Common Album: “Universal Mind Control [UK//Japan Version]”

This album is wack. Common is a poet, a great lyrists. One of my favorite MCs of all time and last I'd expect to sell out. This album goes against everything he is good at. He tries to make club hits on this album. His single entitled "Universal Mind Control" feat Pharell is annoying..he says he "stays fresh like hes wrapped in plastic" and continues by saying how hes "fresh and gettin paid". only song I can enjoy is "Make My Day" feat Cee-Lo. This song is 1 of 3 not produced by the Neptunes. On the "Annoucement" feat Pharell he calls hip hop his bitch. What ever happened to "I Used to Love H.E.R"? Sorry Common, but after this album I kinda wish you just stuck to acting. For true hip-hop heads go cop "The Pre-face" by Elzhi or "Tronic" by Black Milk.

It's true. Universal Mind Control doesn't represent the soulful, jazzy and lyrically deep Common that his fans enjoy. Initially, I was very disappointed.

Despite this, Common was very clear that UMC wasn't going to be that album. It was meant to be a 'just for kicks', screwy, summer-fun sort of album.

If you keep the intent of the album in mind, you'll realize that the sort of tracks on the album are very fitting. It's an interesting sound. Not the eclectic, neo-soul jazz sound of Like Water for Chocolate, but it was never supposed to be.

I see this album has some bad reviews and I get it. It sounds like nothing on radio playlists, but I consider that a good thing.

The best song is "Gladiator," no question. Common slays weak rappers on that cut. That song made me want the disc as soon as I heard it and I play that cut almost every morning during my routine.

Much of the rest of the album is for hip-hop historians. I've caught tributes to the Sugarhill Gang, Jungle Brothers, Afrika Bambaataa, Nice and Smooth, A Tribe Called Quest, and Notorious B.I.G., and there are probably more. If you don't know all those, get educated, then come back to "Universal Mind Control."

Common began trying to marry his spiritual side with his material side after Electric Circus. That album was far left for him. He indulged in some parts of music that were supposedly forbidden to him as a "True Hip Hop Artist." Then there came "Be." He said of that album that he realized, from the fans' feedback, that he doesn't have to be off the wall, he just has to "be."

The problem there, is that Electric Circus is one of my favorite Common albums. I think deep down, it's one of Common's favorites too. But he can't lose all his fans by saying "Forget them, this is what I wanna do." Too many fans hated the album. Even though I like Electric Circus, the only song I bump when I'm in a raw Hiphop mood is The Hustle.

So, here on Universal Mind Control, he finds a middle ground. But it's not a middle ground you'd expect. Here, I find a "less conscious" Common. Which isn't a bad thing. That just means he isn't trying so hard to be a lyrical messiah. He's letting the rhymes flow more. He stopped trying to save the world, and just did exactly what he loves to do... some b-boy music and some 80's flavor. Common is finally "Be"ing.

My only criticism of the album is that he delivers some of the lines timidly as if he isn't truly comfortable "be"ing yet. It's not that he should come harder lyrically, but emotionally. Com's had that issue for years though. Overall, I really like the album and the peace that Common seems to have found.

First of all let me start by saying Common WAS one of the most underrated and intelligent rappers in the game. However, this album is an utter disappointment. Perhaps Common is too focused on his acting career (He's no Will Smith and I wished he'd stop trying) to find decent production and come up with intelligent lyrics.

With 10 tracks this album is incredibly short, and about 80% of the tracks are throw away. Universal Mind Control (the track) is descent and gives a little somethin to the breakers, and Gladiator is the other good song, being both interesting and energetic. As for the good tracks: That's all folks. Now on to the terrible: "Sex 4 Suga" is the worst Common song EVER while the rest of the album sorta feels like filler, very skippable.

This has been a bad year for Chicago (musically), with the terrible Kanye album and now this, at least we still have Obama (crap, he left us too).

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND CHECK IT OUT FROM YOUR LIBRARY INSTEAD OF BUYING THIS ALBUM. Bad meaning bad not bad meaning Good.