Be

Common is in top form here, as is Kanye. Dilla is just the cherry on the sundae. I like One Day… and Chocolate better but this is a highlight of this era of rap/hip hop.

Some of Kanye Wests best production work. Great lyrics and themes throughout. One of the best intro tracks on an album.

-Album was fantastic. It was such a surprise to me that this was going to be so good. -masterclass on samples. Each sample was unique and provided an extra flare to the vibe of the song -Listened to it a couple times yesterday be because I liked it so much. From the getgo of the intro I knew it was going to be a fire album

Really liked. Went and found more to listen to

Soft 5

Be (Intro): 5/5 Holy shit. Not sure what I was expecting since I've never actually listened to Common, but this was an incredible first track. (hip hop video game idle music) The Corner: 5/5 First of all, the flow throughout each verse and how this bitch kept making up fucking rhymes that just kept fucking going... dude. Plus the addition of the spoken pieces right after the repetitive "I wish I could key this feelin"... iconic Go!: 3/5 I enjoyed the melody and sound of this one, but the lyrics and repetition of "go" just made me kind of bored. Faithful: 5/5 A song about fucking god, who's also a woman? Work. But honestly, I was going to give it a 4/5 because I really liked it but it was just missing something, and then the choir came in at the end and I was like, yeah that's the something it was missing. Testify: 5/5 At first I was kind of annoyed by the singing in the background, but after a first listen and re-listening to it a second time, I think it fit really well. A whole Law and Order episode in a two and a half minute song? Love that. Love is...: 4/5 Really enjoyed the refrain and the lyrics, it was missing something extra to put it at a 5 though. Chi-City: 5/5 Similar to Love is... I thought the refrain and lyrics were great, but this time it had that extra oomph to give it a 5. The Food: 3/5 If this was just Common, it would probably be at least a 4, maybe even a 5. But because it have Kanye and Dave Chapelle on it, I just can't really enjoy listening to it as much. Real People: 5/5 Saxophone break, plus calling cops Nazis? I don't even care about anything else that deserves a 5. They Say: 3/5 I'm sorry, this is John Legend?? Oh wait Kanye's back, great. Outside of Kanye being on this, couldn't really get into this one as much as the others, but it's not bad at all. It's Your World: 5/5 Similar to the Corner, the flow/lyrics on this one is incredible. I would normally scrutinize the length, but seeing as it's labeled as a part 1 and 2 song with a distinct separation, I can forgive it. Because this is the final track, and it has a clear callback to the first track, Be, throughout the second part of this song, it wraps up the album beautifully. Overall I think this album really surprised me. We’ve had some other rap/hip hop albums here before that didn’t really resonate with me, and even when their lyrics were great, the melody and instrumental to accompany them were not. This one though (note that it was released in the early 2000s vs the others that were in the 80s/90s) has great production behind the music in addition to the lyrics.

Be - This goes. So fucking Smooth. I saw in the bio that Common is an activist and so far, it shows in the lyrics. (5/5 Jazzy) The Corner - It's giving spoken word poetry. A lot of the lyrics so far have been very left-wing and focused on the messaging and I love it. (4/5 I'm not the biggest fan of spoken word type stuff in music) GO! - (is this sampling John Mayer saying "go"?) Sex and escapism. the two genders. ( LOOKED IT UP AND I WAS FUCKING RIGHT BUT MR. [kan]YE WEST WAS ON THIS TOO???) (3/5 -2 for John Mayer and artist formerly known as a person who hates jews. but it is 2023 the year of our lord and savior himself, ʇsᴉɹɥƆ snsǝſ) Faithful - that fucking little speak-box make voice go [brlahbow]. This is giving Saba (my favorite album is CARE FOR ME) (5/5) Testify - The back vocals sound so awesome with the beat. oh no this is actually really sad. (5/5 emotional journey) Love is... - This is the version that Black Eyed Peas wanted to do but failed. more happy than the last one (5/5) Chi-City - yeah fuck cops (5/5) The Food - Dave Chappelle? (4/5 censoring is weird but I get it I guess) Real People - like Faithful, this feels like the message is being pushed. Urgency/Importance. But the jazzy background feels so contradictory (5/5 I love juxtaposition) They Say - the do do dos in the back with plinky piano. Rap rap. John Legend??? end it there (5/5 Arthur meme) [i didn't actually stop listening to it but yes 2005 Kanye West hit those notes] It's Your World - "Let's Stay Together - Al Green"? "She know dairy so she say cheese to get bread" what a fun line. God I hate when artists add like a bit where kids talk or whatever, this breaks my fucking heart. This song hurts. (5/5 this is why representation matters) 5/5 this was art. the album sprinkled in pain, humor, and love and then rips your heart out for 8 minutes. So this actually caused me to go down a little bit of a rabbit hole. So I don't know much about music in general but I like to talk about it just based on what I know using only previous experience. Realistic. Okay, hip hop is not necessarily the origin of this kind of sound- but it technically is a branch of hip hop. This album mixes inspiration of soul and jazz using hip hop as a base to express the message. And it honestly, I think does go a little underappreciated. I was reading and apparently the lyrics tend to be an afterthought for modern stuff because standards have changed. Okay, the more I read and look into it this shit is insane. anyway have sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_music https://www.complex.com/music/a/pnl/black-thought-on-mubmle-rap-i-essentially-invented-it (This article is neat)

Love this album, early Kanye and chi town crowd

melodic, groovy, great features

Now this. This I love.

Quintessential hip hop album. Amazing listen from start to finish.

Really good, liked every song on this album. Very smooth music overall!

Still fresh and funky 20 years later. Good message and fun to listen to

I used to think Common could be a bit too sincere, and I still do a bit. But can't deny the quality of production on this and actually I enjoyed it more than I remembered

Legendary

not huge on the beginning tracks so never got properly invested in this album but it gets sooo good. I love a little meditative session where the music's about just being, so cute. kanye could've been so much more than what he is now :(

Aweseome

I remember when this came out it was a sharp contrast to the other mainstream hip hop which was either gangsta or about bling and women. The political consciousness coupled with a chilled jazzy vibe was refreshing.

Ooh heerlijke conscious rap met een zeer goed te horen Kanye influence (niet enkel zijn stem hé haha). Mooi album over zelfreflectie en het leven in the chi natuurlijk.

I love the jazz inspiration throughout this album. Common’s flow and lyricism fits so well in the backing tracks. Also need to shout out the top tier production from psychopath Kanye. Shame. Can we just go back to 2005 when it felt like we got a new classic album every week?

Production from Kanye Fucking West and J Fucking Dilla are cheat codes for a game already made all too easy by Common’s street-wisened rhymes.

great rap album but produced by Kanye West 10/10 rap music tho Go! - <3

A fantastically soulful hip-hop album. Great production. Great lyrical intricacies, thematic content and word play. Funny that there’s a live TV performance on this album, not sure I’ve seen that before. Funnier still that it’s from the Chapelle Show. Really appreciate that this album isn’t 2 hours long with a million sketches. Absolutely one of the most accomplished, refined hip-hop albums of the 2000s. Both lyrically and instrumentally and it continues to hold influence through Chance the Rapper’s The Coloring Book and beyond. On a personal level, my roommate, Matt, in college—a Chicago native with an awesome collection of CDs he would haul into our new dorm room each year—used to alternate between Common’s Be and D’Angelo’s VooDoo each morning as he would French press coffee in our 7th floor dorm room sophomore year. The two albums perfectly soundtracked those morning as we sipped caffeine and caught up with each other’s lives. And, of course, talked music. This one’s a 5.

A nice mix of g-rap while also being uplifting, Commmon's raps are smooth and he's a great storyteller

An era of hip hop I wish we could go back to.

lyrics: incredible. beats: fantastic. runtime: perfect. sequencing: flawless. common is a genius and this is easily his best album

It’s good,I should give it a relisten though because he saying a lot of stuff and I’m not really listening to lyrics on a first listen.The beats are nice and the mood is classy.I didn’t expect Kanye west or John Mayer to be here but they’re not unwelcome.

très très cool

this album just bops. Old school soul beats from Kanye.

Probably my favorite album from this list I haven't heard before. Will def be listening to more.

The Chicago Avengers got together to make this one. A fresh-faced, hungry Kanye West on production and Common barring like his life was on the line. One of my fave rap albums. Fave track - Go

Faithful to the end, qué buen instrumental, ultra melódico common

🙌🙌🙌 This was one of my favorite albums in college when I was getting into hip-hop. I can close my eyes and picture walking through campus listening to this on headphones, iPod in my pocket. Common is a joy to listen to but Kanye’s production is the star here. He pairs soft-focus soul with tight, crisp drums, a perfect complement for Common’s buttery voice and smooth flow. (Ooh and there’s some killer use of vocoder on a few tracks!) A ton of great songs. The album flows beautifully. A solid 4 but the nostalgia factor puts it in 5 territory for me. After Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint,” this list has been doing a great job of slowly reintroducing Kanye music back into my life. I had a great time listening to this today.

Amazing!!!

Backpack rap. I love it. It sounds like early Kanye West and is a successor to the first Talib Kweli solo record.

Yaaas. Not my favorite by Common, probably some of Kanye's best work though.

I love this album. "Go" is on heavy rotation in my playlist.

Top album of 2005 for sure. Kanye’s presence/influence is starting to appear

Its basically quality all the way through

VERY GOOD

Just good vibes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dope af this was a banger

Excellent - can see he was a big influence on Kanye

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

Banging album, sick production, great flow and rhymes

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

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

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

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

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

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

Everything Common does is *****.

So fire...

CD

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

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

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

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

Rating: 10/10

THE LAST TRACK WAS CUTE Good times were had.

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

I enjoyed it

A 90s throwback without the 90s

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

Awesome album.

Great stuff

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

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

best intro

Excellent production, songwriting, and lyrics.

Great album. Very soulful

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

Really good

insane

fav - Faithful gospelly, techno, nice storytelling i love the guitars in the very very intro

Loved it, great to listen in one go, powerful positive message

Another classic hip hop album from the 2000s. Lots of Kanye on this album as well

I was surprised I never sat down and listened to Common. This album mixed with sounds brought in with Kanye was amazing. I’m looking forward to exploring more his work.

Well this is interesting - reviewed Nas yesterday and today this Common album opens with a reference to "Big Nas." I assume that is the same guy? It's interesting because these two have some pretty different vibes in their music. Not to mention this album is centered around Chicago while Nas' is all New York. I have seen Common perform live a few times at music festivals and really enjoyed it. So I was excited to have a chance to check out one of his albums I've never heard. I loved the album. The music and samples are fantastic, and Common is so good. I particularly love the warm and cozy music that accompanies most of the tracks, with the electric organ enticing you to settle in and listen to the lyrics. "Be (intro)" is a great opening. Other songs that jumped out at me included "The Corner", "Go!", "Love Is...", "Chi-City", and "They Say". But I guess I can say all the songs are quite good. My favorite I think is "Real People". I love the smooth easy-listening vibe with the saxophone. Yet Common's performance still tackles a lot of uncomfortable observations of the world around him. I listened to this three times in a row... just kept letting it repeat and was happy to hear the songs again. A beautiful album!

Ironically, Common is not common at all. In fact, he’s uncommon - a special breed of rapper/poet unlike most others. Maybe that’s what he was going for? Seriously though. This is a great rap album. One of my favorite. It’s also nice (and a little weird) to hear Kanye before he was crazy - or before we all knew for sure he was crazy.

They don't make hip hop albums like this any more because a) Kanye finds it impossible to just let his productions do the talking and b) hip hop has subsequently discovered fucking auto-tune. I absolutely love this album but I do find Common's delivery dull at times compared to his '90s peak. Imagine how incredible Resurrection era Common over Kanye/Dilla beats would have been, sigh.

Awesome rap album, not just about coming up, deep and has an array of nice sounding tracks

Straight fire, rhymes, message, music, production this is real hip hop

Excellent

beautiful hip-hop album, some hints of a classic 70s soul sound, love the overall sound. favorite tracks: faithful, the food,

Very well produced. Certainly a instant classic that shaped and defined a era.

Eclectic in topic choices & theme. Yet contiguous in overall emotional impact.

Cool hip hop album!

Like an early kanye album, have loved the album for years

Easy to listen to. Nice rhythm and sound.

Loved it. 9

Ah, here we go. I love this album. I had seen it on posters and at stores for years and never listened until last year when I was catching up on hip-hop. This is an incredible album and I love every song on it. Kanye and John Mayer and a few other guests make this extra special and I love the beats. I think Kanye produced this album too which would explain a lot. The album cover makes it seem like it's a gospel album and in a way, this is the good news.

Muito boooom, adorei! Será que eu gosto de hip-hop e rap mesmo??

Really liked it! Rap with some jazz and r&b influence.

Perfect.

great album, Kanye could not miss the mark back then. 5 stars

first time listening to the full album. i LOVE it.

Really liked this album. Have any listens to Common in a long ass time. That was a mistake.

An absolute hip hop classic. Common and Kanye simply made magic on this album.

I thought this was excellent, I would like to come back to this one.

Can't get enough of this one

Great album, and worth multiple listens. The beats are great and Common is out in full force on this one.

Dope Record, Great flow and beats

Common and Ye in their primes. It doesn't get much better than this.

Excellent production and lyrics that help bring about empathy

2000s Chicago was a really special place and time for hip-hop. Thus album never blows you away with a big single but is a smooth and enjoyable ride from start to finish. Only complaint is the sound quality on The Food, but it was a live TV performance so these things happen.

Great album but not my bag

Great album, loved Kanye on it enjoyed the message of It's your world if they meant what they meant.

Opposite of Bad (1987). Starts REALLY strong, ends okay.

As someone with an arts degree, I'm afraid I don't have that special mathematician's edge required to truly *hear* this album (yes, I am also dunking on that 1 star review from 2020 because it deserves continued scorn). Rap is not my genre though I can always appreciate a well-produced album with impressive lyrical flow and this album delivers on both. An enjoyable listen and a bittersweet reminder of mid 2000s Kanye.

I like it.

Hatte immer auf der Liste, da mal reinzuhören. Sehr chillig, gefällt mir.

Nice

4 Pre-crazy Kanye production for a talented lyricist is always gonna be a good album

Rollazo hihopero. Me encanta!

Some of the best hip hop beats you're ever gonna hear are on this records. Straight from the opening, when the bassline on Be (Intro) hits you know it's about to be special. The song has such triumphant energy and some of the best strings I've ever heard. The album dishes banger beats one after another. The Corner goes a lot harder even if I'm not super crazy about the rapping. Go is beautifully uplifting, has amazing energy that I just cant get enough of. I love the vocal chops on Testify, they make up for one of the more unique instrumentals here. Common also kills it with the storytelling. Chi-City is another amazing one, so rich and detailed. The last 2 songs are also some of the best of the album. Common's performance is mostly great, there are some songs where he doesn't sound as good but it's really a minor issue on an otherwise great album.

There’s something interesting about hip hop of the 2000’s, a clear definition between those artists who were making music for the mainstream (Kanye west, Nelly) and those who were doing it for the art (Talib Kwali, Nas, cannibal ox). Common lands in the former camp for me, due to the production quality, the melodies and composition. However one thing he does in this album is try to bridge that gap between the two in what he’s rapping about, some very serious themes of loss and hardship. If that message reached kids who got curious/sympathetic to the black experience then that’s not a bad thing at all.

Holy shit this was great. There was a divergent timeline where Kanye totally could have stayed a producer I honestly would have welcomed it.

Didn’t expect to see this one on here as it’s generally regarded as Com’s 3rd best album, but glad it was. Prime Kanye beats and Common has always been one of my favourite rappers. First two tracks really stand out but a little mixed after that. Very early 00’s to have a live track from the Chapelle Show.

Kanye carreo el album

Be(Intro) - 4.5/5 The Corner - 4/5 GO! - 4/5 Faithful - 3.5/5 Testify - 4/5 Love is… - 4/5 Chi-City - 3.5/5 The Food - 3/5 Real People - 3/5 They Say - 3.5/5 It’s Your World - Part 1 & 2 (Explicit) - 3/5

Devo dire bell’album e l’impronta fi kanye si sente molto

ser de linguagens é uma dádiva. apreciei esse aqui demais! só beatzão PEDRADA e o flow no ponto também. soa um pouco como o college dropout (até pq menos de 1 ano de diferença), mas o common ainda deixa bem original. bão demais, cê tá maluco

First new artist and first rap album. Pretty good overall really enjoyed hearing something differnt

I wasnt expecting to like this but wowoowowowowowoow I'm floored

rhythmic hip-hop w/ a common theme through all the songs. inspirational, great music, great flow, and love how the final songs ties back to the name of the album.

❤️

like yeah! sounds a bit like kanye. quite musical. appreciated the female background vocals

ALMOST a five- used to listen to this a lot; incredible opening set of songs and a super cool sound

Not something I would normally listen to but enjoyed it

Smooth and charming

I haven’t listened to this album in ages, bit of a jump scare with all the Kanye but I really enjoyed it

I just got Like Water For Chocolate recently and it might just be the nostalgia talking, but I rate that higher. “Go!” takes me back though…

This is a quite enjoyable rap album. Fun to listen to, pretty groovy.

74/100. No work of art remains exactly the same because no encounter with it remains exactly the same. The listener brings a different history each time, and the meaning changes accordingly. A really strong record from Common. The flow is smooth, the delivery is confident, and the production is packed with some excellent jazz rap and soul infused beats. The combination of gospel influences, classic soul samples, live instrumentation, and conscious lyricism gives the record a sense of humanity that is easy to connect with. It's centered around growth and self-realization. Common spends much of the album reflecting on identity, purpose, community, and the challenge of becoming the person you're meant to be. I think this is a record I would have loved even more a couple of years ago. As my tastes have changed, I find myself connecting a little less with hip-hop than I once did. That is not really a criticism of the album itself, more a reminder that our relationship with music changes over time.

Favourite Songs: The Corner Testify Chi-City

I don't have a PhD in math, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I enjoyed this album! It was pretty good, and I liked the early Kanye feature. 8/10 Would I listen again? Probably

I listen to a lot of Hip Hop and rap so this definitely isn’t my favourite Hip Hop Album but it’s still pretty good. TOP Song: They Say

This album is good and underrated

So smooth so far, 2005 was one of the best years for RnB and Hip Hop, really reminding me of early kanye.. oh because hes literally on it..

fuck me this one is gorgeous. kanye and dilla are a match made in producer heaven. i really enjoy common as a storyteller as well. how have i missed this one for so long?

Solid flow and excellent early 2000s vibes. Fav song: They Say

Just a great album. 10 great tracks out of 11. The track on this album I don't like is "They Say" By the way if you like Common and if you like basketball watch the "Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association" documentary. He's the narrator & executive director of this documentary. His late dad played in the ABA. 4/5

Strong positive vibes on this one. Offers deft, thoughtful wordplay atop the always rolling often euphoric quasi-gospel beats of peak (ie: pre-Nazi) Kanye. I respect the homage paid to ATCQ in the opening number too, a nod to the past while looking forward. Two decades on it sounds a little dated but there is enough intelligence, spark and care to keep it from coming off as cheesy or stale.

It's interesting to hear this and know it was mostly produced by Kanye around the same time he released TCD. It's definitely a sister album in terms of production. I feel like Common doesn't bring the exact energy needed for a lot of these songs, but he does rap well throughout.

I always enjoy Common's flow. Its intelligent and intentional. His voice is iconic. This album is my second favorite of his.

I bought this at the time it came out since it was pretty hyped and he's from Chicago. I liked it but have slept on it since. I really appreciated it this time through and probably listened to it 3 or 4x over the last several days. Sometimes it is hard to figure out how much Kanye is driving these arrangements versus Common but I appreciate the range of vibes, and especially like the pieces that have a Curtis Mayfield flair. I like the continuum of Chicago dudes and Curtis was amazing.

4/5 - Hadn't heard it before and listened a couple times through. Smooth style. The first two tracks were my favorites.

I enjoyed this. Great, chill production. Nice to hear a young Kanye before… stuff. A little bit more preachy than my usual rap tastes but not overly so.

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.

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

Super solid!

Be+

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

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.

Smooth. Great messages

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

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

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

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.

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 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

this was really enjoyable!!

Enjoyed this so much more than I was expecting to

absolute peak

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

i really really enjoy the fusion of hip hop and jazz

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.

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

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

super vibe, kiffant

C'est très très fort

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

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

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.

Loved this, classic old Kanye production

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!

Muy bueno!

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

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

Classic

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

Top common

nice solid album

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

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

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

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 😳

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.

Muy buen álbum, me gustó mucho el ritmo

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)

high enjoyment level.

Twas good

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

Best Song: Testify Worst Song: The Food

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.

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

6/10

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

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!

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good rap / vocals

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.

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.

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

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.

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

the cornah!

This was actually really cool! His flow blended really nicely with the backing track and all the songs were super catchy.

This was the third hip hop album in a row from last week, and it was the best. I'm a bit torn, it was good and enjoyable, but not super remarkable. I think it makes sense to add to the replay list. 3.5 stars

Be the best album by Common. You got the lyrical skills from a Chi-town master and with a little help from Ye on the beats, this one deserves a list spot. Not a bad track...tops being "Testify" and "They Say" for me. Kanye is obviously dwarfed by Common on the mic but gotta give him credit for bringing the old-skool sampling. This record got a lot of play during my college years. Common played Rutgers fest one year and it was awesome. "Be the owner of more land than is set aside for wildlife"??...not agreeing with that one. The not so common talent from Lonnie Lynne gets this a 4.02 star rating.

Admittedly I'm more familiar with Common's work as an actor as opposed to a rapper. I've enjoyed his work when he pops up in John Wick or elsewhere in small parts. I knew he had a rap career but never gave it two thoughts other than "cool, good for him for being able to cross over successfully". I had no idea that he has been in the game since the early 90's and that he has ties to Kanye West's label nowadays. Didn't know what to expect from this going in since I'm unfamiliar with Common's rap career. Couldn't believe how crisp and developed this album was. Really great production from start to finish that is both simple but gives enough to establish the mood on any track. I can't deny that Common has great flow throughout. His lyrics are really refined, and each of the rhymes and raps are tight. The featured acts are solid across the board and do actually enhance each of the tracks as opposed to just act as a cameo appearance. The use of sampling is effective without completely taking over the album. There's a really nice level of sophistication that avoids a lot of the gangsta rap tropes that tend to bug me when listening to rap. Common is spitting rhymes that have edge without having to rely on guns, drugs, bitches and hoes that I really appreciated. I have to give props to Common on this one as it was a surprisingly good listen. I'd take more rap like this in a heartbeat compared to pretty much anything else from the genre that has shown up on the list otherwise. I'm bumping Common up a couple notches as an artist in my book and have a new appreciation for him if he shows up in a movie. 3.86 stars

Honestly surprised to find this here but it deserves to be. Absolutely one of my faves. 4.5 if I could.

there's some nice beats fav song: Testify

I got into Common on the preceding album where he crossed over into some psychedelic rock influences. This is more consistent and sticks more to traditional rap forms and good to hear good-era Kanye on here too.

Rap's not usually my thing, but damn, color me surprised. Fantastic rhymes and the music and mixing are top notch. Kinda love it and I'll be back for more.

Good beats on here. Lyrics were alright as well

I once sat next to Common in a Delta Sky Lounge. He was on Hell On Wheels at the time, and it took all of my restraint not to tell him that I enjoyed him in "shitty Deadwood". But I didn't, mostly because I respected him for this album.

really awesome stuff

As soon as the first track started I knew I was in for something good! I certainly wasn’t listening to this in 2005 but clearly I was missing out as this was golden from start to finish. Like ending with ‘my mother gave birth but she never really had me’… are you kidding??? This is exactly why I’m doing this, to discover new things I love that I truly never would have picked up otherwise. We’re so back.

Peak

This is quite a good oughts rap record. You can hear Kanye's influence all over this and its no surprise that the best tracks were produced by him. I think this is a worthy addition to the list.

Just really love this album, great vibes.

Absolutely timeless, great vibes. Feels like the perfect thing as the season changes to spring. But what do I know? Not like I'm a mathematician or something

go - v repetitive 👎 faithful - “god is a women” valid i like love is - 🥰 they say - i like it good albums

åh yesss!!!! intro tracken her er noe av det vakreste jeg vet om. etter mye seig 70 talls rock er jeg klar for dette! //

In general a well builded album, maybe a little bit repetitive. But overall, very nice

catchy

Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Ziemlich nice.

Gospel roots, positive rap. This is good

this album feels like chicago. this album feels like a perfect summer. the way kanye melds commons voice and particular style of spoken word rapping with his production is pro pro pro level. common’s storytelling is his strong point and the way he sets a scene, godly. the way Testify snatches me up every time like i haven’t heard it before is a testament to his pen.

Another 4! Bravo Common! His performance leaves a little to be desired on Silo but this is a pretty solid record! CLASSIC Dilla (RIP) and Kanye (RIP) production.

Great album. Common’s flow and Kanye’s production are a great combo.

Wow this takes me back, so much nostalgia here. Very soulful and conscious hiphop thanks to Common’s complex and creative flow and lyrics, and beats by Kanye and J Dilla. A lot of feel good music.

Really enjoyed this

Ci sta molto spiritual, Be e The Corner belline belline

One of the best smooth hip hop albums out there, this is a classic for a reason. An album you can put on when you’ve got people over, when you want to listen by yourself, or just jam in the car it has it all. Great to hear some classic Kanye production as well. Yeah, this is just really really good.

Great beats, and refreshingly positive lyricism. A nice change of pace after being subjected to listen to some super racist and misogynistic albums on this list... 4/5.

These boys can flippin wrap!!

Hadn't listened to this in ages, and I still enjoy it. Common is more of like R&B rap, super chill and smooth. His live performance on Chappelle's Show in 2004 is on here, which was a cool throwback. Pretty good hip hop album, I'll go 4/5 for this one

Holy shit did not expect a common album on here. The common songs I know aren’t even his biggest ones, but they are hidden gems. I hadn’t listened to this album before, and I think that even without this project I would have checked out this album at some point. To me Common is one of those real MCs his writing has that deeper level to it. When people say they don’t like hip-hop they just think of talk about guns, drugs and women, I would direct them to Common to prove them wrong. That early Kanye being heavily involved in this album makes it even better, the beats are well done and matched with common’s vocals create some great songs. I wouldn’t say there’s necessary any unreal bangers on here, but all the songs are proper good, a couple standouts being ‘GO!’, ‘Chi-city’ and ‘The Food’. I hope people get a sense of what real hip-hop is from this album and for me this is a high end 4-star album and maybe a 5 in the future, I might look to get this on vinyl as well.

Not too bad of an album, hear some Neo-soul influences and influences that could be heard from a tribe called quest. It doesn't try too much, but it is still just overall a great hiphop album.

4/5 - Legit miten en oo kuullu täst artistista ennen? Ihan super hyvä levy, tykkäsin kuinka tässä oli erilaisia puhallinsoittimia, ne sopi tän levyn fiilikseen tosi hyvin. Tykkäsin siitä, et vaikka tää on rap-albumi, nii et täs oli paljon muutakin meneillään. Myös ofc esim. Kanyen featit on ihan laatua. Koko levyn läpi on hullu flow ja tää pistää hymyilyttämää. :)

First track got my attention right off the bat with the bass & synth then shifting into kind of a 70s r&b sample weaving into it before he starts singing. This chill vibe continues on throughout, occasionally with gospel-y and political parts. I thought "Testify" was particularly good, the way the different parts of the story interweave in the song. And the other song with the bit "Go! go! go! go! go! and on the count of 3" is very catchy. I had heard of Common, but this is the first time I've heard any of his work. Probably won't listen to it much again, but I enjoyed the whole thing - 4 stars

Smooth and uplifting

(5/7) very smooth

It's so good still. Was vibing throughout the whole album.

I never knew I needed a duo like Common and Kanye together…shit fye!

such a cool discovery; great flow, powerful lyrics, cool collabs (old Kanye💔)

Not familiar with Common or Dilla's work but you can tell there was love put into this. Mostly produced by Kanye in his prime, beautifully arranged and lovely soothing vocals throughout. The tracks I weren't too fond of (mainly Testify) were just due to the instrumentation being swapped for a backing track formed of vocal chops and some uninteresting samples, but even most of those were ok just not my thing. The live cut inserted in sounded like it wasn't recorded in great quality compared to the rest of the album, I can look past that on a live project but in the middle of such an excellently produced album it felt quite out of place Highlights: Be (Intro) GO! Faithful It's Your World

One of the more positive surprises of the journey so far. Didn’t really know what to expect of thiamine but it was an allround good album. Just missing some exclamation points to give it top marks, but a very well-deserved score anyways. 4/5

Excellent album. I totally forgot about Testify. I loved that song twenty years ago.