Reviews (page 5 of 12)
Solid album. Probably a 3.5 for me, but rating up because there's a crackup review from someone who gave this a 1 because he's a a STEM guy PHD student who "doesn't get rap" and I'm doing my part to bring balance to this world
Nice hip hop. I knew Common was a rapper but I'd never heard a single one of his songs. Good songs. Hip hop bias makes me give this album a 4.
Excellent vibes, never heard of this artist
no idea why Spotify only has the live version of The Food..
Näyttelijänä tämän kaverin tunnen, hyvä levy
First album I encountered that I already knew! I love this one. 4 stars.
Absolutely loved it. Beautiful lyrics.
Soulful, humble, and impactful with some great production. Best song: They Say
It’s been a while since I had any interest in anything hip-hop so I was unsure about this one. But it was so great! The storytelling was evenly matched with the solid production and mixing. Actually really enjoyed it.
3.8 impeccable, a little low on variety but overall a nice listen from start to finish. faves: be(intro), the corner
Really enjoyed this. Is it old Kanye? 8/10
Classic early 2000s hip hop album, good production from Kanye during that era
Fun album. As soon as I recognized Kanye, I told myself "I'm gonna hear about this"
Didn't realize how many songs I remember. Always was a big fan of Common's cadence and tempo. Lyrics defining life in Chi town with witty, contemplative wordplay
I liked this. I do not like that other guy though
much more enjoyable than his acting in "Silo" loved the Dropout-era Kanye beats
Too much fucking Kanye for my tastes
Hate to say it but Kanye West is (was?) a really good producer
Good HIp Hop
The Corner and They Say go mega hard. I like the sampled beats a lot. The vocal samples are annoying as hell though. Common has some sweet rhyme schemes where he will stick with the same rhyme for a whole verse which is pretty impressive. Especially when he's actually saying stuff is not just drugs and money. The lyrics also tend to be sort of preachy though, he literally compares himself to Jesus at one point. All together , solid album but I don't think it quite deserves five stars.
Amazing combination of hip hop with soul elements. I really enjoyed this.
I knew nothing about this album going in and about 3 songs in was very impressed, thinking it sounded like The Blueprint. Then Ye showed up. He's really ruined music enjoyment due to the Nazi love. I'm sure Common hates it, but I can't think of anything else. Kanye made this album what it is, but I still have to credit Common on the positive feel. I might not revisit and it's not as good as The Blueprint, but it's good all the way through.
Only reason it’s not a five is because of the deluge of other excellent jazz rap artists on the list, no disrespect to common, just not my absolute favorite, will probably listen again
Great jazzy instrumentals. Very 2000s album.
loved this, had only heard Go before diving into this record! Dilla & K*nye production is no joke.
Great flow. Hate to say it but the Kanye features go hard
Dope
It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but I'm honestly not very well-versed in rap, so it's hard for me to contextualize what this album does better/worse than other albums, what it brings new to the table, etc. But from the opening double bass riff I had a good feeling that I would enjoy 'Be', and I was right. The whole album was just very solid, hard to find any faults.
Imagine you're a Chicago-area kid in the fall of 2005, sitting in homeroom, and the school is lit with energy. The White Sox just won the World Series, the ladybugs are clinging to the corners of the classroom ceiling, and Common's GO! is breezing through the radio waves while autumn air breezes through the window crack. The homeroom teacher pretending they do not hear the song lyrics. The other kids chatting about out how Kanye is about to the greatest rapper ever. And even though we are north of the city, some kids pretending they have street cred because they have family in the Southside. Common brought poetry, Kanye production, and that amazing intro bassline to a great album that gives walking on autumn leaves in the beautiful windy city energy.
Love the backing track on the intro. This is kanye on production. I'm never really sure what to attribute to production v. the musician (i.e. how much of uptown funk is Ronson, how much is Mars?), but I guess you can see Kanye's fingerprints here, though common is a lot more restrained. I'm liking the duet on the second song. This is a nice middle between the maximalism of Kendrick and 2010s hiphop and the carefree laidback sounds of ATCQ. I thought Faithful was lyrically pretty engaging: the "what if god was a woman?" approach has been done many times, but I think Common does something neat with it. There's nothing transcendent about this album that would get it to 5, but this is a well put-together album that reminds me how good Kanye was at producing, among many other things. Common sounds pretty good (which is funny; I think of him a parent-approved rap vibes)
This is a good album. It's fun rap. There are some great features (old school Kanye, *chef's kiss) and the lyrical play is nice. Lyrically, it's ... interesting ... in a couple places as Common seems to grapple with how he feels about women, often falling into the traps that have historically marred rap as anti-woman. The opening song talks about his feelings for his daughter and the hope that he has for her and wondering if she is the Messiah. There's a song in here grappling with how he would feel about his faith if God (and Jesus) were women. It ends with (what TBH sounds like a response and callback to Baz Lurhman's "Everybody's Free") a bunch of children, may of them talking about what they want to be when they grow up. But at the same time, there's songs about his sexual fantasy of a FFM threesome that devolves into the fetishization of lesbians. He has a song portraying a wife as a crime queenpin that's pinned the crime on her husband (and apparently doesn't know about the appeal process?!?!?!). There's a song about a tragic woman who can't seem to escape poverty, despite her hopes and some desperate measures. It's all complicated, and very much of its time. With all that, I can't give this album the five stars it probably deserves for the sound of it all and that I was so ready to give it based only on the first song. So, 4 stars it is.
This is the only Common album I've ever known, so I was surprised to find that this was his sixth release. It's good hip hop, that's for sure. And, I hate to admit it, but it's obvious that part of what makes this album so good is the Kanye production. My only complaint about this album is that it's not very catchy. Despite this being an album that I'd heard many times over in my college days (mostly because my roommate was super into it), I could only recall a couple songs. Still, it's really well done, and I now know why my roommate liked it so much.
Oikein hyvä rap-albumi. Paljon jazzista ja soulista tulevia vaikutteita.
Really enjoyed this album.
Common is kind of underappreciated. He is good but not great. I feel like most people don't like him or have never heard of him though, at least most people in the mainstream anyway.
Man merkt den Einfluss von Kanye auf dem Album. 00er Kanye war einfach ein Biest, fight me. 4 Sterne weil ich nicht gut in Mathe bin
Gosh this is good. I knew Common was a great artist but I’d never given him the time. Grateful to have listened to this one.
Послушал не без удовольствия.
Really smooth hip hop album, highlights are "Go", "Be" and "Love Is." Loses points for "Faithful". Overall enjoyable listen but don't love.
A classic.
good production, nothing really boring, good album overall
Overall decent album, gets an extra star for his acting role on “Silo” which was solid
Jepaa chilliä räppiä. Kuullostaa hyväntuuliselta, en sanoihin keskittynyt. Parhaat: Real People, GO!, They Say
Thankfully I'm awful at maths. A snowballs chance in hell I would ever be able to get a PhD in mathematics. So of course I rather enjoyed this album. It's that simple.
Fastnade för Common med Like water for chocolate men denna är nog hans bästa skiva. Jävligt välproducerad (kan ju inte bli så mycket bättre än Kanye och J Dilla) och Common är alltid bra, framförallt textmässigt. Stark fyra.
Not my usual cup of tea, but thoroughly enjoyed this
Бодрый позитивный. Под такое летом ходить по набережной. Канье Уэст как битмейкер великолепен. Ну а текст -- говно, конечно. Ну ладно. GO особенно хороша.
A very solid rap album. Kanye's soul production is great. Good thoughtful verses. The ending clinched it for me as a must listen. Some of the best this genre/era has to offer.
It's interesting getting this album directly after Yeezus by Kanye. I said it before, but I'll say it again: fuck Kanye for being a nazi. He made so much great music, this album included, but how it's hard to think about what he was doing on this album without thinking about what he would become. That said, this album is really solid. It's a great example of the soul sample flipping that Kanye was doing in the early 00s, and it holds up. The addition of Dilla to this album changes the way it feels, and it's another reminder of what we lost when he died, less than a year after this album came out Common is really solid as a rapper on this album, better than I remember him being, and he really takes advantage of having a well-produced album 4/5
Really liked how there tended to be musical background for the rapping, rather than just chopped up samples here and there, made it more of a “song” for someone not well versed in the hiOhio genre. 3.5/5
Be is a great album... thoughtful, soulful, and smooth from start to finish. One thing that holds it back, though (and a lot of albums from this era), is that high-pitched, almost computer-generated voice effect sprinkled throughout. I’ve never been a fan of that, but this album manages to rise above it for the most part. Still, undeniable talent and sharp lyricism make this one of Common’s best. Also, Fvc|< Kanye.
Would’ve been great but it has Kanye’s stink all over it.
I quite liked this one. Enjoyed the clarity of his voice. Did not enjoy his acting performance in Silo though. Wooden.
I listened to this album on repeat when it came out. Went to see a Common live show, February 2006. Common, smooth, great lyricism, has that bounce. Nice word play. Every track has something interesting. Couple nice J Dilla tracks. The other tracks with a formula that worked for so long. The Food should have been the studio version. Live version could have been a bonus track. Still a great song though. I had forgotten about this album. It sonically holds up, but I probably won't revisit it often again.
Can definitely tell it was produced by Kanye He's not as good of a rapper as Kanye is, but it's still a great album
Cool album, great production by J-Dilla as always, I liked the beats and Common's flow. One of the better modern rap albums on this list so far, enjoyable and positive record.
Great production and smooth rap
Overall: 8/10 I've seen this album cover so many times and somehow never heard anything from it. That's probably why I had no idea how involved Kanye is. Musically, that was really exciting but it's also Kanye...ANYWAY Common himself is a talented lyricist with a good voice for hip hop. As much as I don't like the man, Kanye's production is truly what makes this album special imo. It reminds me of The College Dropout while still feeling fresh and different. I don't think I'll be diving into this one daily yet but I could see it growing on me. Fav Song: Chi-City Least Fav Song: Faithful
Ohhhh I like. Kanye jcole type feel
I enjoyed this one.
Classic
Surprised to see Common on here. Tbh, I know him more as a part of the cultural zeitgeist than a music artist. I didn’t expect so many Kanye features, but that’s cool. Overall, I like it. 4/5 Highlights: The Corner Chi-City
GOOD Music!
Klassiker. Stabila låtar som håller upp än idag.
Quite a good album, haven't listened to rap for a long time as it's usually always the same monotonous music. It's different here, I would describe it as melodic. I also like the voice.
Puede que el mejor momento de producción de mr Kanye West y unos raperos y tracklist super sólidos, no sé por qué no le pongo un cinco
Never heard this one before, and was shocked to find an album majority-produced by Kanye appearing in front of me now of all times - modern-day context (Kan-text?) aside, Common has a good project here! The intro track is a banger way to start, with the way it all comes together with the strings. Whole album works, no skips. Not a Common fan but I’ve really mostly only seen him as either a feature or an actor. I’ll return to this.
E bueno, 4.5
This is a fantastic album. The production by Kanye and J Dilla is amazing. Common's flow is less fluid and more metric than someone like Kendrick Lamar, but still freer than the sometimes sing-song-y feel of old-school rap. It's definitely smoother and less aggressive or angry than KL, which may be too "Starbucks Presents...Now This is Hip Hop!" for some. But it feels to me more a matter of maturity. The grown man doesn't (shouldn't) have the same problems and perspectives as the 19 yr old angry young man. I get it. I feel the same way about bands like Metallica who lost their edge as they matured. Sometimes it's better to come across the more mature version of the artist before the young and hungry versions. anyway... There's a depth to his lyrics that would reward repeat listens. Helluva storyteller. Testify might be one of my favorite tracks on the album, though the twist in the final verse is a bit too abrupt. I can't go 5 stars because it's not perfect, but this is an easy 4 stars for me.
83% Best: The Corner; GO!; Testify; Real People; They Say Must-Hear? Sure
first listen very cool, very thoughful
HELL YEAH So underrated every song is very good Jazzy sound + bars So awesome
good hiphop
That was a great album. I liked the call-back in the last track to the first song, and to the album title. It's a shame about Kanye, cause he's a great producer, and rapper himself.
Gospal, Jazz, Soul, and Hip-hop. The way that Common is able to blend these different sounds so seamlessly is what makes this album stand out. I love his flow, it's easy to follow along but not so simple where it's the same cadence for too long. I love how he enunciates his words and you're able to clearly hear everything that he's saying. I love the mix of the record, everything has its own little island and nothing is clashing with each other. That opening bass line had me hooked right away. Groovy, deep, immediately had my head bobbing. And then when Common comes in, again, his flow it's not like it's a simple cadence, it's got rhythm, it's got flow, it keeps me captivated. I love how the bass is mixed throughout the entire album. It's deep, it keeps everything in line and is the backbone to each song. Great album. 4
I like Common quite a lot. The music is tight, soulful, jazz and exactly as subtle as it needs to be. The lyrics are powerful and socially conscious. But I have to admit that anything with Kanye West's name attached is a little hard to listen to. I'm trying to be objective and remember that this was before he came out as an extreme right-wing racist conspiracy theorist. And I can completely see why people loved his production work. Even when it's a little gimmicky (like the "chipmunk soul" style), it still works. So I'm going to ignore present day Kanye and say that he and Common made an amazing pair on this album.
Yxi wähä rucous kiria monil iumalisil ia tarpelisil rucouxil ia kijtos sanoil sekä entisistä suomen kielen että mös muista rucous kirioista lisätty/ enätty ia vdhistettu Iumalan cunniaxi ia suomalaisten tarpexi. Kaxi wähä rucous kiria monil iumalisil ia tarpelisil rucouxil ia kijtos sanoil sekä entisistä suomen kielen että mös muista rucous kirioista lisätty/ enätty ia vdhistettu Iumalan cunniaxi ia suomalaisten tarpexi. Tyypillinen albumi. heh tajuutko.. ymmärätkö? Yxi wähä rucous kiria monil iumalisil ia tarpelisil rucouxil ia kijtos sanoil sekä entisistä suomen kielen että mös muista rucous kirioista lisätty/ enätty ia vdhistettu Iumalan cunniaxi ia suomalaisten tarpexi. chi-city
Never listened to this. Not once. And to be honest, I probably have never listened to any song by Common (at least not deliberately or that I could remember). But damn...that was smooth as hell. Like a mix of rap and jazz. Enjoyed that a lot more than I thought I would.
I'll always cherish this album for allowing me to listen to some prime Kanye beats without having to listen to Kanye. Well, most of the time, at least.
Impeccable flow catchy verses and
Not my normal genre but I really enjoyed this. Especially loved all the Chicago content
Bit of a genre change.. liked this album, real smooth listening, classic 2000 rap
Production on this is great, def see its merit
I've heard this album when I was 24 years old. And what I loved most, he had so much soul... (no, for real, putting aside the fact that mentions of Dave Chappelle aged horribly and that I wished Kanye kept doing great music instead of trying so hard to offend everybody, this is a very, very good rap album!)
Truly enjoyed this album. Fun yet meaningful.
maybe the most likeable album ever lol. for some reason i always remember this as a debut even tho i know its not, but i always forget specifically that common had been releasing music for over a decade by the time this came out...obviously a big part of this record's enduring legend is the involvement from golden era k@ny3 but im glad things worked out to get a bunch of eyes on common at this stage. not that he has Everything Figured Out or whatever, but the level of lived experience is oozing out of everywhere and is just in general the stage i wish a lot more artist of all types and mediums got to reach...being rich and successful esp can hold u in a myopic personal stasis (like some of the collaborators here, famously!), but at least at this stage common feels like he has never stopped living and thoughtfully accruing new experiences and understanding...just one of a myriad contributors to this being a very sweet and assuring record, esp for these Times,,,,bush-era stubborn optimism rly does hit nice about now
Bra album. Chicago-rappare precis som Kanye (som är feat.) på någon låt. Stabil, känns som en klassiker?
It’s good, it’s not my thing but I enjoyed spending time listening
great stuff. EZ listening. good vibes only
i have a bias toward rap albums, but this one is pretty good. maybe the reason for this is the presence of ye as the producer and the co-writer, who is still half a genius at then, before becoming that wanker that he now is. even though i was a fan of taylor when i was in middle school, i still miss the old kanye. 4/5
Favourite tracks: be (intro); the corner; go!; faithful; love is...; they say
An enjoyable album
i love the intro
Pretty good stuff, although I do find it a little over produced and sheened - definately prefer his slightly rawer, jazzier albums such as Like Water for Chocolate..
kinda chill. kinda angry
Somewhat overseen rap album that shouldn’t be overseen. Feels like Illmatic 2.0
Really strong rap album. Lyrics, flow, beats: everything on point. Favorites: Chi-City, Be, They Say
I'm more familiar with Common the actor than Common the rapper but consider me pleasantly surprised. Appreciate the soul/R&B-influenced backing tracks. Favorites: Be (Intro), Chi-City, The Food, They Say Would I listen to it again: Probably
7/10 Nice album, production amazing Common doesn’t quite live up to Kanye’s production Best: they say
4 star. Nice easy listening hippity hop.
Really digging Common's lyrics throughout this album, and the music hit me in good ways. There are a handful of touches that I'm not sure about on my first spin, but I'll definitely listen to it a few more times to see if my opinion changes. For now I'm not sure it's great, but it's definitely worthy of attention and I'm glad this project gave me a reason to listen to it. I may need to dig into his other albums too.
Some records can be hit or miss in Atmos but this one is mixed well. Really good story telling on Testify. Haven’t listened to a lot of Common’s stuff but I’m giving him a Chappelle’s Show bump like I did with Q-Tip. Favorite song: The Corner Least favorite song: Faithful
super chillll
Solid album
Man I miss 2005 rap: when Kanye's screws were loose instead of left behind in 2015. Common really nailed the comeback with his poetic and powerful lyrics while Kanye really laid down some of his better tracks I've heard outside his own music. Simple, but powerful. 3.75/5
Great. Listen again
great album, it was my second listen and went from a 3/5 to a 3.5/5, great production overall.
Nice.
I don't do a lot of hip hop deep dives, but this was definitely a gem. I'd heard The Food before, but all of the other tracks were solid. It's Your World is such a powerful track, I'm still re-listening and mulling it over. Glad this one popped up for me!
Great samples, great beats and great production. Infused with a sense of joy and love
this is so fucking fresh
Better than I thought, nice chill jazzy rap album w/ great samples. Also features Ye (also produces the album) and John Mayer as guests, who kills it.
82/100
Enjoyed this one. Like Common’s message and the mix of hip hop and r&b. “GO!” Is a great song. 3.5/5 Will listen again
love the beats, not just the Kanye ones tho. He's a really good rapper as well, really no downsides at all, a near perfect rap album. Favorite songs: the intro, Love is, The live one with Kanye. Overall around 8/10
Such a fantastic pairing of voice and production, this is some thoroughly excellent work from Kanye…. A really great album
Dammit kanye
yeah i mean its undeniable. beautiful album ... somehow makes conscious rap not corny af and kanye and dilla's production is truly unreal. I actually really enjoy kanye's vocals being used as a 'production effect' i think it adds a beautiful texture to this album ...
Light ambient lounge
7.8/10
Maaaan this takes me back to high school/college. I used to love this album so much. And it hasn’t aged terribly either. Still bangs.
The Kanye production is so clear. What’s happened to him man :(
Always a welcome listen. Laid back, well produced. Not absolutely top-tier hip hop, but still bloody lovely.
Proper good. Go is a right song and the title track is as well. Very smooth and melodic.
If I remember correctly, this isn't the first time a Common album has appeared here... anyway, great rap album! I really like it when an album like this sounds like the 90s, even though it isn't. His voice is very comfortable to listen to. It was a great start to the morning listening to this! I will leave 4 stars today.
Worth hearing again
I liked this. More than a lot of hip hop anyway.
Enjoyed it, not biggest fan of rap but thought this was well produced. Very nice flow. I particularly liked The Food - Live.
Excellent first half, ok second half.
Rap. Groovy, soulful. Lovely voice and flow. Melodic, soulful samples. Very easy to listen to. Like hip-hop more than I thought.
prime Kanye production, a perfect background for the low and smooth flow of Common. Didn't have time to get deeper into the lyrics (not a native speaker, always a challenge with rap) so it may still grow on me. "I miss the old Kanye"
kanye west
yea its alright
Favourite song - Go!
Yeah. Some intelligent rap. Ace rhythms. No cussing or misogyny. It's a bit like early Kanye but smoother. Highly recommended.
tolle grooves, jazzig angehaucht und einfach zum mitwippen.
A really bright and fun album from Common, thanks in part to Kanye's lively production and Common's hooks. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did.
go
Good drum loops and that
The production on this is so good, I love the soul and jazz influence. The tracks are solid throughout, and it's a testimony to Kanye West's brilliance as a producer. It's conscious and cohesive. Best song: The Corner Worst song: The Food
Nice beats and flow. A bit different than normal hiphop
Loved it.
Al señor "matemático" que escribió la reseña de cómo le gustan "más los discos por su naturaleza musical y no lírica", le digo: deja de justificar tu racismo. Este debe ser uno de los discos de Hip-Hop más melódicos e interesantes que he escuchados. Las bases producidas genialmente por Kanye West (antes de su irreversible caída a la locura) se mantienen frescas a través del LP, inspirando subgéneros como el Lo-Fi Hip Hop y adelantando el estilo de algunas de sus obras más interesantes. Common, por supuesto, destaca con su inmaculado flow e ilustraciones dramatizadas de las ocurrencias cotidianas de las comunidades afroamericanas. Sumamente recomendable.
goated production
Peak Kanye era production Maybe less well known than College Dropout but arguably just as goood
Well I never listened to Common before, and I definitely never knew what Kanye actually did before he became a deranged Nazi shoe designer, so I must say this surpassed my expectations by quite a lot.
Moving out and tidying up to this album was a bop
I don’t have to have a degree or a career in STEM to know that using that as a criteria for judging music is cringey behavior. This album is a solid rap album from the 2000s.
This is good. I've always seen this around but never listened. Definitely would not mind coming back to this.
Upphafslagið er afar gott, næsta líka, og svo framvegis. Mjög góð grúv, ánægjulegt, yes yes.
I absolutely love Common and this album is an essential Common album to listen to
I like this kind of rap- groovy and underplayed. Reminds me of DOOOOM!
Common in always interesting. His songs usually just have a basic beat and a chorus that does little more than tie the verses together. But those verses are FIRE. And of course, GO! is awesome. Love Is... is also a nice chill song. It's Your World was a great ending to it. Best song: GO!
This was GREAT. I loved digging into the production history here. Didn’t realize the star power on this album and that Mayer sang the “Go” sample. Fun flow for an album, didnt feel like a super perverted album either (maybe doggy style was just too much for me)
I am familiar with Common the actor and unfamiliar with Common the artist, so I am excited. The opening bass line is sweet, and this is a welcome change compared to the Kate Bush drivel I had to suffer through yesterday. God, I love 2000s hip-hop with a passion. It's just so good on so many layers: the beats, the lyrics, the tempo.
This is a great, engaging album. Love the rhythms, bases, and harmonies. Great time capsule!
Chill Rap jazz
Wow wow wow, how have I never listened to this before? I used to listen to a lot of Kayne West, so could hear his influence immediately. No notes, enjoyed every single song on this record. Will now be in my rotation.
Early 2000s Kanye + J Dilla = GOAT hip hop production.
truthfully i wanna rhyme like common sense
FINALLY! No more mind numbing music! 9/10. This kindve feels like a collab album with Kanye, and maybe that’s why every beat is so refreshing. This album will feel even better after I slog through another 15 albums that go through one ear and out the other.
Mostly delicious, some duds Hate common the actor, like the guy, rate the rapper.
Chill hip hop, second listen needed but good first impression.
WHat a fantastic album!
Great album! wish I’d known about it sooner. of course kanye as a producer is huge. Favorite songs were GO! and testify. And the sample of kids saying what they wanna be in the song it’s your world was special, loved it
Favorite Tracks: They Say GO!
I like this quite a lot. I could tell Kanye was involved without having to look it up. Haven't paid enough attention to the lyrics but I love how loose this sounds. The samples and beats work really great. 4/4.5
I really liked this album at a time. It helped me get into the genre. A 4 for the quality of the album and it's importance to me.
Nostalgic album for me. For some reason I have a very clear memory of listening to this on a bus to a field trip in high school on my portable CD player. Possibly an early mp3 player. Still holds up well.
I dug this album more than the other Common album I got a long time ago. Also what I loved is that it is a tight 42 minutes which is perfect length. Doesn't overstay its welcome. Shame about the Kanye connection but doesn't take away from it.
First album/artist I’d never heard on this list, reminds me somewhat of celph titled 4/5
So so easy to listen to. Such an easy listen. All the kanye on it reminds me of when he was actually a good musician. Commons voice is so chilled out, the album is fairly chilled out Great grooves, great production, perfect length, NO SKITS.
This is a solid album. Definitely sounds like it came out of the mid-2000s. Kind of like that Lupe Fiasco album I just had, so much from this era feels like it's got Kanye's fingerprints all over it. I didn't think I listened to much Common but much of this album was very familiar to me. 3.5 rounding up
I liked this a lot.
Kanye's production and Common's rapping creates a great hip-hop/rap album.
Not bad, I've never heard any other Common songs to balance this album against his other work, but this is good, and you can hear Kanye's influence all over, not just in his performances. I enjoyed it, even if it's not 100% my thing.
The first album of a genre that I don't normally listen to. Very powerful themes that honestly did draw me in. I was honestly a little surprised how much the songs could draw me in despite the fact that I have had very different life experiences; I think that's a mark of a good storyteller. I especially like the songs that include some elements of spoken poetry, which give the whole album a stronger and grander identity. Favorite song: "The Corner" Best representation of the album: "It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)"
Common is a talented rapper that is unfortunately rapping on some of the greatest beats ever. I don’t think he was quite up to the challenge. Still a great project!
This was better than I expected. Found it didn't feel like it took forever to get through.
This was a sick record. I liked the lyrics a lot and the music was good too. It kept making me think of Common in Small Foot though which is kinda funny.
Solid hip hop album
Echt een Bastiaan album? Wel nice
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Being from Chicago, it filled me with pride.
I find Common to be like one of your favorite Candle scents. You light your favorite candle, and when you start it up and experience it, it totally envelops your attention - it's almost like he's giving sermons of profound life experiences. But if you keep it on long enough, it kind of dulls your senses just a bit and isn't as attention-grabbing as when it first started. Though this is most likely because this project was peak Kanye's "chipmunk vocal sampling" days, which can get tiresome. Regardless, this is still a solid project from a classic artist. I don't always return to every track here, but the best tracks really are something special.
Quite a pleasant album, but just lacking something to make it feel really special - one real big hitter perhaps. I like a lot of the elements here and I think I could happily have it on in the background all day. Fave Tracks: Testify, Love Is..., Real People, They Say, It's Your World 4/5
this epitomises why i am listening to these 1001 albums - to be enlightened to albums i would never otherwise have listened to. each track flowed beautifully, and the vocals complimented the music perfectly. it’s an album where you don’t need to know the songs to enjoy it, you can just let the rhythms wash over you. i will have to do more research into common, and i will definitely be revisiting this record
Jazz instrumentation and general positivity make it stand out, but there are lots of pretty mainstream early 2000s hip hop elements that just don’t land with me.
-I can definitely see the Kanye production all over this. The first half or so in particular has some amazing songs that build a great momentum, I’m surprised I’ve never heard anything by this artist before -Favorites are Be (Intro), The Corner, GO! and Testify
Maybe a little too smooth and polished, but on the whole, I like Common’s style. I thought the start and ending of the album were stronger than the middle. Pleasant and easy to listen to. 3.5 rounded up Favorite tracks: The Corner, Real People, They Say
Really good album from the “conscious rap” catalog. One of the best of the era along with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Nas. Minus one star because my wife won’t stop telling me how hot Common is.
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way - this album was primarily produced by a young Kanye West, save for two tracks produced by the late J Dilla. In fact, Kanye himself appears for two choruses and a verse. I’m fully aware of the fall from grace Kanye has been through over the years, where his cult of personality has gone largely unchecked as he now reps fascists and the music becomes an afterthought. That all said, I can recognize that at one point in time, the man cared about the music, and once had the ability and capacity to self-edit and produce something of good quality. That I can take away from this album. Now with that out of way, I hadn’t heard about Common before. He’s a Chicago rapper previously known for his collaborations with No ID, The Roots and Erykah Badu. Be is his fifth album, and his first under Kanye’s label GOOD Music. A fair amount of publications tend to acknowledge this album as one of his best works, and I can see why. Common’s flows are impeccable throughout this album, as he pens and weaves his way through socially conscious lyrics that deal with themes of poverty, spirituality, love, racism, and finding optimism in hard times. Occasionally, a track or two will throw in some wit, such as how he claps back against rappers who don’t offer anything meaningful to say on “Chi-City”. Overall, it’s Common finding his pocket to express what it is to “be” in the moment, in the now. All this set to a backdrop of soulful yet punctuated music, sampling R&B of the 60s and 70s recontextualized into something new. Honestly, I have only a few nitpicks for this album. John Mayer does not offer much on his guest appearance in “GO!”, where he just sings the word “go” throughout the song. At least John Legend offers the whole chorus on “They Say”. Also, the version of “The Food” that appears on this album is a live performance from the Dave Chapelle Show. While they do nicely transition from that to the next track “Real People”, they probably would have been better off using a studio version. I had a fun time in general with Be, and give it a solid recommendation.
Great album!
Forgot how great Common actually is. This album was an important reminder.
I am a bit disappointed with this record, because it promises so much! Common himself is a brilliant musician (like everybody else in the Soulquarians). J Dilla was and Kanye is an amazing producer. Even John Mayer and John Legend is featured on this. And although the album itself is good, I am left being slightly underwhelmed. The lyrics are not as interesting as say Kanye or Kendrick, and the tracks could have been more creatively developed (I mean, its not like this guy doesn't know a shit ton of outstanding musicians). That being said — its still better than the last ten or so records I hava had on here.
Very refreshing to get some hip hop. Produced by a prime Kanye and decent rap. 4/5
I been missing out on this album
Heel lekker album, echt wat anders, paar echt vette platen, maar net een paar teveel matige voor 5 sterren.
Found this more enjoyable than the last one on the list. More focus on backing track, tempo and phrasing 4/5 #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie
Great beats and production! I wonder who was in charge of that… Seriously though liked the lyrical content and the flow quite a bit over outstanding production
Some really good stuff mixed with meh.
this guy is good, sad that i never heard of him before
Ah, back to a more innocent time when it was all about the music and Kanye wasn’t a neo-Naxi. Love the positivity that Commom manifests here.
curti demais a produção, o som repetitivo não me incomodou de forma alguma da maneira que foi feito
4.2/5 excellent production really good rapping and good storytelling
Be is mature, smooth, dignified even. Common is a fantastic lyrists. 7.9/20
Really solid hip hop album with soul backing.
Good album, I feel like Kanye's is too present in the whole (obv, bus too much) Still, good message, solid rapping.
Great ahh akbum
CAN YOU SAY CHI-CITY?! Such a pretty album.
I really liked the beats, the lyricism was top notch on this album. The only thing I don't like is Ye being featured and the producer.
Even what Kanye and Chappelle have become in the last 19 years can't diminish how fantastic how excellent this is. A classic.
Strong music. Good album
Like this one better than the other on this list
Sharp, poetic and the start of a wonderful MC
Early Kanye was great. Nice 70s sound too, enjoyed it
Common: The Wise Old Sage Of Rap
I'm not big on hip hop, but this is solid & I've always appreciated Common for being a more mature & sophisticated artist. And I gotta say, I liked that Kanye was present on this album. 4 stars.
High 4
Awesome album. Took me back to Freshman year
This was really great. I thought the guy had a great voice and the last track was very wholesome imo
I'm not too familiar with Common's music but he's always struck me as a man of many talents. This album confirms it. The marriage of hip-hop, R&B and soul is smooth, and the songs have substance - in terms of both music and words. Whole album is solid but the clear standouts are The Food, They Say, and the Baz Luhrmann Everybody's Free (To Wear Suncreen)-esque It's Your World.
i just want to be dead, admittedly unseen, intimately unknown, i just want to be infinitely asleep this album fucking sucks btw
I really liked this! Testify sent chills down my spine with the punchline, GO! Is a classic. I totally dig it.
This is why I wanted to do this. Great artist that I have never heard of. Vocals sound similar to JayZ. Great.
Social consciousness and M Gaye vibes
4.5
I miss the old Kanye, straight from the GO! Kanye, producing masterpieces Kanye… Never listened to Common before I am ashamed to admit. Intro is my absolute favourite of the album and absolutely slaps. Kanye production felt all over. Looking forward to make this part of my rotation in the coming weeks and really nestle into the album
Haven't heard this before but very impressed. "My mother gave birth but she really never had me."
Sick beats and lyrics that have aged ok
old school hip hop, laced with clever lyrics
My favorite Common album, just unreal laid back vibes with fantastic rapping. I promise I won’t go full Kanye rant but he really did his thing on here
I love the arrangements on this album and how he blends hip hop, gospel, and elements of jazz. Very much feels like a rap album from 2005 in the sense that it laid the groundwork for so many later artists of the 2010s and beyond, as well as contributed in taking rap beyond the barriers of the genre. I love an album that takes risks and this is one of them.
Haven't heard this before but very impressed. "My mother gave birth but she really never had me."
Pretty decent album, although I think the Kanye stuff was a bit weaker. 3.6
Very smooth and interesting stuff. “Testify” and “Be (Intro)” really caught my attention, but the album didn’t drag throughout.
Haven't heard this before but very impressed. "My mother gave birth but she really never had me."
Possibly the most 4/5 album I've ever heard, it's very good, lots to love. I would likely listen to it again. However, it just lacks some certain things that would make it a five. It's missing some spice.
This is probably my favorite Common album and a gleaming piece of 2000s hip-hop amid a very uncertain era for the genre. Kanye's soulful and golden-age production works beautifully in fully realizing Common's wholesome, thoughtful, and open attitude which was ever-so-slightly missing from previous releases. The opener is one of my favorite songs of all time and never fails to fill me with goosebumps. The way the beat builds up to this orchestral and epic piece under Common's incredible depictions of life and all of its grievances. One of my favorite lyrics of all time is "...If Imma do it, I gotta change the word through her" talking about his daughter. Lyrically he perfectly sets the tone with this opener. Everything that follows is just as enjoyable and well conveyed. Be that the more socially conscious 'The Corner' featuring The Last Poets, or the incredible live rendition of 'The Food' from the Chappelle show. I always enjoyed how Common uses that backing sample on 'Testify' to tell his twist-ending story. 'Chi-City' has such an undeniably slick 2000s-era hip-hop beat, it's almost an era-defining beat. The closer 'It's Your World' nicely wraps up those themes of "Being" with a great spoken word portion. I really think this album boasts some of Kanye's best production ever and Dilla does an incredible job with this closer as well - love the way the horn and string samples collide on it. As much as I love Common's 'Like Water For Chocolate', I find it bloated at times and I think the beats here complement Common's conscious, bright, and understanding rhyme style way more. He does have one of the best voices in the genre.
Better than expected. Very good
4.5
I really enjoy Common's lyrical style and this album in particular has a bunch of old school Kanye West beats that are super fun. Definitely a different time but a classic
Really gorgeous album - smooth and sultry hip hop, before Kanye went off the rails, featuring J Dilla and John Mayer. Who would have thought!
listened on 12/08/25 whilst updating my tv show tracker
Having your hip-hop album be solely produced by prime Kanye (before he went mental) and J-Dilla pretty much guarantees it's going to be fantastic. Common is the only issue. Even though he's solid on this, he's far from my favourite rapper. Saw someone else describe it like someone's dad rapping, and that's a good way to explain it. I just feel like he never flows too well when he raps, it's always a little clunky. This is as good as he gets though, and the amazing production distracts from him enough.
My kind of rap. A decent groove underpinning the record.
The intro (be) was my favorite track but I enjoyed a lot of it. Rap and a lot of music in general can feel misogynistic a lot of times. And this didn’t feel as demeaning when I listened to it. I loved the rhythm of it
Another set of bangers, really good
Some solid bangers much enjoyed
Fun to listen to! Good beats
Amazing! Really really enjoyed and will be listening again 4.5 Kanye production is FLAMES as always Favs: GO!, Testify, the food, they say
Top tier rapping and killer beats, unsurprising when it's Kanye producing in his prime. Great showing
A damn good album. Common may be known better as being an actor and popping up in movies like John Wick and Wanted. But homie is so, so talented. This album is so damn good and is SUCH A VIBE.
Not my kind of music but it was actually a good listen. Quick, too. I dug it.
I love Kanye west!!!!
This was a VIBEY chicago rap record. Had fun
de lo mejorcito de rap que escuchado. bien chill y vibras a un Kanye temprano. soul?
Mood: Very peaceful (had just listened to the Nick Drake album) Setting: Still driving home from my parents house I've never actually listened to Common before. I was not expecting to love this, especially having just listened to Nick Drake right before but I actually thought this was very solid.
Pretty solid Common record. Used to listen to it back in the day, and I don't love his style, but its a super well made record
This is a new listen for me, I don't think I could name a song by Common. I'm only two songs in but this album is awesome. Loving the song 'The Corner'. This is clearly very influenced by College Dropout, or perhaps these kinds of samples were already popularized? Update: I just realized Kanye is literally on this song. That explains it. Update 2: He's on the third song too???? Is this a Kanye/Common record?? College Dropout era Kanye is continuing to bleed into every corner of this record, and I'm loving it. I'm a day late so I'll keep my review brief, but this album rocked. I love this soul samples era of hip hop. 8/10
Top-shelf rap. Well-crafted.
JAAAAAA 4/5 eller 5/5 det er skidegodt
Solid, but not as good as Like Water for Chocolate. First couple tracks are the best ones
I like Common's flow quite a bit and I really appreciate the music in the background for being pretty interesting and good sounding. The standouts for me here are Intro, Testify, and Real People. Overall, pretty good 2000s hip hop.
4 for Testify. She's shaking, looking like she took it the hardest A spin artist, she brought her face up laughing That's when the prosecutor realized what happened All that speaking her mind, testifying and crying When this ***** did the crime The QUEENpin
My introduction to Common was when he was hosting a furniture making competition show. I enjoyed this album equally as much as I did that show.
So smooth and commanding
8.5/10
3.5 stars rounded up
nice
Common releasing a mid 00s album produced by J Dilla and Kanye was never gonna be mid
I love this album, it might be partly nostalgia but the beats are so good and the lyrics are lovely and a lil cheesy. This is above a 4 but not a 5
enjoyed the beatzz
That was actually a great record. I really enjoyed listening to it. Thanks be of the better hip hop albums.
This list is really making me appreciate rap a lot more.
Good lyrics and decent beat. I really like how the music sounds. The gospel esc type of music that Faithful embodied was awesome. Overall a pretty solid album. Worth putting on again when in mood so probably a 8/10
This is a really good album. Would listen to it again. The one song I didn't line was testify because it was annoying to listen to.
7.21/10 Top 3 Songs 1. The Food (Live) 2. Go! 3. Real People
I really enjoyed this. Great lyrics/cool messages. I liked the live performance from Chappelle show towards the end
Boah ich weiss garned was dezue schriibe und ja iwie au kei ziit zum so mega reviews schriibe aber war gut
what in the "Anthony Fantano: Let's Argue"-Intro is this uhh AHHH die string kenni vo iwo? iwie sehr nostalgischi musig? und kanyyyyyyyyyyyee oaahh au faithful so en geile beat poah absolut nices album, mega smooth und agnehm, passt gad zum sunnige wetter und they say isch iwie mega en guete closer vom album
FINALLY my prayers for a post-1990's album have been answered and this one did not disappoint. Good beats, good vibes, good music, that's all I need. I'm not a huge rap girl, so I think the beats/instrumentals is what really made the experience for me.
This was a great listen. I did have a breakdown while driving and listening to this one, so you know it’s good. I’m really shocked I had never heard of this person before. (Both because of his work and also who he’s dated. 🤪) “Be” sounds like the kind of album my Dad would have played for me as a kid. Great rhythm and flow, great lyrics. A little bit of Christian undertones?
Good beats & good storytelling. Nice to hear some old Kanye features too.
Early 2000s rap. Produced by Kanye, which is a huge plus. The sampling is great, not a lot of chipmunk vocals either. Common has a great voice and great lyricism. Some songs have transitions between them. Great album experience, some of the best of this era. Standouts: Be (Intro), Faithful, Love is…, The Food - Live, and They Say.
Uncommonly great. A surprise and a treat to find this one
I miss the old Kanye. He was so good before he went nuts. Common is fine. But this is a Kanye record. And it's a good one.
This was a really nice surprise. The bassist on the first track was awesome;.
3.7 lots of classic Kanye production
Be // The Corner // GO! // Faithful // Testify // Love Is // 4.5/5
Great
Good flow, good production
common common w
This is much more my speed when it comes to hip-hop. Common's rhymes are smooth, and the more introspective and thoughtful lyrics and subject matter are much easier for me to identify with. The samples and beats are peak Kanye-before-he-lost-his-entire-mind; I found myself bobbing my head and grooving to each track. I also appreciate the lack of misogyny and bragadocious violence, though the references to Christianity take me out of it a bit. "Be," while not my perfect hip-hop album, is a masterful work and certainly worth listening to.
Very happy with this entire album, “The Food” is one of my favorite Kanye features of all time.
Surprisingly good, Kanye featured. Felt like a more heartfelt version of childish gambino
Not a rap guy but this album intrigued me. I still don’t love most of the vocals, but it had more interesting melodies than most rap I’ve heard. Maybe I’ve just heard the wrong rap though. I still didn’t love it, but I think im gonna listen again in the future and see if my opinion has changed by then. For now though, it’s probably the most I’ve ever enjoyed rap.
Driving to the valley during sunset it felt like a good city album. I miss old producer Kanye who was the sample king that made unique beats and rhythms. Common was great too and felt like a reflection of Chicago culture and all.
I can tell right off the bat that Kanye produced this record. Really groovy beats and interesting samples. Not too many negative things to say aside that some tracks don’t land for me.
Extremely cool beats, smooth flow, thoughtful lyrics, and a relentless momentum throughout. I enjoyed this one thoroughly.
Nice record by a nice guy.