Be

ALBUM RATING: 3.7 ALBUM GRADE: B- TRACK RATINGS: 1. Be (Intro) - 3.0 2. The Corner - 4.0 3. Go! - 3.5 4. Faithful - 3.0 5. Testify - 3.5 6. Love Is… - 3.5 7. Chi-City - 4.0 8. The Food (Live) - 4.0 9. Real People - 3.5 10. They Say - 4.0 11. It’s Your World (Part 1 & 2) - 4.0

This album was great. Common has always been one of the most likeable rappers, and that shines through here. Favorite track: The Corner

Uncommonly good.

Great comeback from the previous album, solid

Gives me Mos Def vibes. Pretty good. Not sure why I'd never checked out Common before.

Common works here with Chi-towns other premier MC Ye and the influence is clear from the beats here. Common writes some solid lines that’ll have you backtracking to listen again. An overall solid hip-hop record for the time period.

Smooth rhymes by Common and lush production by Kanye and Dilla. Can’t beat it.

I liked it way more than I expected to.

Phenomenal production, though once or twice I was thrown off by the chipmunk soul vocals. Love the subdued horns on (forgot the name of the track).Overall, just a great hip-hop record.

started off good, fell off after a while. went from a strong 4 to a pretty weak 4 overall.

Great production, sick rhyme schemes. Only really managed to tune in for the lyrics on the first two songs so I'm gonna have to sit down and give this one a dedicated listen some time, but there's some pretty fucking great lyrical craftwork in what I heard.

Duuużo lepsze niż poprzedni album. Bity lepsze, tekst lepszy.

Great!

Really enjoyable hip-hop! Some great bears and memorable choruses. Faithful is my favourite track.

I enjoyed this. It feels like it maybe needed another 6 months cooking to be truly great but was rushed out when College Dropout went crazy but Common has bars and interesting subject matter.

Some songs are kind of forgettable. The lyrics are good throughout. The beats are good throughout.

I am one happy dude right now. Why, you ask? Well, because I just listened to Common's 2005 album Be, and let me tell you, listening to this album is like getting dapped up by the man Common himself. I mean, seriously, this album is the hip hop equivalent of getting a home cooked meal at your mama's house and a "you got this, man." from your dad who's sitting across from you. Listening to Be is like getting to know Common on a personal level. The album feels like a window into his soul, with lyrics that are introspective, reflective, and often deeply personal. You get a sense of who he is as a person and where he is from. Hell, by the time you finish listening to Be, you feel like you've just had a beer with the guy. And you can't talk about Be without talking about Kanye West whose producing skills helped elevate the album to the next level, and whose old school sound (yeah I like the old Kanye) can be felt throughout the album, which he helped produce. And he even appeared on a couple of songs - which, in my opinion, are some of the best of the album. The Food, is an upbeat song which is all about enjoying the simple pleasures of life with a catchy hook and a sound that feels like a celebration. And then we have They Say which is a bit more introspective. It's a reflection on the pressures of fame and success, and it features Kanye West and John Legend on the chorus. The beat is moody, the lyrics are thoughtful, and the whole thing just hits you right in the feels. Be is one of the truly iconic hip hop albums of the 00's, and it's one of those albums that'll make you actually feel something instead of just going "skrrt" and making you want to eat tide pods. So put on your aviator sunglasses, throw on a leather jacket, and get ready to listen to some GOOD Music. This album is a must-listen.

This is a bop.

Never listened to Common before but I really dug this. No particular songs stood out but the album as a whole solid mid 2000s rap. Bouncy but had heft. The vintage Kanye is an added bonus.

When does an artist get more than one release included on this list? That is an important question. For me, Be is yet another very solid album. He doesn't really push the envelope - so to speak. Nothing groundbreaking. Simply very well constructed and produced songs (not an easy thing to do over and over again. I am not penalizing him for the consistency. I would include Like Water for Chocolate and limit Common to one slot. All that said - this is a solid four-star effort.

Very good. Loved the vibe, overall composition. Definitely an artist to explore more. 1 - bad 2 - average 3 - good 4 - great 5 - outstanding

4/5

8/10

Scrobbled 1 time Artist #4820 Nice vibes, like the jazzy backing tracks

Liked a good part of the album. Some good stuff. Would add a song or two to a playlist.

Very nice hip-hop album. Kind of Kanye-Westey production style, which I like

- Heard this before - Really good album, just find some of the tracks seem to blend into one - Great Kanye/Dilla production - Intro is a classic - Fav songs: Be (Intro), They Say, GO!

I had never really listened to Common but I really enjoyed the sound of the album - modern rap and classic soul at the same time. I'm interested in reading the lyrics and better understanding his connection to Chicago.

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

hm

A very strong album from Common.

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

Ok

good album

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

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

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

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

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

I liked it.

Don't like hiphop, I liked this.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favs: - GO! - The Food - Real People

Favs: - the corner - go!

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

Really enjoyed it!

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

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

Cool album

Pretty good

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

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

chill background hip hop

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

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

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

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

Smooth chipmunk soul hip-hop

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

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

Decent rap album. Cool features.

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

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

Solid hip hop album

great storytelling over kanye production. chi town stand up

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4.0

Hip hop. Soul. Bastante bueno.

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

Kanye lite. Nice production

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

Probably my favorite work from both Common AND Kanye

Kanye production >>>

040126 10:21 3.5

Soulful and funky. Yeah.

The production is top notch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Le producteur est chaud

sounds muy bueno to mich

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

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

This album slaps

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

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

I like the jazz sounds

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

first song goes INSANE

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

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

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

Bom álbum, mas não é meu estilo.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Great rap album

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

Already know I love it!

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

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

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

pretty nice

Great verses worth multiple listens

lovely flow of the raps, swinging arrangements

Common isn’t afraid to show his soft side but doesn’t want you thinking he’s a pushover. Thoughtful, considered, occasionally dull in his earnestness, at least Common is true to self and working hard to express himself as an artist. His lyricism is often on point; his flow a little laid back; and as such, he doesn’t grab your attention like a Jay-Z or Eminem. Occasionally the record fades into the background. But his choice of collaborator in Kanye West is superb, who brings his soul samples and beats to full effect - this is genius Kanye (instead of loopy Kanye) and the soundscape is gorgeous. Be (Intro) is one of his greatest productions - thrilling, heart soaring music with Common’s glorious musings on the future and fatherhood and potential - this, along with tracks like Chi City and Real People, is where the album really comes alive. One more note in the art of sampling - Kanye didn’t just take a stone cold classic and add a beat to it; Mother Nature by Albert Jones is a TERRIBLE track about rabbits and bees and how Mother Nature made you for me - it’s about as by the numbers as a soul record can get - BUT it has this horn section on the intro - super short - and that becomes the heart of this Be (Intro). To dig that out of obscurity, recognise its potential, flip it and make it something greater - well that’s the sampler’s art right there. Kanye is a genius.

Well produced and well written

This album should really be a 3.7. It is good, but I cannot say that any one song is an absolute hit. I was familiar with some of the songs.

A master of the genre, you can't fail to admire the polished production on this album.

Cool

Nice to see Common on here. He’s got great tone, flow and lyrical content. Did not know this was produced by Kanye? Nice beats, still not a fan of the chipmunks thought.

This is actually a nice album - thought "GO!" and "The Food" with Kanye providing supporting vocals was great and the best songs on the album. 8/10.

Pretty good album. Kanye was a nice surprise, and his influence could be heard throughout.

Common is one of those under-rated (to me, at least, maybe?) artists. This is such a great album that I don't visit often enough. I little too slick 2000s production, perhaps, but damn...this album is representative of an era. Great stuff.

Cool and smooth. Common's style on this album is easy to listen to. My favorite was The Corner with some other tracks very pleasing.

As much as I viewed Like Water For Chocolate as an interesting curiosity, this album is just straight up art. Wonderful from start to finish. Warm, intense beats and thoughtful lyrics.

Great samples, warm sounding album.

Great hip hop sounds. LOVE the background vocals. Really nice.

This is really good. Definitely finds it's message, but the tracks themselves each have a pretty unique vibe that finds its groove and carries it. I think Kanye is a welcome contributor here and elevates his contributions. Maybe a little long by the end, but really enjoyable.

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

Overall the album pretty good with enjoyable beats. Faithful and They Say are the best songs on the album. 3.5/5 Stars

3.6 - Original, good and would listen again

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

Common on the mic and Kanye West on production is a powerful thing. This is on display throughout the entire album, but The Food is where it really shines, especially where it's a live performance with so much energy. The whole album is a spectacular showing of rap excellence at this time. Common has great lyrics and flow, and Kanye has great beats from early in his career. Majestic.

Damn amazing album. Common has always been on point, but Kanye's participation reminds me of what made him so great.

.

GOOD shit.

Similar to the last Common album in this generator, his storytelling is amazing. I enjoyed this album more than Like Water For Chocolate - it feels more refined. Really enjoyed this, will be listening to more Common in the future.

15. a marginal ficou mais escura desde que de lá saímos. às palpitações sobrepõem-se pontadas. há alguém por cima de nós. alguém que nos guarda e fará o sol despontar entre as palmeiras. a qualquer instante, vais ver. já faltou mais. MotA: GO! "I wanna be as free as the spirits of those who left / I'​m talking Malcolm, Coltrane, my man Yusef"

Fantastic.

Not my genre but I can tell this is the good shit

1. slow start, but powaful finish, good stuff. 2. siiick 3. very catchy lmao, GO GO GO GO 4. oof, great lyrics & sampling 5. damn, another dope track, that sample ahhh 6. slaps 7. SLAPS 8. woahh live? FIIIRE, him & kanye goin off 9. shiiiet, another banger. lyrics man 10. intro was enough to make this a fave hah 11. i wanna be a duck. anyway, deep track overall thoughts: on first listen, i'd give it a 4/5. lots of good tracks to come back to, and maybe like 2 that are meh. not a bad track on here tho. has really great writing and sampling.

Nodded the whole time.

Pretty good

Be is pretty much the definitive 2000’s hip hop album

The producer really knows how to make soul beats.

Easy to listen to. Addictive beats. Classic.

Very cool rap album. Fun guest appearances by Kanye. Has a Chappelle Show track, which is always a good time.

Loved it. Didn't know Kanye would be on the album so heavily so it was a welcome surprise.

I love Common, but really this is a Kanye album starring Common. And that's still ok. The production definitely benefits, but it's a trade off lyrically and wears on the concept as the album goes on. The Corner is an all-timer and Be is also fire. The rest of the album is really good but can't quite give it a 5.

I can vibe with this. I didn't get to listen to the lyrics a whole lot cuz of work, but the instrumentals were nice. I give it a 4.

This album is smooth as hell.

Very good album!

Very nice and chill album. Kinda feels like old school rap, but with a modern touch to it. Guy looks like black Binging with Babish.

El álbum de hiphop que más me ha gustado hasta el momento.

If Marvin Gaye's What's Going On was a hip-hop album. It's a great combo of hip-hop and soul music

bueno

Summerfeeling im Intro

First time listening to Common, totally passed by this phase of rap/hip-hop so a great introduction. Will definitely listen to some tracks from this again.

Kanyes touch on production has pushed this to a four - brilliant stuff with great beats, strong lyrics and rapping. Will explore more

I'm crap at reviewing hip hop, so I'll just say this is especially good. Covered some good topics lyrically and it all feels very genuine and moving.

Kyle met Common. He was dope. I thought this album was dope. Hi everyone!

I like common

Great tunes, amazing production from a Kanye in his prime.

Cool album with good rapping but nothing too outstanding. 7-8

I’ve always thought of common as kind of corny but this is so smooth and soulful, he has one of the best voices for hip-hop ever and I’m so glad I listened to this. More hip hop albums should be 43 minutes long

8. Solid album

Rap con buena mediodía. Soft bueno para cualquier momento

Nice, Tamy says it's very important

Good but Common’s delivery is corny and some of the beats sound a little canned. Still a classic and well-produced rap album. 8

Cool beats. Need to listen again, focus on lyrics.

Very good flow/lyrical content coupled with some timeless beats

Really enjoyed this, despite not generally listening to hip-hop/rap. Felt like a chill summer day in the 90s/00s. Words like smooth, chill, groove, soulful etc come to mind. Favourite song is The Corner. Makes me wanna go discover more hip hop.

Cooler Old-School-Vibe, aber nicht so mein Ding, zu Gangsta und zu FTP.

I've never really listened to Common before, though I've seen plenty of his movies :). I really like this album.

Rap usually isn't for me. I have a difficult time relating to the lyrics, my experience typically doesn't match with theirs. I end up judging rap by the how the music and vocals combine. This was a pretty good album. I have heard of Common, but never listened.

Wow. This was unexpected - I've never heard of Common before, but his style is square in that intelligent lyrical/spiritual/social questioning style that really does it for me. Sounds east coast style, but Chicago in origin. Really enjoying this. Going to listen a 2nd time and then branch out to his other albums. This will be going into the liked songs for future rotation.

Underrated

Inspirational--especially given the times now (Jan 2021).

The lyric flow and DJ work are very evidently first rate but I didn't give this close enough attention. Very shallow in the genre, I'll need to revisit this.

My favorite track might be "The Food" live from Chappelle's Show even though the fidelity is lower.

great hip hop album

What an absolute jam! Creative, varied, passionate, and original--definitely one of the better rap albums I've heard. And to have Kanye and John Legend in there? Awesome!

Classic early 2000s Chicago productions, poignant messages

Good r&b album. I like the beat.

Fantastic hip hop record with Kanye in the back.... what more do I need to say?

This was awesome, great music, great rap. Liked the Kanye parts too

4.2

First few tracks are great. Faithful was annoying as chipmunks were singing. Best track is The Food. Lots of good stuff here. Not really my normal sound but high 3.5

I'll admit-- I've never listened to Common. But, man, am I glad I did. Soulful, direct, this collab with Kanye is truly symphonic.

Impressive accessible hip hop

Impeccable, peak production from Kanye West. Contains the track performed live by Common and Kanye on Chappelle's Show.

Looks very strange, my mom asked my to pause the music cause is too dark

Really good beats and raps.

A hidden gem of an album, I’m not even a hip hop fan but this surprised me!

really good low-swear Christian rap. Good stuff.

Common is skilled, but a huge part of this album being as good as it is owes itself to Kanye's gorgeous production. Love the actual Chapelle's Show rip on "The Food". Album slows down from "Testify" to "Love Is...". Favorite tracks: "The Food", "Go!", "

Classic kanys production, decent lyrics

Common with Kanye production. Classic soulful samples over hard hitting conscious lyrics about everyday Chicago tales. Can get a bit too positive for me at times but it’s all superbly done nonetheless. Standout Tracks: The Corner, Testify, Chi-City, They Say, It’s Your World

Great artist. 'Testify' got an amazing tune

Rap / Hip-hop 2005

Shit. Didn’t listen. Will circle back.

Some solid beats but maybe not the most engaging rapper

Fine. I guess, as I've learned from another review here, as a simple STEM professional I'm not really equipped to assess this properly. But seriously, it was pretty good but not something I'll go back to

It did not save my review from yesterday. That's annoying. Anyway, it was something along the lines of: I have not listened to a lot of Common but I like this and I should listen to more Common. This doesn't quite rate as 4 stars for me but I like it more than I like a lot of my 3-star stuff. (I didn't even notice Kanye was on this until reading about the album later, but that's not too surprising - I don't know his music very well either.)

Not really my thing but I enjoyed it and will listen again

I was excited to get this album but I don't know if its because I'm not feeling 100% or something else but this album didn't do much to move the needle for me. The beats are cool and I am not taking any points away because of Kanye being featured on this album but something about this album made it not hit for me as much as I thought it was going to. 3/5

Sympa

Good variety of backing tracks which are soulful and fun. Rapping sounds the same throughout. 3/5

Smooth

Knew it was a Kanye production immediately. Album greatly benefit from it otherwise just kinda meh

It feels safe and even a little bit boring, but in a good way. I don't know, maybe this is a four star album, but for now let's leave it at three.

I enjoyed Like Water For Chocolate a lot, I was luke warm on Electric Circus and because of which never checked out any albums after it. This is the first time listening and it’s good but not great. There is something kind of boring about Common that I can’t put my finger on.

This is pretty much my introduction to Common. I’ve heard the name before, and I’m sure I’ve probably heard him featured on something at some point, but as far as actually sitting down and listening to a Common album, this is the first time. And honestly, it’s fine. There’s a lot of smooth production here, some really enjoyable samples, and the whole album has a pretty laid-back, polished sound. Nothing on it annoyed me, and there wasn’t really a track I outright disliked. But at the same time, there also wasn’t much that grabbed me. Part of the problem might be that I listened to Kanye West’s The College Dropout only about a month or so ago, and Be reminded me of that album quite a bit. Obviously Kanye’s involvement in the production has something to do with that, but because The College Dropout is still pretty fresh in my mind, some of this ended up feeling a little derivative rather than completely new to me. I do appreciate the political and social topics Common gets into, and there’s definitely substance behind what he’s rapping about. But after listening to the whole thing, I still don’t really feel like I discovered what makes Common distinctly Common. When I think about some of the other major rappers I’ve heard, there’s usually something about their delivery, personality, storytelling, or overall style that immediately separates them from everybody else. I didn’t quite get that here. So yeah, Be is a perfectly pleasant album. It sounds good, it’s easy to listen to, and there’s nothing here I particularly disliked. Unfortunately, there’s also nothing that really blew me away. Sometimes an album can do absolutely nothing wrong and still leave you with basically nothing to say about it, and I think that’s where Be landed for me.

I’m familiar with a good amount of Common’s music. It’s decently good but he’s never been my favorite.. idk he just seems like he’s trying too hard to convince everyone he’s such a good guy lol

Better than I expected, but still not something I’d choose to listen to.

Better than I thought tho not extraordinary.

Pleasant-sounding jazzy hip hop.

Ik kende de beste man nog niet en moet zeggen dat mijn leven er nou niet bepaald veel beter op geworden is nu ik hem wel ken. Ook niet slechter opzich.

Shamefully I had never even heard of Common. This was nice but nothing did it for me, it was a bit smooth.

I didn't know this album and was having a hard time finding time to listen to it. I often listen to these albums while reading, but I found it hard to listen and read to this one. With that said, I kept hearing the first two songs before I would give up, and I thought those two songs were amazing. I thought for sure this album would get a higher rating from me, but the rest of the album didn't move me as much as those first two tracks. I still enjoyed it, but I had high hopes I'd like it even more.

3.5

Solid nor spectacular

très cool mais un peu cliché parfois 3/5

I'm at a crossroads with this because the Dilla and Kanye production is solid, but Kanye's presence alone (particularly when he raps on two of the songs) taints everything. I go from finding Common's raps sounding very dated to thinking they're solid enough. Very much of its era, and it's hard to feel like "oh yeah put on that Common shit" in 2026.

I enjoyed this one more than I was expecting to

This was a fun enjoyable rap album. I wouldn't fall in love with it but Id call it a 3.

Not the biggest Hip Hop fan, but this wasn't bad. I really liked the opening track, but unfortunately the rest of the album isn't as good imo ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Honestly don't know what to make of this one.

Pretty good. For a genre I’m not the biggest listener of, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. 3.5/5

my mind when I think about the word "lounge". You know, a place to chill, maybe have a drink or two with someone else. While Common might not be the greatest MC ever, he has a nice voice and lush instrumentations that will make you feel at ease with the world that is produced by the King Midas of hip hop production, Kanye West, plus a couple of J Dilla produced tracks. This means slick production over the jazzy instrumentation and the most on-point beats in the game. That's what make this record shine. Also, it has "Be (Intro)" that has to be the one of the best beats Kanye has ever lay in his life. The lyrics are ok. Positive if a little simple, but sometimes you need simple lyrics and the right attitude to clean up your act and this album feels quite fit for the moment.

Muy buenos samples

Not bad but did not listen to the whole thing since its not my style

Common is quite common.

Not bad but probably wouldn't listen again

3.18 out of 5 stars for Common's Be. It was just OK. I liked some of the throwback vibes, felt like a Marvin Gaye album at times, but I guess I'm more of an East Coast or West Coast Hip Hop lover, Chicago just ain't bringing it. Also, I'm not a huge fan of Kanye West, so I'm knocking the score down a bit more on his guest appearances. Common himself is not that bad of a rapper, but in the end, he's just.... common.

Ich fand’s eigentlich ganz solide, die ersten drei Songs waren nice. Manchmal waren mir die Beats ein wenig zu repetitive, bzw. ich fand sie teilweise zu unangenehm abgemischt(?) als dass ich sie mir hätte länger geben wollen. Besonders testify und the food meine ich damit btw. Ah und: Es gibt einen tweet der geht so: „i was raised on silk shirt rnb so all that incel shit never hit for me, i believe in beggin for the pussy. outside in the rain, crying, throwing up, just for a sniff. thats your role as a man“ Anyways, faithful ist peak simping lol.

Enjoyed listening to this yesterday but didn't take any listening notes and struggling to remember much about it. But seemed to be quite mellow lyrical hip hop as opposed to Gangsta rap style hip hop, so always a plus from me there for that. Perhaps somehow between 3 and 4 stars. Rounding down.

it's...fine? nothing is particularly outstanding, nothing is particularly bad, though the christianity is weird as usual

Haven’t had a hip hop album in a while. Honestly quite enjoying this so far, the title track (and intro) was super! I really liked the piano at the end. The corner was a bop. I really liked it. For a track called GO!, it sure didn’t feel like it had any urgency. I did think it was fine though. Faithful was ok. It has that religious sound I don’t usually love, but it was alright. Testify sort of hurt my ears with the background voice. They say was pretty good. 3/5 ⭐️ 221/1089

At last a rap album that I don't hate. Maybe because it's often tuneful and I can hear a connection with black music of previous decades.

Despite not being a big fan of his, and not having an extensive knowledge of his discography, I immediately could tell that Kanye was involved in the production of this album. It was an enjoyable listen and I would probably rate this higher outwith the context of this list, but for now, it’s a very solid 3.

surprise Kanye album

Liked the Kanye songs the most. Generally enjoyed. 3

quite nice and sonically varied. Enjoyed the soul samples and lush sounds.

the production is so good im barely paying attention to what common is saying

Liked "The Corner," "GO!" and "Testify." Generally uplifting messaging throughout.

Yes

It was okay

cool, but ew kanye

Solid early 2000s hip-hop vibes. Very good production throughout, with no one song standing out too much. A well rounded experience for hip-hop listeners looking for a pretty good album to add to their playlists.

This was better than expected it was a sort of jazz rap album but surprisingly I liked it a lot

there was one super cornball song in the middle that pmo, otherwise really well done can tell that kanye was influenced by this it was good!

See oli väga okei räppalbum. Mulle meeldis ta meloodilisus ja lüürika mis oli rohkem jutustav ja innustav kui osad teised. Samas meloodia ja rütmi poolest jäi see minu kõrvus alla eelmisele kuulatud albumile "Fishscale", mis seda ilmselt veidi varjutas. Seetõttu thaksin talle hindeks anda 3,5 kui saaksin. Kuulasin Łódźi botaanikaaias jalutades.

Really quite nice!

3.5 cool Kanye songs on this one

Fun Fact, I've listened to the instrumental versions of all these songs more than the actual album. I got the instrumentals in a grab bag from a record store and like a true music/record collector (hoarder) i've never sold it. Pretty good album with or with out lyrics.

Solid.

It’s really unfortunate for Common that I now see him as a minor character on the not very good Apple TV show Silo so I cannot take him seriously as a musician. I think he’s in the zone of conscious rap where he’s absolutely humorless but also not like coming off as having a deep political understanding or being able to tell emotional stories - it’s very in the “where is the love” vein (pejorative). I definitely get the Marvin Gaye thing they’re going for like just a smooth sincere guy saying there are problems - but Marvin Gaye is Marvin Gaye so he doesn’t have to say much to be powerful. The production is really great - of course it was Kanye. Especially liked the first and last song - more jazzy backing like a tribe called quest or something. The rest was classic 2000s Kanye which is fun but I’d rather hear it with a funner higher energy rapper. The only moment I really tuned in and was loving it was the very end of the last song which was Common’s dad?? So 5 stars for Common’s dad that was great.

I liked this album a lot. It's very apparent it was produced by Kanye right around the time of "Graduation" in a good way. Highlights: "Testify" and "They Say"

I like the vibe of urban hip hop. Usually more honest, socially aware, and less vulgar. Commons voice and style is smooth and enjoyable

The production is a good bed for common to rap about whether he should fuck god if she was a woman

Sometimes it sounds like the best album ever and other times it’s pretty…bland. It’s like a turkey sandwich when you’re starving. Amazing at times, but in the end it’s just turkey

It was ok for this era of music, but very middle of the road

Some of this is great. Every bit deserving of the reputation & praise. Had I gotten onboard at the time this may be a landmark album for me. As it stands that train appears to have left & this mostly just reminds me of contemporaries that I like more. 3.49

2nd Common album from the generator. Good beats, surprisingly enjoyable. Too bad Kanye was involved 3/5

"Be (Intro)" takes me back to high school. The rest of the album was pretty good. Not totally my genre but I respect the art and it was not unpleasant by any means.

Go!

Common an apt crtique.

Recht trocken, ganz nett.

I begrudgingly must say, Kanye is a pretty damn good producer and rapper. This record is very well produced, and the strong tracks are very good. Same-y at times, but overall a really solid hip hop record. Not something I will put on much, but I respect the creativity, production and flow of this one.

I like most elements of this but my brain is left wanting for something catchy and dynamic, can't help but compare it to kanye albums that I like better, I'd rate my enjoyment a 3.5/5 if I could

3.5 I didnt know the guy from Framework, rapped.

Good flow

норм.

Thoughts before listening: I think this is the 2nd Common album on here. I mean I like Common well enough, but having lived through his era as a musician (he's seemingly more of an actor these days), I don't necessarily remember him being a big enough deal to warrant 2 albums. There were a lot of other rappers in his same scene that could have been included instead of putting Common on here twice. Also, I believe I was a little underwhelmed by the first album I heard from him, but I do remember this one being a bigger deal at the time. Review: Okay. I like that the jazz and soul based beats here quite a bit (I think Kanye is to thank for that), and Common is definitely in the general hip hop realm that I always preferred. I think it was called backpack rap with more socially conscious lyrics and not "gangster" rap. That being said, Common still has plenty of sex obsessed lyrics that make this an uncomfortable listen for a 45 year old father of a daughter. I also don't really like Common's flow all that much which feels too rigid and dry. I'll give this 3-stars.

Good.

This is okay but nothing special. I listen to it and forget it almost immediately.

Meget sejt.

Not my fav but not bad

This is a good rap album. Not historic, but good. I'm a fan of Common. Pitchfork: 8.6 Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs Be (Intro) The Corner GO!

😀👍. At first I didn’t like the album but it got me at “GO!”. To me, this sounded like Drake and Kanye West. But it definitely was better than Drake.

Enjoyed it

You have to say ye is a good producer

"Be", "The Corner", and "Real People" are first-rate raps, and the background melodies held my attention. But the third track, "Go!", lost me, as the lyrics seem forced and repetitious. The other tracks seem to drift along ... nothing surprising.