Post-BE Common?

[SYM]

Just listened to BE for the first time in several years. Was not surprised to find out it holds up immensely; might be one of my personal favorites of his. Likely due to the Kanye production but I think what I liked most about it is how restrained it is. Super quick listen with little filler.

It also is the last album I ever bought of Common's, so I have zero knowledge of any material past this. According to wiki he has five more albums he released. Are any of these any good? Better than Electric Circus?

[step one]

I'm think I'm one of the few here who will check for Common. I haven't heard UMC but Finding Forever had a few good tracks in The Game, The People and Southside, which are all Kanye productions.
Nobody's Smiling wasn't too bad although the song with Vince Staples (Kingdom) is the only one I still play.

Didn't get round to listening to the last one he put out as I can't really be bothered with new rap anymore but as a general rule all his albums have 2-3 standout songs worth having (if you don't hate him, obviously)

[Philaflava]

EC was horrible I thought. Be was his best post-Like Water.

[fatboybrandon]

Yeah I thought BE was pretty good but haven't listened to it in a few years. I find a lot of Common's post BE-material to be good, although no longer Resurrection 90's-sounding it displays nice growth both musically and in the message of a socially-conscious MC.

I've got a very diverse appreciation for music overall and I feel because of that I can appreciate Common's growth more than some. I think he appeals to that demographic of Hip Hop listeners, those who have matured past listening to 90's Hip Hop all day and are now involved in a variety of music centered around Hip Hop, R&B and Soul. He's one MC who I feel utilizes a variety of sounds in one album well.

I still haven't been able to digest Electric Circus, still ain't heard the album Pharrell did for him but those after I thought were cool. Of all post-Be albums I feel Finding Forever & The Dreamer, The Believer has stuck with me the most to the point I can recall a number of songs I want to pull up and revisit every now and then.

For every song of his that is progressive and has radio single appeal like Come Close, Glory, Go or Blue Sky, he hits you with another song to remind you of his underground 90's roots like Enough Beef with Chino XL and Royce, Tekzilla, Southside, 7 Deadly Sins, Sweet, Ghetto Dreams etc.

Common is a unique MC who's achieved great accomplishments in his career by not being afraid to step outside the box of what most consider or want to be his sole identity. SYM, If you can appreciate this sort of progression in an artist I think you'll find some value in post-BE Common.



Check out the cool late 60's Rock-vibe on this chorus! I love this song and how he and No I.D. weaved elements of progressive Rock into Hip Hop and Soul for the sound of this album.

[Rhyme 4 Rhyme]

I haven't followed him closely post Be. I have Finding Forever, and bumped it a lot in '07. Go back to it from time to time, but haven't listened to any album by him since. Over the years, he hasn't grabbed me as much as the newer generation of rappers has. He's still dope, but just boring at times.

[gusty wingers]

Everything after Be is trash. That album was such a breath of fresh air and might his most cohesive piece of work, or perhaps properly timed piece, especially commercially. This is where Common found that middle ground, where he could connect with the commercial audience but not lose himself in the process. After this album, he completely crossed over and fell into the wack range. No, I didn't think Finding Forever was good. This is not his best album and it doesn't have his absolute best songs or perfect lyrical moments such as "That's your lady, I used to run up in her and G weed from her" or anything even nearly as dope as invocation, but there is a certain cohesiveness to this album. Didn't get too neo soulish like on prior LPs, stuck with the heat Kanye gave him and didn't have to jump out of that box. Personally one of my favorite Common albums ever, but it is due to it's cruise control quality, without the absolute peaks of prior work. After this he was either cruise control Common to a disturbingly boring level (Finding Forever) or gay experimental weirdo Common (UMC)... I will never check for a Common album again and his level of black pride really annoys me...

[Neuro]

i say it everytime i think of it, everytime i hear or hear of BE , why did they replace the studio version of "the food" with that shitty live version on the album?! ruined the whole shit

[CarlosDelgothoes]

i say it everytime i think of it, everytime i hear or hear of BE , why did they replace the studio version of "the food" with that shitty live version on the album?! ruined the whole shit

Because of the internet. I think that switch was the first time I remember online-sourced opinions being used to make a change in an album. Which pretty much happens all the time now.

Live version is really good tho, dont front

IMOz most hip-hop SHOULD sound better live. Kinda the point.

[Neuro]

yeah it should sound better live if you are THERE to see it live, not when youre listening to a studio album where the rest of the tracks are made to go together, The Food is a dope song, why not release it as an official song? why do we get the shitty live version from a tv show on it replacing it, how the hell are you supposed to get the actual mastered song? The live version should have been a bonus not a replacement

[CarlosDelgothoes]

yeah it should sound better live if you are THERE to see it live

Nah, hip-hop missed a trick here IMO. Recorded live music can sound great. That Jay-Z Unplugged album is dope.

not when youre listening to a studio album where the rest of the tracks are made to go together

troo

The live version should have been a bonus not a replacement

i agree

[Neuro]

yeah it should sound better live if you are THERE to see it live

Nah, hip-hop missed a trick here IMO. Recorded live music can sound great. That Jay-Z Unplugged album is dope.

----------------------------------

yes but that was a live ALBUM it was live and mastered to sound good as an album as well as the performance

[gusty wingers]

I think the key here was capitalizing on the Chappelle Show appearance because it was a gigantic show at the time

[ric]

that cloth song is actually then dopest thing common has had since be. I may check that album out off the strength of the 'dude maybe found his way again' rationale.

but what I heard of umc in combination with finding forever... I mean... I bought finding forever. I wanted to like it. I do not like it. it's that simple really. and com was wack on a lot of that album it wasn't just production and sound and lack of compelling direction.

[fatboybrandon]

I think this is as raw-sounding as Com has got since BE: sampled beat & scratch hook, aggressive rhyming with Nas, no singing. I guess that's what Resurrection fans may have been looking for more of? I hope you enjoy SYM.

[Rhyme 4 Rhyme]

I think the key here was capitalizing on the Chappelle Show appearance because it was a gigantic show at the time

That and I believe it was shortly after the time when Chappelle went AWOL. Probably played into it's inclusion also.

[Steezel Weezel]

This motherfucker is playing a show with a damn orchestra

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[ric]

that ghetto dreams joint is the rawest com since maybe lwfc or even one day it'll make sense. I hope he can keep it up. maybe I'll check out the latest album.

[saverio]

Yeah I thought BE was pretty good but haven't listened to it in a few years. I find a lot of Common's post BE-material to be good, although no longer Resurrection 90's-sounding it displays nice growth both musically and in the message of a socially-conscious MC.

I've got a very diverse appreciation for music overall and I feel because of that I can appreciate Common's growth more than some. I think he appeals to that demographic of Hip Hop listeners, those who have matured past listening to 90's Hip Hop all day and are now involved in a variety of music centered around Hip Hop, R&B and Soul. He's one MC who I feel utilizes a variety of sounds in one album well.

I still haven't been able to digest Electric Circus, still ain't heard the album Pharrell did for him but those after I thought were cool. Of all post-Be albums I feel Finding Forever & The Dreamer, The Believer has stuck with me the most to the point I can recall a number of songs I want to pull up and revisit every now and then.

For every song of his that is progressive and has radio single appeal like Come Close, Glory, Go or Blue Sky, he hits you with another song to remind you of his underground 90's roots like Enough Beef with Chino XL and Royce, Tekzilla, Southside, 7 Deadly Sins, Sweet, Ghetto Dreams etc.

Common is a unique MC who's achieved great accomplishments in his career by not being afraid to step outside the box of what most consider or want to be his sole identity. SYM, If you can appreciate this sort of progression in an artist I think you'll find some value in post-BE Common.



Check out the cool late 60's Rock-vibe on this chorus! I love this song and how he and No I.D. weaved elements of progressive Rock into Hip Hop and Soul for the sound of this album.

Peep electric circus more fam. Has a few real bangers

[Mindbender Futurama]

there are some really good songs on 'Black America Again'. WAY better than the album before it, the Chicago-dedicated one that SHOULDA been better.

this is the kinda Petey Wheatstraw I wanna hear:



"they'll put disrespect on your name, then respect it again/ every section you in, bless 'em and keep bussin'/ if they don't like it, shake the dust and say fuck em"

Common's pseudo-subliminal response to ALL the people who DISSED THE FUCK outta him for that "turn the other cheek" shit he said at the Oscars or whatever whatever

still, the song bangs

[Employee]

[Employee]