Common Lets It Be On Upcoming Down-Home Album -- www.mtv.com
01.20.2004 9:08 PM EST

With its new-age flourishes, retro-rock style and an eclectic lineup of guests including everyone from Prince to Stereolab, Chi-town rapper Common's 2002 album, Electric Circus, was anything but a conventional hip-hop joint. And his next album will be as down-to-earth as that effort was a space trip.

"This one feels grounded, like hanging out on someone's Chicago sidewalk," Common said recently. "After going way out, it's a natural progression for me to come home again. It's more about people and things relative to life."

Common, halfway through recording his sixth album, already has a title. He'll call it, simply, Be.

"It could stand for 'basement elevation' or 'b-boy evolution.' But really it's just about being," he explained, "the simplicity of life and music. This album is rooted in not trying too hard to do anything specific, just letting the music come the way it comes."

Common has already recorded with a handful of beatmakers for this effort. These include Jay Dee, with whom he worked on his previous two albums, who pitches in on "It's Your World"; Kareem Riggins (Slum Village); and fellow Chicagoan Kanye West, who will helm several Be songs, including Common's current favorite, "Fooled."

Kanye's profile has increased immeasurably since Common met him years ago. As aspiring b-boy stars, they engaged in rap ciphers in Common's basement. "Put it this way: I didn't underestimate him. But I didn't know it'd get like this," Common said of Kanye's sudden popularity. "There's no limitations to him. I love his vision. He brings something fun, innocent and creative to hip-hop. I forgot hip-hop could be like that."

Common is also scheduled to record with the Neptunes and ?uestlove (a.k.a. Ahmir Thompson), the Roots mastermind who Common credits with turning around his career when the drummer executive produced Common's 1999 album, Like Water for Chocolate. "He enhanced my music and my thirst for music," Common said. "Ahmir is a genius, man. He took my music to a higher level."

Common wouldn't discuss his recent breakup with singer Erykah Badu. He did say her music, combined with that of artists like Talib Kweli, the Roots and Kanye West, contributes to the sense of community he felt as a young artist looking up to the Native Tongues (A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and the Jungle Brothers). "Their best music makes me want to work that much harder. It's good to have that kind of creative inspiration around you. They remind you we do this for the love of it."

He said he hopes fans will feel that love in his music, regardless of whether he releases an eclectic album like Electric Circus or the more down-home long player Be's shaping up to be. "It's more of what people expect hip-hop to be," Common explained. "I gave them a space movie with Electric Circus. Now the movie is more about something blue-collar you can relate to. I hope they do."



—Joseph Patel

uh huh...its a natural progression to go backwards? whateva. i liked the last disc, though many bashed it. it didn't do well a lot of peeps were not happy with it. me thinks that is the real reason behind the trek back "home again."

I thought the last album was good as well. Can't wait to hear the new one.

Common has always been a gifted lyricist and someone who wasn't afraid to break away from the hip hop norm of $$$, hoes, etc... you know the rest. Why is Kanye West all of a sudden the producer du jour? Just because he speeds up the sampled track? If it's this easy to become a rap producer, count me in .

Mynameisspmarc said:

Yeah, you're right. Nothing special about Jayne East. He's like Jay Zzzzzz with less money and no Beyonce. Common, on the other hand, is innovative and pushes the boundaries with every release.

Common said:

Electric Circus was......no comment

and I'm still trying to figure out what guitar and keyboard Prince was playing in *69.

SassyBritches said:

actually, before the even laid electric circus down

?uest was on okp saying common wanted to make an "out-there" record and his next one was going to more traditional

i thought ec was dope, but i knew he was going back to his natural style

I love common as an artist, the way he flows just blows my mind. He's one of those lyricists from the Tribe Called Quest days, gosh i loved those "Bonita Applebaum" days.....

but "Like Water for Chocolate" was and still is my shit!!! i can pop that in my car and still blast "the light" like it was just released....

i'll definitely be copping the new album

Common is one of the greatest MCs in hio-hop, period. Resurrection is an undisputed classic, and One Day . . . and Like Water For Chocolate are good albums as well. I don't particularly dig Electric Circus as much, although "Heaven Somewhere" is an underappreciated masterpiece, and I don't fault Common for trying to break new ground. I hope his new album does well, even if I don't like it myself, because Common is a genuine artist who has grown over time. I wish someday he would do a straight-up political record, because he reminds me of Gil Scott-Heron in many ways.

okaypimpn said:

Prince's portion is directly at the end of the song after the star *69 joint plays out, the record slows and the familar snare from Prince's Linn taps in..best 15 seconds on the album
[This message was edited Mon Jun 14 20:19:22 2004 by popgodazipa]

popgodazipa said:

That wasn't Prince. It was ?uestlove.

okaypimpn said:

This is the thing that keeps us from being cut from the same cloth

What is it about ?uest and 'em that you hate so much man? I truly feel if Outkast made Electric Circus everybody would be calling it genius.

psykosoul said:

For starters, you should know that I'm just not a fan of the whole "neo-soul" movement because all them cats sound exactly alike to me and are talking about the same wierd "poetic" shit (Musiq, Floetry, The Roots, Jaguar Wright, etc), but that's not what gets me...

?uest is an aight drummer, but folks act like he's The Second Coming or something and that's just not the case. Production-wise, he just bites off of everything Prince did back in the 80s and tries to claim it as his own.

What's really hillarious is the comment he made when Lauryn dropped Miseducation saying that she "couldn't get down and dirty with us 'cause she's suck on some Stevie Wonder shit" N!@@A PLEASE!!!! Like you're not swining vigorously from Prince's nuts.

psykosoul said:

i don't think it's 'hate' so much as 'general annoyance'.
?uest is clearly a P fan/biter and he shouldn't throw water balloons when his own fort is built out'ta paper mache'.

mochalox said:

Exactly, mocha.

okaypimpn said:

Alright, I get that. Maybe it's just me, but ?uest doesn't come across with that holier than thou persona. He always seems to be the first to admit that he's got a firm lock on Prince's jock. I'm probably one of those folks who act like he's The Second Coming But I respect dukes for being one of those musicians who's got his hand in every pot... from John Mayer to Common to Angelique Kudjo.

psykosoul said:

whaaaaa????

okaypimpn said:

Man, that album was bangin'!!!

I know there are a lot of haters of Electric Circus. Personally, I thought he was just scratching the surface in his experimentation. I was hoping he'd take it out even futher!!!! But I see he's afraid of what everyone would say if he kept exploring new realms in Hip-Hop, now he's returning to a so called blue collar hip-hop. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of Common's flow or tone, though lyrically he has a lot to say. I was happy to see someone as concious as him take a chance and that chance resulted in a disputed masterpiece. He's probably feeling the pressure of the label or peers or maybe, he's changing up again to spite Erykah.

sinisterpentatonic said:

Can you sum up what the theme of the album was because I walked away from it thinking nothing other than Common was speedballin' while recording it.

okaypimpn said:[quote]

sinisterpentatonic said:

The theme was "How to Astral Travel Sonically"

sinisterpentatonic said:[quote]

okaypimpn said:

Oh, okay. Just like I thought...

okaypimpn said:

Take a hit! Then, It'll all make sense to you.

Shapeshifter said:

Glad someone said it.