Be by Common

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Tracklist

    Track     Duration Listeners
1 Be (Intro) 2:24 45,256
2 The Corner 3:45 64,396
3 GO! (Album Version (Explicit)) 3:46 272
4 Faithful 3:33 55,587
5 Testify 2:36 160,230
6 Love is... 4:10 37,546
7 Chi-City 3:27 34,015
8 The Food 3:36 34,756
9 Real People 2:48 109,740
10 They Say 3:57 32,265
11 It's Your World (Part 1 & 2 (Explicit)) 8:33 261

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About this album

Universal Music International Div. (2005) Released: 27 May 2005 11 tracks (42:35)
For years, Common has struggled with the mantle of Rapper You’re Most Likely to Take Home to Your Mama. He’s so genuinely positive that when he rhymes about bitches, he’s sometimes actually referring to female dogs (“Reality’s a bitch/And I heard that she bites”). When Common is on, he’s a fearless MC who can rhyme about anything from abortion (1997’s “Retrospect for Life”) to the sorry state of hip-hop (1994’s “I Used to Love H.E.R.”) and still make your head nod. When he’s off, he’s dull and heavy-handed. All of this has won him both admiration and a smirk from Jay-Z, who once said that “truthfully, I wanna rhyme like Common” but who also said that he wanted to sell some records.
Common may be able to do both, finally, with his sixth and best disc, Be. The not-so-secret weapon here is Kanye West, who produced nine of the tracks and appears on four. West is the producer Common has been waiting for all of his career: He makes Common both catchier and edgier at the same time. The straight-ahead hip-hop songs — “The Corner,” “The Food” — are the hardest-rocking tracks of Common’s career. On the ballad “Faithful,” the rapper pledges fidelity to both his lady and his maker without descending into corn, as singers John Legend and Bilal reach for gospel heights. “They Say” is the triumphant battle track: As Legend sings the satiny hook, Common and Kanye celebrate a hip-hop world that has finally come to them. Let’s hope it stays here.

Other releases from this artist

  • Like Water For Chocolate
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  • Finding Forever
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  • Be (International Version - PAL DVD)
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  • Universal Mind Control
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Shouts

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  • lewyy10

    Ye is a fucking genius on this album.

    last month
  • Wirftgu_

    v lol @ 5 rating system

    March 2012
  • PrettyFlacko

    Great album...but this isn't his best one

    March 2012
  • Finess101

    Best Common Album, Kanye should do all his production he has surpassed his mentor No I.D. Dream/Believer doesn't come close to this.

    December 2011
  • bass2heavy

    Be is a lot different from commons old and new work, unequivocally it stands out the most from his discography. This albums is my fav.

    December 2011
  • Isco91

    God-Tier production [2]. Beautifully produced with great lyricism, one of my favorite albums of all time.

    November 2011
  • darthsketch

    God-tier production.

    October 2011
  • intromike

    True music, i felt in relax with it

    July 2011
  • hotterthanjuly

    No, Be is a step down from both Like Water for Chocolate and, yes, Electric Circus. A great album, nevertheless, but insanely overrated.

    June 2011
  • J_are_z

    No it's not, you're just hatin'. Only Like Water For Chocolate makes this album pale in comparison, maybe Resurrection. Even then there's nothing wrong with this album.

    June 2011
  • Trautkidd

    its good, but compared to his previous albums its horrible.

    June 2011
  • OTMwaxGr8

    True Lyricist

    May 2011
  • Osh_Kosh

    This is a brilliant album. Top quality the whole way through.

    April 2011
  • mk741

    The production is amazing. [2] Common's lyricism is always pretty damn good.

    March 2011
  • sangsangsang

    be sounds good!

    February 2011
  • one_of_many

    ♥♥♥

    October 2010
  • CamilleW2Ls

    The production is amazing. Kanye & Dilla<3

    October 2010
  • blurevolu86

    just real!

    October 2010
  • alexis524

    intro is hot 2 def. great follow up to like water for chocolate. classic common

    October 2010
  • The-Gentleman

    I find this album prefect. Funny cause im not even a big Common fan or anything. [2]

    September 2010
See all 75 shouts

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