Lyrical Mastery** | Common balances poetic introspection, social commentary, and storytelling with remarkable clarity . | | **Cohesive Vision** | The album is tightly sequenced and thematically unified around the concept of simply "being" . | | **Emotional Range** | It moves seamlessly from spiritual uplift ("Faithful") to street narratives ("The Corner") to sensual playfulness ("Go!") . | | **Iconic Intro/Outro** | "Be (Intro)" and "It's Your World" are widely considered among the best opening and closing tracks in hip-hop . | | **Concise Runtime** | At 11 tracks, it avoids the bloat that plagued many albums of the era; every song serves a purpose . | --- ## Cons | Weakness | Details | |----------|---------| | **Kanye's Dominance** | At times, the production overshadows Common; it occasionally feels like a Kanye album featuring Common rather than the reverse . | | **"Testify" Polarization** | The courtroom narrative and choppy beat disrupt the album's flow for some listeners; the twist ending has been called "groan-inducing" . | | **Stylistic Mismatch** | Common's calm, steady delivery sometimes clashes with Kanye's more zany, high-energy chipmunk-soul aesthetic . | | **Lack of Edge** | For listeners seeking harder, more aggressive hip-hop, *Be* can feel too smooth, polite, or "lifestyle brand"-adjacent . | | **"Chi-City" & "Real People"** | Some critics find these tracks less essential, with "Chi-City" failing to distinguish itself and "Real People" using a somewhat dated sample . | --- ## Final Verdict *Be* is a near-perfect exercise in artistic restraint and purposeful simplicity. It stripped away the excesses of *Electric Circus* to reveal Common at his most grounded, pairing his philosophical lyricism with some of the warmest, most soulful production of the 2000s. While Kanye's sonic fingerprints are everywhere, Common's voice—literally and figuratively—remains the anchor. **Grade:** A / 9.5 out of 10 It is not just one of Common's finest works; it is one of hip-hop's most elegant and enduring albums—a timeless document of Chicago soul, conscious rap, and the beauty of simply deciding to **be** .

perfect album

Its not bad, some of it is very chill and enjoyable. Bit too long.

Great rap music

I'm working towards getting a PhD in Music Education, and I'm not going to use my degree to justify broadly hating an entire genre because it isn't Prog Rock. I could absolutely use my degree to rant for 48 hours straight on why Polygondwanaland by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard is one of the most complicated (and one of the best) albums of all time, but that's not on this list. This album is pretty okay, but there's definitely better 2000s rap on this list, including the other Common album. I love a lot of the beats on the album, especially stuff like The Corner and It's Your World Part 2, but I feel like it's really obvious that Kanye produced this album. To a degree, it almost feels like he's trying to re-create The College Dropout for most of the runtime and it drags the album down for me a little. The rapping is pretty okay as well, but I feel like he said a lot more interesting stuff on Like Water for Chocolate.

Not even that into Common as a rapper (he’s a fine quasi-conscious MC/ great storyteller with lyrical flourishes that sometimes are straight up corny) but the production is such a cut above and particularly nostalgic to me. Kanye 1.0 totally in his element.

City street sonder. [First album of these I'd listened to before and one of my favorite hip hop albums of all time!] 5/5

OH SHIT ITS KANYE Putting that aside, this is an excellent hip-hop album. Good vibes, rhymes, and powerful messages. Just the way mama likes her conscious hip-hop.

Beats were good, raps flowed nicely, has this bouncy quality to it. But why did Kanye have to show up? The touch of his reputation has marred an otherwise very good hip hop album.

This was really good!! Obviously I’m ideologically anti-Kanye, but I hear the early Kanye influence here and it’s unfortunately cool. I love the bookend songs and found the lyricism to be really clever.

I have a B.S of EnvSci and i thought this album was great !

Good flow and beats.

Smooth. I love the jazziness. Conscious rap done right.

"Produced by Kanye West" when he was still sane. And you can tell since this is some good shit. The samples are top-notch. Rap isn't my genre: it's normally very boring to me but the instrumentals on this record are so nice. Complimented by a mix of Kanye's and Common's vocals and you got yourself one hell of an RnB/Rap album. Favourite tracks: GO!, Testify 3.5/5

The peak of Kanye’s producing. Great album from start to finish

Un album qui est passé très vite Les instru sont très cool 4

You can be do what you want to do - en vrai c'est sympa Playlist pick : They Say

Unfortunately the Kanye features are really good. The outro 😭😭😭😭😭

Again I didn’t hate it but it was not all that good. I did not find myself liking any particular song

They say "life is a game," so I play hard Writin' for my life 'cause I'm scared of a day job -They Say Be a strong academic student, be an A student in sociology Be food for thought to the growin mind, be the author of your own horoscope -It's your world Me gustó mucho, a nivel musical y a nivel de composición, me gustaron las letras y el mensaje que transmite, y todo el concepto de "ser" del que trata el álbum. Ser depende de uno.

Never listened to Common but was pleasantly surprised. Very Kanye-esque. Enjoyed the groovy jazzyness. 3.5/5.

Sounds like it should just BE (wink) a Kanye album. The sound is very much Kanye esque Bout half the album sounded like 'Heard em Say' Decent enough. Other than Go and Testify which i thought were shite

First time listening to common and I enjoyed this album. Even though it sounds like it should be just a Kanye album

Das Intro hat mich gut abgeholt. Soulig.

not to brag but i got an A in maths at a level and i also enjoyed this album. guess i'm a super smart well-rounded individual

I don’t have Ph.D. in maths so this is one of my favorite albums.

What makes Be great is that it understands restraint. The album is only 11 tracks on its original release, and it wastes almost nothing. The beats are soulful, warm, and crisp; the writing is thoughtful without becoming sleepy; and Common sounds like he has stopped reaching for abstraction and reconnected with clarity. This is conscious rap without the lecture tone that ruins lesser albums.

For better and worse, and it’s not like the album was trying to hide anything, but it’s fascinating just how insidious and pervasive Kanye West was just as a producer. Not to completely ignore Common here (and J Dilla, RIP) of course, Be is an excellent album with every contribution. It’s just Common isn’t quite the most interesting thing about the thing. This generator has given me two Kanye albums now, where I had only heard one before this (TLOP ten years ago), and you don’t realize his grasp on sampling and production and how impressive and unmatched it is until you spend time listening to his music, which I never really did. It’s good. Shame he’s a complete lunatic.

fav songs: love is... they say soulful, reflective, polished 60/100

Standard, quality stuff. Some bangers, great easy listening. Gonna give it a 4, but 4.5 might be more appropriate? Maybe I'm being harsh not giving it a 5. I love the jazz hip hop vibe so much.

Mid

Ye behind the scenes. Common in front. Nice tunes.

I really rather enjoyed this. Some thought provoking lyrics and a tunes to match.

Damn, I love a short album. Especially when it's as good as this. Rap isn't my thing, but the mix of retro soul and jazz influences here is excellent. And whatever his failings, Kanye (or Ye, or whatever he's called today) is a mean producer. Perfect listening for a sunny May day morning. 4*

muy buena intro, las demás no fueron muy de mi gusto, pero un solido 4

Slick flow, solid production. Doesn't overstay its welcome. I'm a fan.

Soundtrack to my come up. From the production & lyricism I just get a radiating positivity. The type of album you'd put on when you're cruising through town, windows down, sun is shinning on an early summer day. Front to back I find the album really consistent and strong, there really isn't track I could pick out that feels like it falls flat or detracts from the experience. The lyrical work is beautiful, conscious & uplifting— making me come out on the other side like I can take on the world. Matched with some of West's fantastic early era production, giving it that infectious, early 2000s hip-hop bounce that makes it impossible not to bounce me head to. In some ways, the production feels like it takes a front seat, where I'm listening more of a Kanye album then Common. But that just, once again, shows how incredible of a beatmaker West was. Common, and really the early 2000s hip-hop has long been an unexplored era for me. This album is a great reminder of what I'm missing in not digging into it all. I love it, this one will be slipping into the heavy rotation for sure. Ultimately, this album *feels* like it embodies the core essence of that Chi-Town Sound during this time, and once again I find it hooking and drawing me back in once more.

BE is such a good album Rating:3.5/5 GEMV (15.05.2026) - missed 29.04.2026

Sorry, don't like rap.

Solid

Nope. No. Non. Two Common albums on this list? C'mon!

I suprisingly enjoyed it actually. Laid back and chill

Fantastic album by an undervalued rapper. Great messaging and story telling. One I can come back to, if not as strong as some of the other standout albums of that time.

me encantó, muy rap, todo perfecto, la base muy juicy perfecta

Esta bueno aunque es medio repetitivo.

i really really enjoy the fusion of hip hop and jazz

A frustratingly mediocre album, capped off by a pretentious closing track

🙄

Very 2000s hiphop

Interesting change of pace compared to the rest of the list and enjoyed it but not sure it gets above a cool vibe into truly great songs.

Solid but not my favourite

Love, love, love it.

very lean and tight tracks, well performed and produced. You can hear Kanye's influence everywhere. Nothing particularly memorable to me. His rapping is more lyrical and fluid, but seems to lack some passion and intensity. A lovely listen

Common rarity? Shit

Eh

Chicago’s own Common! Excited to see him on this list. So smooth and chill but at the same time insuring. 4.1

This was a nice vibe. I still struggle with rap, as lyrics are much less important to me than the music underneath. This had some nice moments, though. 5/10 Decent

Solid rap album with R&B elements. No standout tracks.

It’s Common’s album, but Kanye is the one of the best producers ever.

super vibe, kiffant

C'est très très fort

now THAT'S an album! fucking loved the lyrics and the beats, very 00s album, will probably listen to it again

This was great! Like listening to early Kanye, I enjoyed the production, the lyricism, scene-setting, and overall propulsion of the project. I have always slept on Common, but this hit like nostalgia even though I had never listened to it before. The inclusion of him and Kanye's Chappell performance (which was the only track I knew) was the cherry on the top.

I enjoyed this more than I expected. Nothing felt groundbreaking, but some interesting melodies and pleasant

really good lyrics, really nostalgic vibes

Pretty standard hip hop album. Nothing really jumped out at me. Nice easy listening, a little boring. If the whole album blends together for me, it's a 2. I just listened and already can't remember any of it. Not bad, just not... anything.

i like it

5/10 As a Humanities PhD (well, in a few months), I find this to be a perfectly adequate album. The music is far better than the lyrics, although the non-stop midtempo beats so prominent in R&B/rap of the 2000sis a bit dull. Honestly, there's nothing wrong with this album, but I don't think it's particularly good either. It's perfectly fine.

Decent enough, definitely an album I wouldn't have sought out on my own. Sounds like a roadmap for Kanye's early work. Nothing more special than that

It’s goid

Great album. Couldn't listen intently as was on in the background but loved the hooks and some of the lyrics I caught

Sonido ultra sofisticado, propio de la mano de Kanye West a lo largo de todos los tracks. Líricas afiladísimas, existencialistas, abordando temas sensibles de manera punzante, honesta y representativa de una comunidad. Tiene todo lo que un gran disco de rap puede tener y fluye perfectamente, un problema habitual que suele habitar hasta en los mejores discos del género. Un 10/10 y una victoria para el hip hop la existencia de este disco.

Super chill. Really reminiscent of the 2000s.

So in 2005 Dave Chapelle made his Block Party film, in which he, well, organizes a block party with some of his favorite artists. Chapelle has great tastes and all artists there are highly recommended (Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Dead Prez, The Roots). Common was also in that film, apparently at his peak. This is a great album, catchy songs, interesting production also very varied musically and emotionally. I really liked this one so easy five stars, and in the spirit of other reviews, I actually have a STEM PhD as well.

cool!

Never even heard of this but I really enjoyed it. Hip hop with a smile on its face, made me think of summer.

Had no idea about this artist or album and glad I listened all the way through - solid listen.

Då var vi där igen, i den där sörjan mellan neo-soul och hiphop och naturligtvvis har mr. West ett finger med i smeten. Ni kan läsa recensionen från College dropout, det här är precis vad jag menade med att kommersiell hiphop gick vilse i den sörjan. Enstaka gånger hittar Common tillbaka till nåt som kan betecknas som renodlad hiphop, då blir det genast lite bättre och det är det som gör att han klarar tvåan med ett nödrop.

Det är bra. Bäst är Faithful, Testify, Chi-City och Real people.

Jag hade Be högt upp på den första sammankomsten för årsbästalistan 2004. Det hade jag antagligen inte haft idag. Det är inte dåligt men ingen aha-upplevelse heller. Det finns en del fina spår. T ex inledande Be. Hade gärna sett att jazzinfluenserna fått ta större plats. Det blir en vanlig trea till Common.

Soulig hiphop. Rätt skönt att lyssna på, särskilt första halvan. Något utslätat och uddlöst. Stort plus att han bytte artistnamn från det urtöntiga Common Sense till Common.

Tiresome and bland at the same time.

No es es meu estil de música però està xulo i m'he guardat cançonetes. Sobretot m'agrada sa músiqueta de fons, sa lletra sa veritat que no m'he fixat massa però bueno, ta bien

I’m sorry i jus couldn’t get into it

Loved this, classic old Kanye production

This was good, sort of washed over me, can remember any standout tracks etc.

I liked it well enough, but it didn’t grab me. He’s clearly a gifted storyteller with a powerful voice, but after a while I found myself wishing for more flexibility and nuance. There was an opportunity to do more with the musical references & samples. I was drawn more to the songs that had guests like The Corner and They Say.

Not my genre of expertise. I found it to be an enjoyable enough listen but it left me a little flat. Nice groove but I prefer hip hop with more grit and edge. To me this feels like the smooth jazz of hip hop. The lyrics are generally positive which is great but they felt a bit pedantic. The artist should show rather than tell and this feels more like just telling. For me it was fine but I wouldn’t necessarily listen to it again.

Good of its kind, I guess. I must say that The Corner is quite good. But. Overall I found the album tedious and kept checking to see how much longer there was to go until it was over. The long tail of It's Your World is really good. It makes a good counterpoint to this, which i wrote before getting to the album's conclusion: Serves as a good illustration of why I gave up on hip hop in the late 90s, as a genre that seemed determined to resist rhe temptations of imaginative self-reinvention.

I still feel a bit cynical about this album... I remember enjoying the grooves. And I remember being moved, as many pundits were, by his choice to be funky but "conscious," rather than making more songs about money, misanthropy and misogyny. Queen Latifah, BPMD paved that road for him, and for others. And that's a rich history. But then I remember the Wu Tang Clan of that era, and just how compelled I was by their cruelty, sorrow, chaos, rage, suspicion... and Common's version of "conscious" feels a little light. He's had a long-lived and high-profile career in Hollywood. To my mind, he gave up on hiphop pretty quickly to begin it. And more power to him; "you gotta get that bag," as the youth say.

Having only five stars to utilize makes rating these 1001 records difficult. This album is another entry into the three-star rating which is turning out to be the broadest category for me. Three means, "I don't love this but I don't hate it," or "I don't love this but there are enough good songs on here that I can't trash it," or "I like this but probably wouldn't listen to it again," or "I like this and might listen to it a few times a year," and on and on. As it happens there are a lot of records I don't dislike, so they can't get shunted into the two-star category, but I don't really love so they can't be up in four- or five-star territory. This record falls into this three-star category: "I don't love this but if I had heard it when it came out I probably would have." I like the jazziness of it in particular. Not a fan of hearing Kanye's voice, and I probably wouldn't listen to this again, but listening to it this time was really enjoyable.

I don’t like rap, hip hop and all that stuff. Regardless the jazzy and rithm&blues parts, it’s so bored and repetitive.

I wanted to make a joke about being awful at mathematics (which means I appreciated this as a result) but I'll back off for now. Thanks for the laughs, everyone! Now, on to this album - Common did something wonderful here. Warm production, direct themes, very insightful lyrics. This was where he was coming unto his own here. Sometimes it's a bit samey, but it's solid overall. So, how does being good at math make you not appreciate this? The rhythms and rhymes are as calculated as it gets! 4 stars.

2 1/2 stars

I enjoyed this

This is a decent record. I've always found Common to come off a great deal less profound than he wants to be. His beats were really novel for the time though.

I have a STEM PhD and enjoyed both the lyricism and melodies of this. Some would say my intelligence is right around the middle of the bell curve though, so maybe that's why. Trolling aside, this is my second Common album this week, and this is so different. Hip hop that's more like old Kanye, which I really enjoyed. We need more albums like this on this list, fresh, great sound. 5* Highlights: be, faithful

I'd not heard this before but I did breifly have a daliance with Common after hearing the singles for _Like Water for Chocolate_ and buying that album and I did listen to it a fair bit. What struck me most about that album was the musicality, something that's not always present in hip-hop and here it's a strong point once again. The beats here are fantastic and instantly caught my attention. I know others have panned the lyrics, I certainly won't defend them, partly because I dont't take in the lyrics that much and I honestly couldn't recite any of them from the one listen of this that I've had. The flow is more important to me and Common is fantastic here at that. The only real downside for me was that Kanye is on it!

not for me

Muy bueno!

3 out of 5. Flew by in a pleasant way.

Todo lo que me gusta de un álbum de rap, me cierra por todos lados. Igual no es el mejor que escuché.

Música de negros. 5/10

preachy but not bad 3.5/5

be di common of which I am a big fan one of the best albums in the history of hip hop that goes from political street themes to romantic ones that is helped by productions from jazz to bum bap with 2 of the best producers in history j dilla and kanye west sensational

Good! Nice lyrics, smooth composition, it didn't move me to my core but it was a good rap record.

It was reminding me of Kanye West and then he started talking about chi-town and Kanye started rapping, so I guess Chicago rap is a thing. This album was pretty good, but I preferred Kanye’s debut to this.

Relisten One of my favorite hip hop records. Common/Kanye were kind of unstoppable back in the day, and there's even some Dilla sprinkled in here for good measure. Kanye's production is definitely scaled back from his solo stuff, nothing quite on the same level of bombastic as College Dropout, and I think that better fits Common's more laid-back style. Only nitpick is that I'm not sold on the spoken word segments of The Corner - not out of lyrical content, I just think it feels at odds sonically with the rest of the track. Still love that song though. Favorite Tracks: Be, Go!, Chi-City, They Say, Real People Least Favorite: None 5/5

Not my thing at all. I did try and finish the album but I didn't.

Kinda cool not my type of music

La verdad es que me gustó mucho, principalmente porque es un hip hop muy musicalizado y bastante variado dentro del género. Me llamaron mucho la atención los coros en varias canciones, ya que les suman muchísimo y les dan un toque muy especial; se nota claramente la impronta característica de Kanye West como productor. También destaco las letras, ya que hablan de temas bastante fuertes y que están muy ligadas a vivencias personales de la cultura afroamericana, transmitiendo bastante dureza y sentimiento. Mi canción favorita fue “Faithful”, aunque también destacaría “GO!”, “The Corner” y “It’s Your World - Part 1 & 2”. En conclusión, le doy un 8/10.

Classic

I don't really like rap... I liked some of the backing tracks, but got bored of, and couldn't relate to, what he was rapping about.

01) Be (Intro) - 7,0 02) The Corner - 7,0 03) Go! - 7,0 04) Faithful - 6,5 05) Testify - 7,0 06) Love Is… - 7,0 07) Chi-City - 6,5 08) The Food - 7,5 09) Real People - 6,5 10) They Say - 7,0 11) It's Your World (Part 1 & 2) - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,86 (69/100) Current ranking: 528/880

Goed album, minder harde bars dan gehoopt maar it is what it is

Maybe I was in the right mood when I listened to this, but I enjoyed it a lot

It was ok. Maybe slightly better than the other Common album that we have had but nothing to give it more than a 3.

Another fairly boring one for me

Top common

muy buen álbum, me encantó se nota mucho q Kanye produce el álbum y empieza a ser el auge del rap experimental, no falla una canción.

Meh

Every word and rhyme felt meaningful and purposeful. Great vibes

It’s alright

nice solid album

Lyrically excellent portrait of a gangster. Produced by early Kanye, ridiculous good beats.

Ive always loved this album sm

Good album - flows very nicely. Favourite track: The Corner

You know what, fuck it, I had good time with it.

Super cool, me gusta mucho la vibra

Es mas de mi estilo, encuentro que the weezer se parece mucho a ellos, tiene un toque de rock tranquilo

It is hard to keep talking about the exhausting effect of the looped beat, but trying to avoid it just makes the effect more prominent. Similarly, the thought-terminating cliches of hip hop lyricism shouldn't overshadow some of the clever wordplay on display here, but it does. When the vocalist reiterates the boring old claim that oral sex isn't cheating, it is deflating - okay, you too, Common. I'm sure he doesn't mean it any more than his peers mean every bitch or motherfucker - these are just vocal tics used to extend a metre, versions of um and er. Cliched bravado and machismo is probably much the same and seasoned listeners can ignore them. But, for me, the clangers sound much louder than anything else. I'm sure seasoned listeners have stamina for the looped beats too, never expecting development or progression and just grooving it out. But I am frustrated that all the tension is repeated and there is no release. It's not impossible in the form - it's there in Public Enemy and NWA - but it is largely absent from smooth 21st hip hop and r'n'b. There isn't even a bass drop. Some of the music here is pretty nice, but it doesn't know what to do with that. Go is a good example. The title suggests dynamism. The three-note motif charges it to launch somewhere... but the release of this tension is literally the tune to The Bells of St Clements. I get that what frustrates me are qualities inherent to the style, but that only makes it more frustrating. 1.5 First of all - only 42 minutes long and a big smile on the front cover. Well done Common! Hey other rappers, what’s your problem? Even Will Smith doesn’t smile on the covers of the hour-long ‘Big Willie Style’ and ‘Willenium’. Too ‘cool’ I suppose. I listened to this album while cooking. By the fourth track ‘Faithful’ something like anxiety had materialised in me. This was partly because there were 7 tracks still to go but also because I had begun to think perhaps I had missed a satirical element. Was that the ring of a penny finally dropping on ‘Faithful’ when Common dropped the lines: ‘I was rollin’ around/ in my mind it occurred/ what if God was a her?’ Had the joke been on me? Weren’t the lyrics so far all so conspicuously terrible that surely you were to laugh with Common rather than at him? I pondered this too long and, distracted, burned my olive oil. I had to scrub the pot and start again. My Bucatini all’Amatriciana turned out great in the end. Common turned out to be in earnest. You can see why aficionados of this genre think Kendrick Lamar is James Joyce. 0.5/5

It was ok. I actually quite liked the start and the end, but the middle was just not as enjoyable.

I don't really listen to hip hop, but I gotta give it to Common, that's solid

I think decades of seeing Common acting has made it hard for me to immerse myself in his music, I'll get a flashback to hard times on the railroad when he delivers a line a certain way

I enjoyed this one

Resembles a bit of Neo soul and Questlove but with that early, Kanye-style production. I'm really not sure how to further describe "Be" but in the context of the 2000s, it's like "soft" hip hop when that was picking up steam in the mainstream Lowkey that PhD review feels like ragebait 😳

langweilig

I don't care what anyone says about Kanye today, he used to be King Midas of the hip-hop world. Common is great by himself, but without Kanye's production this album is not on this list.

Kind of generic mid oughts hip hop. Great production amd fun to listen to, but I can't ever see having a hankering for this one.

An album I had no prior familiarity with, in a genre that is a blind spot for me. Can’t say that I loved this one, although that certainly more on my taste than the quality of the album itself. The Intro is memorably great.

Muy buen álbum, me gustó mucho el ritmo

Любопытные треки, оч интересное и разнообразное звучание, but не мое

As much as this is Common’s record, Kayne’s fingerprints are all over it. If possession is 9/10ths of the law, Kanye is guilty as charged. A Sunday afternoon feeling. -TomB

Hmm leuk maar niet iets waar ik vaak naar zal luisteren.

top kanye top go!!!!!!

Common is as corny as ever but on the good Kanye soul era beats it just sounds so so good

Kanye and Dilla produced this, so there’s no way this could be bad. (I know Kanye is a menace but he produced amazing music in the early 2000s)

Testament to Kanye honestly. Hit or miss on the trax but when they do hit they are a spectacle for the ears

Off to a strong start, then it gets lost in Kanye rants where lyrics take priority over sound, except the lyrics are mid. Thankfully, it finds its way back to more creative sound in Testify

Be is a meaningful step forward from Like Water for Chocolate, and the reason is mostly Kanye West. His production here sits in that sweet spot of his 2005 peak — warm, soulful, sample-driven, and immediately alive in a way that gives Common’s flow a cleaner and more inviting frame than the more abstract Soulquarians textures of the earlier record. The beats are genuinely strong, the storytelling is thoughtful, and the whole thing moves with a confidence and concision that demands respect. At barely 35 minutes there’s no wasted motion and no indulgent detours. And yet the fundamental equation doesn’t quite change. Common’s delivery, for all its intelligence and craft, still fades into the background rather than cutting through it. The music underneath is doing more work than the rapping on top, which is a problem when the rapping is supposed to be the point. It’s not that the flow is weak — it’s that it never generates the kind of urgency that makes you reach for a record again by choice. This is a genuine 3 rather than a charitable one. The quality is real, the improvement over earlier work is audible, and the record absolutely earns its place on the list. It just doesn’t earn a place in regular rotation. Better than much of its genre, not quite compelling enough to demand return visits.

0.00 Another album that should be sponsored by Hoover. Because it really sucks.

high enjoyment level.

He's a good lyricist and, probably, because of the soul sound, it hasnt aged itself out. I assume what is missing for me is that emotional feeling in his work.

Badass intro and deep groove rb rap. Loved every minute

Twas good

I actually quite liked this. Had an old vibe to it. The music was good and the bass was really good.

Pretty conflicted on this. A lot of the instrumentals were good and it had a decent flow, but some of the lyrics were abysmal

Not for me.

Best Song: Testify Worst Song: The Food

I scraped a maths A-Level and didn't pursue the subject any further. I still think I'd rather spend an hour doing a pure maths exam than listen to this snoozefest again.

It was good. I’ll spare you my favorite track

one of the best hip hop albums I have ever heard, maybe second only to the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. big ups common Fav Song: Faithful Least Fav: Testify

Not a rap or hip hop fan at all, but this is chill, good shit.

Solid, lean album with iconic Common lyrics and beats

Nunca lo había escuchado. Me gustó bastante, lo seguiré escuchando y veremos si crece en mí.

Not bad as far as rap goes

Lovely

Didn’t realize common had the beats

183 likes for the PhD theory dude. Too bad he only listened to 17 albums. It would be interesting to read his thoughts on other genres his math brain couldn't compute. Easily accessible and completely entertaining album.

6/10

Not my style

As much a golden age Kanye album as an incredible Common project. Unlike a lot of rap projects, it is actually pretty concise and avoids a lot of the bloat that makes other projects worse. I can definitely hear a bit of inspiration from J Dilla in the beats as well.

I mean, come on. It's Common.

Mkay nice, flows like butter and a super comfy experience. My standouts gotta be Faithful.

I'm not much of a Hip Hop listener but I liked it more and more as it went on. Probably an easier listen than other albums for those of us who don't know much about Hip Hop. A bit of a John Mayer jumpscare in "Go!" (I like his music, but I didn't know he was involved in this). 3.5/5. I'm rounding the .5 up for once. Which may or may not have to do with spiting the mathematics PhD guy, although it's mostly because I think this should be closer to a 4 than a 3.

Smooth vibes

Orgasmic

Went into this feeling like Common is corny and came out the other side feeling like Common is corny. That being said, top notch production and a good vibe!

Awesome story teller but not for me

I have undergrad and post grad degrees in both STEM and humanities so I feel sufficiently qualified to judge this album…. harshly. Vapid, boring, self-congratulatory. Common has nothing to say but says stuff loudly anyway. I hope I never encounter this album again. Be? Should’ve called it Not To Be.

От этого альбома пахнет "ёлочкой" и автомобильным салоном. Jokes aside, неплохая работа, как оказалось, под продюссированием Кайне. Подход к сэмплированию и звуку чем-то напомнил горячо любимого Nujabes'а. Подробно я не изучал лирическую составляющую альбома, но немного вслушиваясь в заключительный трек - понял что здесь она достаточно интересная, "на подумать" и поразмышлять. В целом, это приятная работа, но не думаю что буду его переслушивать в дальнейшем.

A lot of gems! You can definitely hear the Kanye production

It's great hip hop music. Makes me think of like dance battles on the streets. It's nothing special, but it's not bad.

I got both Common albums in the same week. This one is better than the first one, but it's still mostly meh.

Common radiates vibes of decency and solidity. The dusty grooves here are not always hugely exciting but they provide a great platform for laid-back and grown-up lyrical flows, ruminating on love, sex, community, money, politics, race, and many points in between.

i reaaally like this album, it doesnt have a higher rating bc the arp is too rappy, but thats on me. I KNEW IT WAS VERY KANYE-Y, it was preoduced by him lol.

Be is chill and thoughtful, but sometimes feels like background music for deep thoughts instead of centerstage.

Good

Great loved it. Awesome.

Never heard of him before but this was so easy to listen to. Real feel-good music. I especially liked Be (intro), They Say and It's Your World

2/11

Hip hop, conscious hip hop, hip hop soul, progressive rap, chipmunk soul.

That PHd guy is gonna lose his mind when he finds out about Mos Def. Really great album, very empowering and uplifting. Hearing Kanye and Dilla collab is crazy, I can't believe I never heard this before.

So far, this album leads the way for most eyes rolls

(insert shrug emoji here) It reminds me of Mos Def. That's all I feel I can say on this. I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it much either. "The Food" was good, but the hit tracks grated on me, quickly. Just repeating the same words or samples over and over, a rap album does not make. (2/5). It was close to a 3 but it really didn't compellingly make it's case to me. Is there some historical context that puts this on the list? If Mos Def isn't on the list, THAT'S a tragedy. He does this style of rap/hip hop SO much better than Common. EDIT: Mos Def is NOT on the list. This does not make sense.

It just ain't my thing. I understand if it resonates to you, if it does then don't hesitate to tell all your friends cuz the beats don't offend or annoy. And the lyrics, oh boy, lots of social injustices are stacked in these messges and the spoken word can communicate that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one. It just. Ain't my thing. Unoriginal, maybe, doesn't rhyme or feel the need to be in iambic pentameter, free flowing and just going wherever it wants to like it was supposed to just go there for the sake of sounding profound. Beat poetry in a cafe in Queens or Brooklyn that doesn't concern itself with breaking new ground with all talk and no sing... It just ain't MY thing.

Variety: 1 Adequacy: 4 Listenability: 2 Uniqueness: 1 Emotionality: 2 = 2.0 "Tell me, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)" I know next to nothing about Common's music career and am only slightly more familiar with him as an actor and personality. Wide open on this one so let's get to it. THE TRACKS "Be (Intro)" - Pleasant enough, short little thing with an interesting mix of electronic beep boops and what I assume is a sample. Think I always assumed Common was an actor-turned-rapper, and not the other way around, so surprised he has a decent enough flow. A little slow, a little stuttering, but fine. "The Corner" (featuring Umar Bin Hassan of the Last Poets) - Nice beat here. Can't say I was impressed with the vocal performances on this. "Go!" (featuring John Mayer and Kanye West) - More interesting stuff here with the catchier repetition over top the airy keyboards. Goes on far too long though with no variation. Did this warrant bringing the big guns on for it? "Faithful" - I enjoy a bit of pitch shifted vocals. And Common, while not being too adventurous, sounds way more comfortable here. Great instrumentation underneath. The background vocalists here add some texture as well. Solid stuff. "Testify" - Another good beat. I still am not digging Common's delivery though. He's ... competent is the best I can say about him. Nothing makes him stand out and can easily imagine him reading off a lyric sheet while performing this. "Love Is…" - This starts off well. I think I might like to hear Common sing a bit more. His flow works much better with this beat as well. Kind of a lazy, off/in between the beat sort of thing. Still no flashiness, but it works here with all the background stuff going on. "Chi-City" - Best instrumentation so far, with what sounds like a classic soul sample underneath. Common's energy is up here as well, and he brings a bit more attitude to the proceedings. Where has this guy been? "The Food" (live) - Decent live performance, just wondering why no studio track ( went and found the studio version). Ok, after listening I can see it. Live version is unsurprisingly more, uh.. full of life? I get it. Still doesn't wow me or anything. "Real People" - Some heavy soul vibes here. But Common is back to his somewhat stiff delivery. Is there a backing track only version of this available? "They Say" (featuring Kanye West and John Legend) - Have never been much of a Kanye or Legend fan, and they don't really make this stand out more than anything else on the album. "It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)" (featuring "the Kids") - Maybe the beat, but this sounds like a throwback 90s track to me. Common's energy is WAY back up, and he ends strong. If this is more what Common's previous stuff sounded like, I might be interested in checking more out. I also found a live tv performance of this and liked it even more. Maybe Common is a betetr live act? HIGHLIGHTS - "Faithful" - "Love Is…" - "Chi-City" - "It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)" MIDLIGHTS - "Be (Intro)" - "The Food" (live) LOWLIGHTS - "The Corner" - "Go!" - "Testify" - "Real People" - "They Say" FINAL THOUGHTS As competent and professional as this sounds, I can't say that much of any of it worked all that well for me. Have just heard so much similar stuff done much better by others. The live version of "It's Your World" I looked up had me much more intrigued than anything I heard here. Glad I finally heard some of his music though, and have some context to the man's career. Also worth noting, this had some of the least effective guest spots I can recall on any hip hop album I can think of though. Still I guess that's better than modern albums where it seems like 90% of the content is from guests? PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Maybe cobble together an all live version of this ( with no guest spots).

Common is a name I’ve encountered on other rappers album, but never listened to any of his own stuff. This album is…serviceable. It’s good-not-great mid-2000s rap album. The hooks worked and the rap flows well enough. Yet nothing stood out to me. And honestly I don’t have much more to say about it than that.

3.5

3.5

I was putting this one off, considering my rating on the other Common album. This one I really got into it at the beginning especially with the Jazz influence. In fact, when this leans further into the Jazz side, rather than the R&B side, I really find myself enjoying the album, "Be (Intro)", "Real People" and "It's Your World". I also liked "Go!", and "Chi-City" pretty well. But there are more than enough tracks that I really couldn't get into and "The Food" being my least favorite. I probably should go back and reassess "Like Water for Chocolate", but it feels a little bit daunting considering it's about an hour and a half long and I didn't give it a really high score the first time. This one's about half as long and I liked it a lot better (7.25)

Some cool and innovative beats, and gis flow is good. 4 stars

Not sure what was in the water in Chicago in the 2000s, but I think some of the best hip hop albums ever came out of this scene. Be is no exception. Maybe the peak of conscious hip-hop, Be employees the services of Kanye West before he got in a car accident and turned into an insane person. The whole album just oozes cool, with banger after banger. Highlights for me are the title track, "They Say", "The Corner", "Faithful", and "Go!". Easy 5 stars.

I took a maths degree and failed it twice. Failed it harder the second time around which is probably why I prefer this second Common record a little bit more. Beats are better thanks to Kanye and has a bit more of that chipmunk soul. I find Common to be a pretty average rapper (I’d grade him ‘Be Minus’) so the one track that Kanye pops up and raps on near the end is easily the best of the lot.

My PhD didn't prevent me from loving this album 😄

Much better than the last entry. He’s definitely still trying to impart wisdom on me but I like the beats a lot more this go around and his flows are more appealing. Something heavenly about Kanye producing with J Dilla that’s nuts. That PhD in mathematics review is hilarious, I want to give this a 5 just to mess with them.

I kind of just wanna make fun of common cause of the hat he’s wearing on this cover and I feel like he’s generally seen as a corny guy but this was really upbeat and hopeful and I enjoyed it

Common has bars! It’s a solid record.

i kinda glazed through this one but i would love to listen to it in community at my next bbq. it’s got a lot of flow and is kinda soulful. first ever common album

I love 2000’s Kanye beats. Common is also a great storyteller. I enjoyed way more than I expected.

It’s a Ye album

Sounds like a slightly less compelling Kanye. Pretty enjoyable overall

Light rap

Good rap / vocals

Un clásico del hip hop de los 2000's y de los mejores dentro del mundo del conscious hip hop. Sus líricas, su beat con esa mezcla de jazz rap y soul. Muy recomendado Canción favorita: They Say

The first half of this one was a challenging river for me to flow through. I think it was the use of heavy autotune on some tracks, which is not a personal favorite of mine. Imo, it provided more interruption than support. A sign of the times, I guess! However, other tracks (without the heavy autotune) were amazing, the flow was undeniable. Overall, the layering and blending of sound was really tight and clean. I loved the background narrativization, piano, horns, and other instrumentals that supported the main vocals. Chi-town was a personal favorite off the album, as was Real People. I think the later half of the album is stronger, or at least more aligned with my tastes. In general, very poetic lyrics and a clear vision of what the album wants to accomplish.

Damn, I would likely never have heard this album if not for this list. It feels like the samples were specifically for this album.

You know, I knew who Common was, but I don't think I ever heard any of his songs until today. I like what he has to say and his flow. There's some great beats on this album. Wow, Common, Kanye, and John Mayer on the same track is very 2005 lol. Although John Mayer literally just says "Go!" the entire track...it's so weird. Overall I found this an enjoyable listen. I'm gonna listen to more of Common.

Great album. But not enough maths for the full 5 stars.

Kanye before he discovered Nitrous Oxide and Swastikas.

Mjao

It’s fine for what it is, but I don’t see what makes it special enough to be on the 1,001 albums to hear before you down list. I like the collaborations with Kanye, and some of the messaging is pretty introspective. It has that underground positivity vibe (think Talib Kweli).

Probably for sentimental reasons, Like Water for Chocolate is my favourite Common album... but is style is just so good.

Good sounds in the songs but didn't go beyond that for me

* So I thought this was interesting from "The Corner": "We write songs about wrong 'cause it's hard to see right"- Seeing the earthly "struggle" and "greed", and looking for hope in Christianity. Like the whole album feels like he's trying to highlight the culture of the both? I can appreciate this. I think "It's Your World" rounds the album out nicely considering the name of the album, I just wish it had more of those themes. * I Do think this albym has heavy Kanye influeces. I like the incorporation of soul, but some of the sounds are slightly chaotic and felt loosely thrown in sometimes. Some bars in here but not really my teacup.

While Common would never be a top 15 mc in most peoples lists; it is undeniable that this record is a bonified classic. Common himself is both this albums blessing and curse. Rarely impressing with creative flows or top tier story telling (Testify is terrible lol), he makes up for this with traditional concepts and rhyme schemes that stand the test of time. Unfortunately this lack of creativity regarding his rap style and a weaker middle that immediately rebounds starting with "Food" keeps this from being a perfect rap record.

I understand why people like this, but I don't

- Feels weird to be listening to uplifting, conscious rap and then there's Kanye the creep all over it. - Smooth vocal flow. - Some soulful/funky grooves, though they didn't really go anywhere, so it kind of lacked the forward momentum that I wanted instrumentally.

This was a good album! Very chill but like important feeling!

One of the better rap albums I've allowed myself to listen to.

A solid 00s hip hop album with Kanye's fingerprints all over it, though it doesn't hit the same as some of Ye's own albums.

Iconic

Common — Be (2005) Long before I participated in this challenge, I already made up my mind towards this LP. Tracks like Be (intro), Faithful, Go, They Say, The Corners, It's your World and most recently Testify and Real People all are in my rotation. I liked the overall production which was during peak Kanye; as one Rolling Stone writer said "This is the College Dropout continuation". Kanye's production is undisputed especially on intro. Who can forget John Legend and the Last poets and the late Dilla. Also Common rapping ability was absolute masterclass so this a long standing 5

You could put this on while hosting anyone in the background. The drum breaks are excellent, horns great, samples curated. Verse comes flying at you but also leaves breaks to breathe for the music. Lofi these days has moved towards lo-effort. This is chill but there's so much going on under the surface.

Pleasant and upbeat with great production.

Decent Music.

Not into rap

No lo conocía. No me enganchó. Es como reggae con hiphop

This would get a 4 for The Old Kanye producing the entire thing, if nothing else; thankfully, Common matches these beats perfectly. Then again, I never did too well in Math class, eh?

3.5 ?

Not an album I'll go back to as it's not my thing but it's a well done album. You could hear Kanye's production throughout for better or for worse. I'm okay with it as long as I don't have to hear him sing.

the cornah!

Good stuff. Didn't really know him before, but he's talented.

I never really got into Common back in the day because I was too busy listening to NWA and Death Row kind of rap and I thought ¨backpack¨ rap was lame. Who knew his positive messages would still hold up 20 years later? Holds up much better than Kanye's reputation, that's for sure, but can't blame Common for that.