Common - BE (2005)

[Blacc Plague]

1. BE [Produced by Kanye West & Jay Dee] - beat coming out nicely...not really a typical dope kanye beat...but its a good beat...Common comes in spitting nicely on the beat...Basically simple rhymes, nothing that really stands out...But this is jus a intro...Nothing really much to say about this, jus a quick verse for a intro...but still a good refreshing listen from common...8/10

2. Corners (w/ Kanye West & Last Poets) [Produced by Kanye West] - Everyone should have heard this song and seen the video by now...so not really much to say about this...10/10

3. Go [Produced by Kanye] - I love this beat...Mellow beat...Common spitting on it nicely..of course...Chorus is ehhh, its kind of catchy...but way to simple...but i think people would be feeling it...but im loving the vibes off this song...i could mos def get high to this...if you dont like this song...there is seriously something wrong with you...10/10

4. Faithful (w/ Bilal & John Legend) [Produced by Kanye West] - A Kanye sample...so you should already know what to expect from this...Dope ass beat...Talking about his girl...Kind of obvious for the title...Chorus is sampled...Bilal and John Legend sings at the end which really makes this song stand out...damn, them 2 singing at the end sounds dope as hell...there is no flaws at all in this song...An amazing track...10/10

5. Testify [Produced by Kanye West] - This sample sounds very familar...It sounds like he used this sample before...But still a nice beat...Story telling song about a court trail...I dont really think the beat fits well with his topic...others will probably think different but thats just my opinion...But common spits a nice story on this one...Only problem is, its way to short...9/10

6. Love Is [Produced by Jay Dee] - Dont think i heard anything from jay dee...but this is a dope beat...Chorus is jus nice...This is mos def some summertime shit right here...Or wit yo girl chilling type shit...Common spits nicely over this beat...not one flaw in this track...common jus gets doper every track...this is one of my fav songs off this album...10/10

7. Chi City [Produced by Kanye West] - "I Rap with the passion of Christ, Nigga cross me"...damn im loving that line...anotha dope beat by kanye...Common comes off nicely..."I Wonder if these wack niggas realize they wack, they the reason that my people say they tired of that"...word to that...Basic mixed chorus...Nothing to special there...But this is a dope song right here...he speaks alot of knowledge on this, that everyone should hear...10/10

8. The Food (w/ Kanye West) [Produced by Kanye West] - Im sure alot of people have seen common and kanye perform this joint on the chappelles show...Dope beat...Common once again spits nicely on this joint...Im feeling the chorus...Its really catchy...good track...but i heard it so many times, that it aint as dope as it was when i first heard it...but first time listeners will love this joint on the first listen...8.5/10 (only because i heard it so many times)

9. Real People [Produced by Kanye West] - Jazzy beat...not really any drums in it...But this is a nice track...Common spits real nice on this kind of beat...Some nice lines hear and there...another knowledge track, that i think everyone should hear...this song is way to short, i want to hear more then this...9/10

10. They Say (w/ Kanye West & John Legend) [Produced by Kanye West] - John Legend starts and blesses the song with his singing...Another typical dope kanye beat...Common starts it off nicely right after John...second verse Im guessing this is kanye rapping...but it sounds nothing like kanye...but whoeva it is...he spitting nicely on the beat...chorus is real nice by john legend...nice drop...no flaws in this song...9/10

11. It's Your World/Pop's Reprise (w/ Bilal) [Produced by Jay Dee] - Jay Dee with another nice production...Bilal singing in the beginning gives off the vibe in this song...Common comes in spitting on some niceness..."its the black upon each other, that were loving so much/ wonder how many of us, is drugs gon touch" im loving that...Chorus has a real nice vibe to it...Bilal did a real nice job on it...this is another one of my fav tracks...real dope song...Last few minutes of the song a guy is spitting some poetry...Im guessing one of the Lost Poets...10/10


Overall if this album is not a classic...then i dont know what is...Nothing on this album is wack...and nothing on this album is skippable...I will be buying this when it hits stores...ITS TO FUCKIN SHORT THO....COMMON SHOULD OF PUT MORE TRACKS ON IT!!!!


Overall Rating 9/10 (Classic)

['Young Cell']

OMFG it cant be boi....all those tracksa are not that sick are they??? I got to get this album then does it have ahot beats???

[Blacc Plague]

^^everything on this album is dope...lyrics & beats...

[Prince Escobar]

^When is the release date?

This shit sounds like it will be incredible, nice job on the review TF, i expect to drop my own review when i get my hands on this joint...1luv.

[Blacc Plague]

i dont know when it drops...and your review is not welcome here

[Para[D]ox]

comes out end of may

[Kaput Mundi]

where did you find it?

[Neruda II]

Listening to it as I'm typing. I found the CD and downloaded it in five minutes.

Dope.

[Neruda II]

Common is incredible.

This is one of my top 5 CD's.

[flump]

.............

[The-Heir]

*pops in yungbuck CD

[Mr. ShowTime]

ya i just got the whole album it got leaked im gonna check it out now

[BFire]

i gotta copp this, fuck im missin out!!

[MSN Free Trial]

my review . .

well, it was bound to happen; the oft-annointed 'album of 2005' has finally leaked to the internet, a good month before its official release date. at both first & subsequent plays, this album lives up to its hype - without a doubt. below is my review of the the hip-hop genre's latest classic work: common's be.

track 1 - Be (produced by Kanye West & Jay Dee) - the consummate introduction track, Be is impressive musically and lyrically. A subtle, string-laden bass line kicks off fifty legendary minutes of Common Sense. When the beat finally drops, its catchy & unique - staples of West's production. Common is one of the only rappers who can successfully drop two gimmicks in one song - he's bragadoccio & socially conscious on Be. Overall, a stellar introduction track . .

8 / 10

track 2 - Corners w/ Kanye West & Last Poets (produced by West) - the single that started all of the buzz. Before XXL & Vibe were singing praise; before MTV2 'graciously' dubbed it 'buzzworthy,' Corners was a banger. I really don't know of many people who do not like this track. Crazy beat, crazy contribution(s) from Kanye & the Last Poets, crazy everything. A great track.

9 / 10

track 3 - Go (produced by West) - the producer-rapper laces not only another great beat, but the hook, as well. Common brings some heat here. An upbeat, fast-paced track featuring Common reminiscing on a past love interest. West raps, "Go, go, go, go - on the count of three, everybody run back to your fantasy." Common gets increasingly grimy with the story-telling, coming on strong in his second verse. A nice, twenty-second scratch-session as the track winds down came off well. Two lingering tambourines end the third of three great tracks.

8 / 10

track 4 - Faithful w/ Bilal & John Legend (produced by West) - oh my God. Though early reviews dub the story-telling 'Testify' Be's best track, I tend to disagree. This is one of the best beats AND songs that I have ever been fortunate enough to listen to. The first two & a half minutes of the song are comprised of an AMAZING harmonica sample, sprinkled piano melodies & some wonderful analysis of love by Common Sense. Common raps, "I was, rolling around - in my mind it occured; what if God was a Her?" Bilal & John Legend lace the last minute and a half with harmonic bliss, hitting some spine-tingling notes. Great concept, great beat, great song.

10 / 10

track 5 - Testify (produced by West) - a couple of nice samples here and some conventional percussion. Common comes with some of his trademark story-telling and blows us away with another great track. As I said before, early reviews have dubbed this Be's most impressive track. 'nough said. .

9 / 10

track 6 - Love is (produced by Jay Dee) - as West takes a well-deserved break, the quality of the album (some would say surprisingly) does not. Common eloquently introduces some social standards that aren't visited nearly often enough. He raps of love, drugs, family and life. Pretty cool track.

9 / 10

track 7 - Chi City (produced by West) - what I would call the weakest (though, far from weak) track on the album, Chi City is what you would it expect to be: a cocky, well-articulated drop from Common. Another amazing beat from Common's fellow Chicagoan Mr. West, Chi City definitely does the Windy City justice.

7 / 10

track 8 - The Food w/ Kanye West (produced by West) - sadly leaked last summer, many of you, I'd imagine, will have heard 'The Food' prior to spinning this album. Regardless, this track is timeless. Kanye & Common on the hook and rapping intermittently throughout the track. Common's flow is amazing, as is the amount of content that he pours into this song. Whistle-blowing to every social injustice one could be exposed to - discrimination, poverty, family problems, etc. - The Food's replayable quality is off the meter.

9 / 10

track 9 - Real People (produced by West) - true to the title, one of the realest tracks on the album. Common succesfully and, somewhat sarcastically, defines and redefines stereotype after stereotype. A number of quotables on this track, as well - I'll let you pick them out for yourself. A unique beat from the College Dropout - trumpets and saxophones have a number of intertwining riffs. "For you and yours: good music, forever," states Common truthfully.

9 / 10

track 10 - They Say w/ John Legend & Kanye West (produced by West) - West's only full-verse on the album isn't too bad. John Legend, unfortunately, is cast in a role that he has been cast in all to often. It seems as if he's sang this exact same hook for a handful of songs, though it's obviously untrue. Common comes stellar and, as of late, this track has been growing on me. No doubt a solid effort.

7 / 10

track 11 - It's Your WorldPop's Reprise w/ Bilal (produced by Jay Dee) - to me, this final track drew some comparisons to College Dropout's last call. Another lengthy song, IYWPR tells a somewhat abbreviated Common Sense life story. "I still want to see California," is a recurring line & theme in this beautiful track. Common gets a little preachy at times, but overall, comes with one of his best performances on the album. At a little bit past the four-minute mark, the piano & percussion take center stage to accentuate a five-minute Be sermon.

overall: it was honestly difficult to hand out two '7/10s,' but I had to differentiate between the outstandingly great and the great songs of Be. Common & Kanye West hook up for what looks to be the album of 2005, with the public finally recognizing Common's versatility. After listening to the album a good five times, it's replayability is there. Be is similar to Dropout in that sense, but Common's own flair is what pushes it above and beyond anything released in recent memory. I hope that everybody will purchase this album and support Common and his flawless artistry.

[Blacc Plague]

^^i could of sworn this was "my" review thread...maybe im mistaken...