Happy 15th Anniversary to Common’s sixth studio album Be, originally released March 24, 2005.
As cliché as it sounds, sometimes even the most successful artists need to return to their roots in order to find themselves. Such is the case when Lonnie “Common” Lynn, Jr. dropped Be, his sixth album, 15 years ago. While Common went the experimental route on some of his previous offerings, with Be, he brought things back to the block and released one of the best albums of his career.
Be was viewed as a comeback after the divisive Electric Circus (2002), where once again Common connected with the Soulquarians to create an innovative mix of rap, neo-soul, and rock. However, the album was seen as a little too weird by some fans and critics, and was considered a commercial let-down.
A lot happened to Common in the two-and-a-half years between Electric Circus and Be. Notably, he ended his relationship with soul icon Erykah Badu, who had been a big influence on his career since they had gotten together. In another move that changed the trajectory of his music career, Common linked up with the then-ascendant Kanye West.
Fifteen years ago, West wasn’t yet the loud-mouth jackass that he’s become today. He was still basking in the glow of College Dropout (2003) and his status as one of the go-to producers in hip-hop. The fellow Chicago native had known Common for years and considered his frequent producer/collaborator No I.D. as his mentor. West had just launched his G.O.O.D. Music imprint and signed Common as one of the first artists on his roster.
West is essential to Be’s success. He was the project’s executive producer and produces nearly every track on it, putting together a unified sound. He goes deep into his “chipmunk soul” bag of tracks, mixing soul and jazz, occasionally mixing in some live instrumentation. He’s also a frequent vocal presence on the album, rhyming on some tracks, providing hooks and ad-libs for others. Overall, he assists Common in maintaining a back-to-basics approach that makes the album work so well.
The first indication of the album’s flavor came during Common’s performance of “The Food” on Chappelle’s Show in March 2004, well over a year before Be was released. Common appeared with West in tow, rocking from a spacious kitchen. The track exemplified what would become Be’s aesthetic, with Common kicking thoughtful rhymes over a solid piano loop. This live version appears on Be, managing to capture the energy of the stage show.
Be properly opens with the title track, setting the tone for the rest of the album. With a single verse, Common tells the stories of a population ignored by the system. He walks through Chicago’s streets as “the chosen one from the land of the frozen sun / Where drunk nights get remembered more than sober ones / Walk like warriors, we were never told to run / Explored the world to return to where my soul begun.” The intro also frames Chicago as Be’s central “character,” making the long-player as much of a love-letter to the city of his birth and its population as any of his releases.
Common excels in his daily observations of street-life throughout Be. On “The Corner,” the first single from the album, Common captures the sights, sounds, and feel of the people who populate the neighborhoods on the south side of Chicago. He shows how the environment shapes their behavior, depicting the prevalent mentality in a place “where struggle and greed fight / We write songs about wrong ‘cause it’s hard to see right.” Common also enlists the venerable Last Poets, best known for their poetic masterpieces during the late 1960s and 1970s, who contribute spoken word passages throughout the song.
“Real People” is in a similar vein as “The Corner,” as Common chronicles the lives of inner-city residents struggling against the force of institutional racism. He addresses the at times desperate efforts to maintain hope, rapping, “We want decent homes / So dreams we say out loud like speakerphones just to keep ’em on / It’s like a colored song that keep keeping on / I guess knowing I’m weak is when I'm really being strong.” West builds the song using large chunks of Caesar Frazier’s instrumental “Sweet Children,” giving it the feel of smoky jazz track.
“Go!” is a change of pace for Common. He details his turbulent relationship and freaky escapades with a sexually liberated woman without getting graphic. The song is laden with just short of explicit innuendo, as he tells of wild trysts in the bathroom of a club. It’s one of the best produced tracks on the album, as West expertly manipulates a piano sample from Linda Lewis’ “Old Smokey.” The track is further bolstered by vocals from friend John Mayer and scratches by A-Trak.
Common also addresses more wholesome versions of love and spirituality on Be. “Faithful,” featuring both John Legend and Bilal, approaches the title first from the perspective of maintaining faith in a higher power, later examining the struggles of men trying to remain loyal to the women in their lives.
The ethereal “Love Is,” the first of two tracks produced by the legendary J Dilla, features Be’s most lush production, replete with shimmering keys and echoing vocal samples from Marvin Gaye’s “God Is Love.” The track demonstrates Common’s lyrical maturity, as he explores how people who grew up in the rougher neighborhoods of the United States learn how to interpret and express love over the course of their lives.
“Chi City” gives Common an opportunity to channel some “b-boy survival rap” that has long been his stock and trade. The high-energy track is one of Be’s finest, as he asserts that he’s taking over, striking down pretenders to the throne. “Too many rape the culture,” he raps. “Leave rappers with careers and they faith over / It’s a war going on, you can’t fake being a soldier.”
The album’s sole misfire is “Testify,” a story-based courtroom “drama.” Common had begun crafting complex narratives since the days of One Day It’ll All Make Sense (1997). He falters here, especially considering the groan-inducing “twist” that ends the song. It’s impressive that Common committed as much as he did to the bit, filming a lengthy video/mini-movie starring Steve and Wood Harris.
Common addresses his critics on “They Say,” a team-up with West. He contemplates how fans and media pundits have judged the growth of his career, acknowledging that he’s already been “resurrected” twice and that many people weren’t fans of his “crocheted pants and sweater” look of the early ’00s. He recognizes that he’s learned through his experiences, rapping, “Played chess in this game of, pawns and knights / Now I claim ‘King’ like Don or Frank White.” Earlier versions of the song featured a verse from A Tribe Called Quest’s honorary member and fellow G.O.O.D. Music signee Consequence, but his verse was removed in favor of the song’s production architect.
Be ends with the Dilla-produced “It’s Your World,” which makes a perfect bookend for the project. It’s a heartfelt and lengthy dedication to realizing one’s dreams in the face of adversity. Common gets deeply personal, describing his upbringing in Southside Chicago and the many stumbles and setbacks he faced. But despite many of the self-inflicted wounds, he remains optimistic, knowing that he’ll be able to fulfill his potential. Common’s honesty and vivid storytelling make the sentiments earnest and inspiring without being corny.
Be is Common’s most commercially successful album, moving over 800,000 units. He also probably hasn’t released a better album since. He’s put out some strong entries in the years that have followed, including The Dream, The Believer (2011), Nobody’s Smiling (2014), and Black America Again (2016), but Be has been hard to top.
These days, Common is putting a lot of his energy into other areas beyond his recording career. He has an established film career and published his autobiography Let Love Have the Last Word: A Memoir last year. He’s also earned attention as one of the spokespeople for Microsoft.
While Common has become one of the most respected rappers on the planet, it’s easy to miss the days when he was recounting the lives of the Southsides' forgotten residents or telling a wack emcee that “you spit hot garbage, son of Sanford.” Even if those days never return, Be proved that Common was at his best when Chicago was on his mind.
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