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.