"The Present is a Gift and I Just Wanna Be" [Be by Common]

First Posted 10/17/07:
So, I find that there are a lot of things I always want to explore my thoughts on, and I also find that when I write about them I really enjoy it and learn more about the thing. Usually, I just write these things to Daniel Cady Davidson, but why not share them with everyone? With that in mind, I think I'm going to periodically write reviews of things I'm interested in, not necessarily new things. I hope it contributes to you, but it's mostly for my own benefit.

This particular note is about Be by Common. Most of you who know me, know I have a borderline pshycotic affection for Kanye, and I first heard Common on Kanye's "Get 'Em High." I didn't love his verse at first, but it really grew on me with time ("Good rappers are hard to find, like a remote"). Then I learned that Be was also produced by Kanye, so I had to check it out.

What we get is a really superb album, probably better than Mr. West's most recent release, Graduation. Common lacks that distinctive and remarkable flow that 'Ye possesses, but he's still an excellent MC and he also benefits from beats written by the world's best producer. What sets Common apart from the other rappers I've listened to (which admittedly is not very many) is that his lyrics are, while ocassionaly vulgar, generally insightful and sensitive, something I really value. The intro "Be" especially underscores this, with lyrics like "I look into my daughter's eyes / And realize I'm a learn through her, / The Messiah might even return through her / If I'm a do it, I have to change the world through her."

Songs

Be 9/10: Fantastic song. Great production by Kanye, as it slowly builds to Common's one, superb verse. I wish it had a second verse and was just generally longer, but I suppose that might dilute some of the quality.

The Corner 9/10: One of the best songs on the album. Good beat, good flow, good lyrics, and a spoken word part after each chorus that really works. (Kanye features on the chorus).

Go! 6.5/10: I like the beat and rap part of the chorus (again done by Kanye), but the "Go, Go, Go" parts which are done by John Mayer really annoy me, and there are just too many of them. Okay song.

Faithful 7/10: This song's about imagining that God was a woman, and how it would change how Common lived his life. I like this aspect of it, and his conclusions are interesting, but the chorus is just really annoying, so I can't give it a higher grade.

Testify 7.5/10: Definitely a song that tells a story, in this case about a murder trial. It has a pretty good ending too. All in all, a very good sounding song.

Love Is 7.5/10: You would think this would be my favorite song because I'm so obsessed with love. Now, don't get me wrong, I love that the chorus is "Lovin' you is lovin' me," but in general the lyrics are, while well-intentioned, not all that clever or insightful, and the beat is good but not spectacular.

Chi City 7.5/10: Really fun, more traditional rap song with a very solid beat. I don't have much else to say about it.

The Food 10/10: This is a live performance from "Chapelle's Show," and it's really awesome. The beat sounds a little odd because it is live, but the combination of Kanye and Common here is really spectacular. Maybe the best song on the album.

Real People 7/10: Nice transition from "The Food" into here. The beat's a little too smooth jazz in a bad way for me. Not bad though.

They Say: 8.5/10: Good chorus from John Legend, well above average beat, good verses from Common, and a GREAT verse from Kanye (well, at least until the very end--ironically once he mentions how crazy his verse is, it starts sucking a liitle because the rythm totally just doesn't work). Kanye's superb flow is the star of this song.

It's Your World/Pop's Reprise 7/10: My grade just for the "It's Your World" part would probably more like a 7.5. I like the verses and the beat is above average. I don't hate "Pop's Reprise" which is all spoken word; in fact, I love the sentiment of it. I just really hate that Common makes this one track instead of two that transition. It's like "Last Call." My play count gets all fucked up!

Overall 8/10: 8/10 is, by the way, and extremely good rating from my point of view. That 6.5/10 is the worst song on the album is very very good. If you like Kanye, check this out for sure. Hell, just if you like rap.