Common Album: “Be [Bonus DVD]”

I usually do not buy a rap album unless I know that it is destined to be excellent. Common has done this with BE. He is not only a great and DIFFERENT MC, but he has put together a very intellectual album while also being commercial, an incredible feat with a rapper who isn't a gangsta rapper.

The production on BE is mostly handled by Kanye West, which is the best decision that Common could make. Kanye, as always, has done an excellent production job on BE and even makes a few guest appearances.

Top tracks from BE include "The Corner" which has a very unique beat (excellent drum programming) along with a very unique choice with THE LAST POETS guest starring. "Go" is an exciting surprise with John Mayer and Kanye West guest starring making an unlikely combination work brilliantly because "Go" is definitely one of the best tracks on the entire album. In "Faithful", a gospel sounding sample is sampled evoking the effect of church and is pulled of very effectively. I could run through the rest of the track list, but I don't think there is any need. You won't find a truly dull listen.

For the album, 4 stars and for being different than the other rappers and giving a different sort of album, I give 1 extra star. Keep on doing what you are doing Common.

We've all been waiting for the resurrection of Common. Whether you liked "Electric Circus" or not, you knew deep down you missed the Common that sounded hungry. After his verse on Kanye's "Get `Em High" and his appearance on Chappelle's Show, it looked like his next album would usher the return of Common. "Be" has finally dropped. It is his most focused effort since "Resurrection" because its production is almost completely handled by a fellow chi-town resident. Instead of No I.D, we get his one time apprentice and current hot commodity - Kanye West.

Musically the album feels like a balance between "Resurrection" and "Like Water For Chocolate", heavy in samples, yet a solid amount of live instruments. "Be" starts out with a simple bass cello plucking, almost identical to John Coltrane's "Resolution" from Love Supreme. Slowly other elements come together, until Common's voice drops and blesses the mic. The title track is short, focused and to the point perfectly capturing what the album is about to accomplish. The single "The Corner" is the actually the darkest track on here. The incredible depth of sampling drives the track. For the lighter "Go!" Common uses a nice stop-and-go flow to rhyme ("Freaky like the daughter of a pastor/ said I was -bate for her to master/ 'Little Red Corvette', na she was faster").

To me, "Faithful" is simply beautiful. It's one of those introspective Common raps at its perfection. The typical Kanye West speed-up sample is taken to the next level, and used almost like a muted horn throughout Common's verse. You can't even be mad there are only two verses, because they're so deep and satisfying on their own. "Testify" allows Common to masterfully tell the story of a court testimony. Although it's short, it gets the Slick Rick stamp of approval.

Kanye releases a hold on "Be" and turns over the production of "Love is..." to former Common collaborator Jay-Dee (aka J-Dilla). You can't tell at all though, it fits right along with the rest of the tracks, brilliantly sampling Marvin Gaye's "God is Love" amongst other things. The title is pretty self-explanatory, but it doesn't ever get cheesy like on "Electric Circus". Kanye comes back and trades the sped-up sampling for some classic scratching on "Chi-City". The horns and drums give the track a dark-jazz vibe. On here Common sounds the most intense, perhaps in part because he's repping his home town ("What you rapping for? to Get Fame or to get rich?/I slap a n***a like you... and tell e'm Rick James B***H!!"). Whatever the case, it's another spectacular track.

I've been listening to "The Food" Mp3 since this summer, which was directly ripped from the Chappelle Show performance. You might be surprised as I was when the track opens with Dave introducing Common and Kanye. Instead of re-recording the track, they left the performance as is from the show. It doesn't seem like a smart move at first, but then again why do it over again? The performance was flawless the first time, and it really adds a lot to the feel of "Be". Regardless "The Food" is an amazing track and as mentioned earlier Common is hungry ("It's all good in the hood like racks in gyms/ throwbacks and Timbs/ blacks and rims/ whether on ball courts/ attires of all sorts/ we never fall short/ with us it's all Force like Air one's/ some waves some handguns/ the days of the fair one is over for/cats is colder than 4 below/ with self I go toe-to-toe/ Wondering if it's for the art or for the dough/ Though I know to grow a n***a gotta learn to let go/ Though I know the dough I got to bring back to the ghetto").

Some Grover Washington type sax and upbeat horns lace the entire length of "Real People" the production could actually stand on it's own as a jazz track (I wouldn't be surprised if the whole thing is lifted from one sample). John Legend lends the chorus to "They Say" and Kanye drops a verse. Overall it's laid-back and pretty simple. Really good, just nothing that stands out as outstanding. Well, except for Common who has been killing every verse and still hasn't faltered once on this album ("Played my cards right, they say I went too left/ They show me Strange Love like I was Mr. F/ Played chess in this game of pawns and knights/ now I claim King like Don a Frank White/ They say my life is comparable to Christ/ the way I sacrifice and resurrected twice/ they say the crochet pants and sweater was wack/ seen `The Corner' now they say `That n****'s back!' ")

"Be" ends on the magnum opus "It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)". The whole thing should be listened to at one time and the end provides a perfect closure for "Be" (it's always great to hear "Pops" at the end of a Common album).

As stunning as it sounds, it's not even debatable that Common lyrically surpasses any other of his previous efforts. No doubt Common has fully resurrected. Lyrically and musically it's a work of genius from start to finish. You'd be hard-pressed to find faults in this piece of art, it's the perfection of what a Hip-Hop album should be. Is it a classic? Only time will tell what kind of impact it will have. Regardless, of what it will be... "Be" is a masterpiece right now.

(10/10)

[Note: This version also contains a bonus DVD. It's about 40 min long, but really only about 15-18 min are worth watching. Highlights include an interview by Sway with Common & Kanye, Studio shots, and a session with the Last Poets at a school in Chicago. The live version of "The Corner" and other material isn't really interesting. Only reccomended for hardcore Common fans]

Common proves that he is anything but with his latest CD that is breath of fresh air to the grown & sexy who grew up on hip hop and are not feeling all this simpleminded mess permeating the airwaves. This emcee is rapping with a message, but he is not corny or preachy. Far from it, because his beats and lyrics will have you nodding your head for the duration of the CD. Common is definitely a wordsmith -- when is the last time you heard the word 'overt' in anyone's rap?

This is the first hip hop recording that I've bought in a long time, and it was worth the wait. I can listen to it all the way through without skipping tracks. I read an interview with Common where he said that he set out to create a classic that would resonate with people for years to come. I think that he's accomplished that.

Although all the tracks are strong, my favorites are "Go" "The Corner" and "Chi-City." Go talks about fantasies and the thrill of getting buckwild without being vulgar about it. The latter sums up Common's overriding message as he warns the wack emcees that they are the reason that people say they are tired of rap. I love it when he says "You spit hot garbage son of Sanford."

I will admit that I was not feeling Common in his Badu phase, but he has redeemed himself with "Be." I hope this CD does well -- he deserves it.

Finally, an excellent hip hop album has been released to counter the garbage that's been released nowadays. After stuff like Encore from Eminem, where he lost his way, and the Massacre by 50 Cent, which is exactly that, a massacre of true hip hop, I was beginning to lose hope that real hip hop would ever return. Then I heard The Corner on Sirius, and realized that Common's new CD was due. Mos Def's and Talib Kweli's CDs, although not bad in their own right, were shortcomings compared to Black on Both Sides and Quality. BE does not fall short in any aspect. It's incredible. The word I would use to describe this album is "soul". Because it's full of it. There are so many clever lines and wordplay weaved throughout the album that you simply could not analyze the whole thing in one listen. From the cold streets of "The Corner" to the betrayal in "Testify", Common's new tracks are spectacular in every sense. If you want a breath of fresh air and simply the best example of hip hop to be released this year, pick this up. Support soulful and meaningful hip hop. Buy this album.

common was one of the best rappers of 2005 he surpassed the game in the middle of the year and slightly to almost outdid ludacris all the joints he submitted as a music video were good my favorite song of his is testify and go because they both have to excellent unique beats but go i like slightly better than testify because his lyrics was off the tops the corner was a very good hit as well when kanye is n the mix it usually slightly helps common songs sound better a bit but in testify there was no kanye and he proved to me that he can get the job do without kanye as he did in the passed he made one of the most underexposed rab/r and b songs of 2003 it was with the queen of r and b soul mary j. blige i like that song because it had a good heaven beat to it that never left my ear in the video it was so unique common was using cards with words and pictures to express his feelings to his death girlfriend while rapping now that is talent