Disco de Common: “Resurrection”

This album is full of memories for me, and is bittersweet; it's both one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever and one of the last. Everything in rap music, including Common's (he'll always be Common Sense to me) own efforts, have disappointed since then. In fact, as hard as I've looked, as long as I've waited, I'm pretty sure hip-hop doesn't exist anymore.

I like calling this the Greatest Hip-Hop Album Ever. It's probably not true but it doesn't matter to me; I've heard a lot of rap music but never anything so in line with true musicianship (there's something else that doesn't exist anymore...)

Anyway this fits somewhere in league with "Midnight Marauders" for musical sensibility and "Enter The Wu-Tang" for innovation and brash nonconformity. In many ways it surpasses them both.

So pick this up if you've never heard it. It's so intensely musical (thanks to No ID's once-in-a-lifetime production) it doesn't require you to like rap music at all. Common's lyrics are clever and occasionally brilliant, and his delivery top-notch. If you are a rap fan and haven't heard this, you've missed out. If you are a fan and think of this album as confusing, soft and uninspired, shame on you; this was the peak the music will never again reach.

Common is at the peak of his lyrical genious on this album; it is really a very soulfully produced album, and Common uses more metaphors on the CD then. . . damn i dunno, he just uses a hellova lot of em.

Hell, if you want the biggest metaphor filled song in hip hop all you have to do is listen to track #2 "I used to love H.E.R". It has a suprise ending that will completely change the way you view the song's message when you hear it the second time around. TRUST ME, you will play the song over again when you hear that last line of the song. Hah, im not giving away the metaphor, it would ruin the suprise intended in the song.

Enough about Track #2 though, because you will find that this album is not simply about that song but about virtually every other track. For instance, the first track on the CD- "Resurrection" displays Commons hottest flows, while track #8- "Communism" displays the flexiblity of Common's lyrics ( there a many words in this track that start with "com-"; a perfect match for the name of the track, as well as his own name).

Bottom line, every track is very creative and even makes Common's year 2000 classic "Like Water For Chocolate" a little bit weak in comparrison.

This has gotta be the dopest sophomore effort from any emcee. I remember about six or seven years back, I was really feelin Common's first album "Can I Borrow A Dollar?". Then about two years later, he hits me with Resurrection. From the first track, all the way to the last track there are dope rhymes and beats. The banginest track on the album "I Used To Love H.E.R." really changed my life. I've always had love for hip-hop but I never realized that she was being abused until I heard "I Used To Love H.E.R." That track really opened my eyes. What makes the album so tight is the fact that Common seems like a regular guy, but he possesses ENOURMOUS skills on the mic, and that's what makes his name a paradox. He's my favortite emcee and I hope he gets his due props soon.

After listening to this album, you'll probably come to the conclusion that Common is a superb MC. His lyrics and wordplay are amazing; just listen to "Communism" where flips verses with words beginning with "com-" (e.g. "I'm too Com-plex/Watch Com get Com-plicated.."). "I Used To Love H.E.R." is one of the best metaphors ever used in a hip-hop song and tracks like "Sum ... I Wrote" and the title track feature excellent lyrics courtesy of Common and production courtesy of No I.D. and Ynot. If you do not have this album, pick it up now.

Every single person who listens to hip hop at all and in any form should absolutely get this CD. This one is in my top ten favotite hip hop albums ever. A seminal classic on par with Tribe's "Midnight Marauders", De La's "3 Ft..." and Nas's "Illmatic." This album sparked much of the conscious hip hop that has been released in the last ten years. Take Back Star as a prime example. This is one of those records that will always be remembered as a timeless hip hop classic. This album is to hip hop what Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" is to jazz...or some other silly analogy which currently eludes me. I don't even have the words to describe how masterful this record is. If you don't own it, you're sleeping. PERIOD. So come correct, I'm flossin' and cold, cold lampin' (Just kidding).