"There are times, when you'll need someone. I will be by your side.There is a light that shines. Special for you, Baby."
That was the song where I first liked Common. I don't know if that chorus was a sample or not,but I know that to a 13 year old boy it just sounded like the truth. And I loved singing it. Me and my guy Common have had our ups and downs since then, I absoluteley despised his flow for years after that.
Then I only started bumping his verses on other peoples songs. He went smoothe on his verse for Erykah Badu's "Love of My life". I remember thinking that maybe bieng in love made him rap better.
Whan Kanye West dropped His first album, He had a verse on track 9 "Get em High" that I still consider to be one of his best.
"How could I ever let your words affect me//they say hip-hop is dead,I'm here to ressrect ME"
I still thought he was wack though. Just hot on other peoples songs. What kind of artist can't be hot on his own? Then I had a Common revelation, "Be" Hit the stands and his hit single "Go" rocked hard. I started ta bumpin Common. Admittadly I was hesitant, and his album was slept on for a reason, cuz It wasn't THE hottest,some of the tracks wasn't that hard. But that song "Testify" was pure poetry. I had to give it up to Common. This man is the truth.
The final straw though? "Finding Forever". Hands down one of my favorite albums. Ever. "The Corner" with the last poets "Misunderstood" all speak to my very soul by a brother who comes from a generation with more integrity than my own.
Anyway, I guess the message here is, Don't sleep on Common. He's the truth. You'll regret it. He has consistantly been on "Team Hip-Hop" saving the artform we know and love from impending doom by snap dance,soulja boy tellin em, and Gucci man's ignorance.
If you ever need that peace of mind that only our generation can appreciate, Kick back, relax and play dat track:
"There are times...."
...TheGift
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