Well, one last push for a forgotten album never hurt nobody. Guess we should direct you on places where to buy it huh? Read the rest of this entry »

Dear Common,

Once upon a time you were our success story. The Chosen One.

We as Hip-Hop fans crowned you the under-appreciated king who was too real for the mainstream. We loved you. And it was good.

It seems like forever ago that Jay mentioned you on The Black Album, shining light on someone who some of the listeners had never even heard of. At the time, most thought of this as a short-term boost in a career that would be critically acclaimed but widely under-appreciated.

Then we watched you hop on the unstoppable Yeezy train and take your career from the South Side Of Chi-town to the national stage. The best part about it was the fact that you stayed true to your music. You’ve been the poster child for “real” Hip-Hop that could survive & thrive it in a commercial world.

Then the movies came. Read the rest of this entry »

So Common took it upon himself to review his own album, and gave it 11 out a possible 10. Read the rest of this entry »

Forever the journeyman through all the convolutions that accompany a Hip-Hop career, Rashid “Common” Lynn was never one to shy away from letting the music represent his current mood. In attempts to fatten his catalog with more accessible material to counterpoise the analytical content in the bulk of his discography, the concept of Invincible Summer was born. However, scheduling conflicts forced the album’s delay, ultimately spawning Universal Mind Control which is a zesty blend of electro-funk, retrospect, and occasional laziness.

Not as eccentrically irritating as 2000′s Electric Circus, nor as confined to uniformity as last year’s Finding Forever, UMC determines its own path by remaining bubbly in its entirety courtesy of The Neptunes and Mr. DJ — of Outkast fame. Which in turn, help build momentum and compensate for Common’s lacking in the vocal charisma department. This is best evidenced on the album’s first two singles “Universal Mind Control” and “Announcement.” The title track which borrows flavor from Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock,” rides a futuristic wave of looping instrumentation that looks to be the B-Boy anthem of the next millennium while the latter, finds Common and Pharrell bigging up the Notorious one over a funky yet subtle backdrop. Read the rest of this entry »

Another day, another Common track. Read the rest of this entry »

Remember when this first leaked in the form of live video footage? Read the rest of this entry »

Last night, Common made a surprise appearance at R&B Live Atlanta and proceeded to perform two new joints from his upcoming release Invincible Summer Universal Mind Control. Footage courtesy of Kid Kaos. Read the rest of this entry »

The homie Enig comes through with the scoop this morn. Fresh footage of Common & Skateboard performing Read the rest of this entry »