Spring Break
Common searches for immortality on Finding Forever
Jeremy Kollie
Issue date: 9/26/07 Section: Entertainment
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The sharp rhymes keep coming on the album's first single, "The Game." This particular selection is ironic in the sense that West is obviously attempting to get that legendary Gang Starr-producer DJ Premier sound. And the only way to get those patented scratches featured on the track was to enlist the services of the illustrious Primo himself.
Common continues with his string of socially aware songs with the thought-provoking "U, Black Maybe." Here, Common speaks on the plight of his fellow African-Americans and people as a whole, even dedicating the last verse to speaking (not rapping) on the struggles people of color face.
The skilled rapper/actor gets his "Ladies Man" on with the next two tracks on the album, "So Far To Go" and "Break My Heart." The first, which was produced by the late Jay Dee, also known as J Dilla, features a coast-to-coast hopping Common who's dedicated to his woman … as long as he's in her city.
The second, which uses a George Duke sample, displays the often-forgotten slick talking element of Common's lyricism, with smooth rhymes like, "She said 'you know I don't be dating rappers' / I said I got my SAG (Screen Actors Guild) card, baby I'm an actor."
The album begins to come to a close with the excellently written "Misunderstood." The Devo Springsteen-produced track, which features a vocal sample from popular jazz songstress Nina Simone, gives Common the perfect canvas to paint a picture of people forced into lifestyles that were never meant for them.
The album's close comes with the uplifting "Forever Begins." And, like all of Common's albums, this one features an empowering message from Common's father, former ABA basketball player turned youth counselor Lonnie "Pops" Lynn that guarantees that souls will be stirred and thoughts stimulated.
The album does feature a bonus track, the 1970's soul sounding selection "Play Your Cards Right" that lives up the title as a bonus and rounds out the overall mood of Finding Forever.
While the album doesn't seem to show much progress in the formula that Common has made use of throughout his career, Common's recent debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 seems to prove that he's navigated his path well and Finding Forever might just be in reach.
Common continues with his string of socially aware songs with the thought-provoking "U, Black Maybe." Here, Common speaks on the plight of his fellow African-Americans and people as a whole, even dedicating the last verse to speaking (not rapping) on the struggles people of color face.
The skilled rapper/actor gets his "Ladies Man" on with the next two tracks on the album, "So Far To Go" and "Break My Heart." The first, which was produced by the late Jay Dee, also known as J Dilla, features a coast-to-coast hopping Common who's dedicated to his woman … as long as he's in her city.
The second, which uses a George Duke sample, displays the often-forgotten slick talking element of Common's lyricism, with smooth rhymes like, "She said 'you know I don't be dating rappers' / I said I got my SAG (Screen Actors Guild) card, baby I'm an actor."
The album begins to come to a close with the excellently written "Misunderstood." The Devo Springsteen-produced track, which features a vocal sample from popular jazz songstress Nina Simone, gives Common the perfect canvas to paint a picture of people forced into lifestyles that were never meant for them.
The album's close comes with the uplifting "Forever Begins." And, like all of Common's albums, this one features an empowering message from Common's father, former ABA basketball player turned youth counselor Lonnie "Pops" Lynn that guarantees that souls will be stirred and thoughts stimulated.
The album does feature a bonus track, the 1970's soul sounding selection "Play Your Cards Right" that lives up the title as a bonus and rounds out the overall mood of Finding Forever.
While the album doesn't seem to show much progress in the formula that Common has made use of throughout his career, Common's recent debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 seems to prove that he's navigated his path well and Finding Forever might just be in reach.
