Image via Complex Original
Intro
When Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. isn’t starring in a major motion picture, penning a bestselling book, or dropping gems at the White House while driving Fox News pundits into fits of rage, he’s actually a pretty good rapper. Although he’s become famous for all sorts of things, Common remains one of the best pure emcees in hip-hop, still spitting that raw after two decades in the game.
With his new album, The Dreamer, The Believer,, the Chicago-getter is back to doing what he does best: flowing over rugged breakbeats. The entire 10-track album—plus a few bonus cuts—was produced by No I.D., the man responsible for the bulk of 1992’s Can I Borrow A Dollar? and 1994’s Resurrection, which was released exactly 17 years ago this week.
Common’s ninth studio album isn’t scheduled to drop some time in December, but he held a private listening session last Thursday at New York’s Roc The Mic studios. While his lovely assistant poured libations of red and rose, Common treated Complex to a sneak preview of most of the tracks from his Warner Music debut, rapping along with so much energy and passion that it was obvious how much he loves the new project.
“This album is some of the best music I’ve been a part of in my life,” he said. “We’ve got something that we believe is real special.” But will he make a believer out of you? Keep clicking through to hear Complex’s first impressions...
Written by Rob Kenner (@boomshots)
Raw
“Raw”
Produced by: No I.D.
Complex says: Sirens and airhorns set the mood for this frenetic track, and Common responds with rhymes that are just as hard as the title suggests. Working with childhood friend, No I.D., appears to have liberated him to get back to his emcee essentials, without concern for conforming to anybody’s standard of “positivity.”
At one point in the song he confronts an imaginary hater who taunts, You Hollywood? “Nah nigga,” Com replies. “I’m Chicago.” Then he proceeds to crack dude’s head with a bottle—lyrically, of course.
Ghetto Dreams
“Ghetto Dreams” f/ Nas
Produced by: No I.D.
Complex says: The first song recorded for the new album started out with just a Nas sample on the chorus. But Common and No I.D. soon decided to reach out to Nasty Nas, who stepped up as the only guest rapper on the album.
“This album is not about no features,” Common explained. “but realistically Nas is my favorite emcee.” The scratches on the record were done by Common’s long-time DJ Twilight Tone, making the record a family reunion of sorts.
“I hadn’t worked with No I.D. for like 8 or 9 years,” Common explained. “We really hadn’t talked that much either, so reconnecting with him—especially as we’ve both grown as human beings, men, and artists—reminded me what I love music for and why I love hip-hop. It’s like, you’ve done this, you’ve been to the White House, you’ve done these things, but you’re still a hip-hop dude. It kind of was a good reminder.”
SEE THE VIDEO FOR "GHETTO DREAMS" HERE
Blue Skies
"Blue Skies"
Produced by: No I.D.
Complex says: Sampling an obscure album cut from the ’80s pop group Electric Light Orchestra, No I.D. creates a sonic backdrop that allows Common to flow like the emcee he is while still reaching a worldwide audience. “This is my Inception,” he rhymes. “I’m writing my dreams.”
The song’s underlying message is one of empowerment: You can accomplish anything in the world by believing in your dreams—as long as you find your true purpose. Common has certainly found his.
STREAM "BLUE SKIES" HERE
Sweet
"Sweet"
Produced by: No I.D.
Complex says: Don’t let the title deceive you—there’s nothing sugary about this track. As Common said just before pressing play, “This one might make you wanna fight.” During a recent visit to Haiti, Common shot a video for the song, which may go down as the most aggressive record he’s ever made. Lord knows what inspired these lyrics of fury, but when Common played “Sweet” for an old friend in Chicago, his friend said, “I been waiting 20 years to hear you do some shit like that.”
Lovin' I Lost
"Lovin' I Lost"
Produced by: No I.D.
Complex says: Flowing over a sublime Curtis Mayfield sample, Common spits that “heartfelt breakup shit” that’s made him a ladies favorite for years. “Girl my heart is broken, I need a crutch/I try to take it day by day, but whoo it’s tough.” Nobody does it better.
Gold
"Gold"
Produced by: No I.D.
Complex says: “On the move like black slaves through the wilderness,” Common really goes in on this track, kicking some ol’ supernatural, prophetic flows. “No I.D. makes those beats that have that melody, but still have a hip-hop swing to it,” the artist explained. “It’s music that you can ride to and just let your mind drift.”
James Fauntleroy sings the shimmery hook on this bottom-heavy track, which accomplishes its stated goal, namely to “Show the walking dead who the true and living is/Separate the fake from who the real niggas is.”
Cloth
"Cloth"
Produced by: No I.D.
Complex says: “Let’s stay in the present/No time for second-guessing,” Common rhymes on this laid-back love song. The title refers to Com and his girl being cut from the same cloth—yes, it’s another love song made especially for the ladies. Like the lyrical craftsman he is, Com weaves a seamless sonic tapestry, always making clear that he God is the tailor.
The Dreamer
“The Dreamer” f/ Maya Angelou
Produced by: No I.D.
Complex says: “A Legend like John Lennon I’ma dreamer,” Common states on the record that serves as the first of two title tracks. After he finishes breaking down his dreams over a lush No I.D. instrumental, Dr. Maya Angelou steps in to provide the album’s only other guest verse. “Maybe I’m a hopeless hip-hop romantic,” Com muses near the end—and who could argue with him on that point?
The Believer
“The Believer” f/ John Legend
Produced by: No I.D.
Complex says: No I.D. saves the hardest drums on the record for last. “We are the sons of gangsters and stone rangers,” Common raps in this album-closing lyrical tour-de-force. "That rap was intricate,” he says. “The chorus and the beat is something that anybody in any part of the world can feel. I was able to stay myself and keep that hip-hop edge.” Which is a good way of summing up this whole album.