Take It EZ

I am a Common fan. He is one of those prolific rappers who can make you think about many issues that occur in life and in the world. I first started listening to Common way back when he came out with the now classic, "I Used To Love Her," which speaks about past love. That song is classic Common and classic hip-hop. It propelled him into the hip-hop scene and made his album, Resurrection, very successful. However, Resurrection serves up some eccletic rhymes that will have you pressing repeat on your cd player. The title track alone is enough to make you want to listen over and over again. The piano beat and simple bass is exceptional on that song. Another track on that cd, "Orange Pineapple Juice," is a humorous play on words. Common's rapping style and skills really shine on this song.
Common really became popular with his Like Water For Chocolate release which contains "The Light," with Bilal. That song is smooth and mellow and is another track that is worth hearing over & over. I did not think Common could do any better than his first single, "Take It Ez," which is inspirational and rhythmic, but I was wrong because Common outdoes himself on BE. The title track is a simple 3 minute introduction discussing Blackness and Black people. He rhymes over a vibal beat that you'd think of hearing in a jazz club. "The Corner," which was the first single off of the cd, includes Kanye West and The Last Poets, who really make the song shine. The song speaks on issues that arise in the ghettos of Chicago. "Go!" is one of the best songs on the cd, which is a synthesized beat with John Mayer saying Go with an occasional record scratch placed within the beat. The song speaks on a woman he fantasizes about after he sees her in a club and how they have sex in a bathroom. Faithful is another Kanye infused track. Common, in this song, questions if God is a woman and how he'd react in the world today if he knew God was a woman. Ultimately, he decides regardless that he must be faithful to the end despite the question. Testify lays a portrait of a woman who deals with the pain of marriage and murder. "Love Is," is typical Common. It reminds me a lot of the smoothness of "Watermelon" and "Retrospect For Life." He describes what love is and how everyone views love and where love can be found. "Chi City," is another Commonesque song. He describes life in Chicago and how some things never change. "The Food" is a live recording from The Dave Chappelle Show. I wish he would have included the studio version, because it seems not to really fit the cd and its style. Kanye West guests on the song. The song talks about how to survive in this world. "Real People," is another favorite of mine. Common proves once again that he is not afraid to speak what he feels nor what he has observed. "They Say," is radio worthy. I see this being a single simply because Common describes how the media spins whatever they want about rappers. Kanye West's verse is perfect for this song and blends well with the beat. "It's Your World," is inspiration a-la Common. Common always manages to include an inspirational song to the struggling people in this world and how minorities struggle and how we need to overcome struggle. He draws on struggles he went through growing up in Chicago. The album is definitely worth the money. Do not download. BE is definitely classic Common and ranks up there with some of the best hip hop albums ever made.