Black Eyed PeasвЂ™ will.i.am rocks a swinging Bob James sample that hasnвЂ™t been played out to death for вЂњI Want You,вЂќ Devo Springsteen laces Nina Simone into a theme for Common to explain why heвЂ™s вЂњMisunderstoodвЂќ and the late great J Dilla teams with DвЂ™Angelo to bring out вЂњSo Far to Go.вЂќ Through it all thereвЂ™s Common rapping time and again вЂ“ soft-spoken but hard-hitting, eloquent without being esoteric.

Even the non-Kanye tracks are pleasant surprises, pulling pearls from oysters seeded with pure hip-hop grit. вЂњBreak My HeartвЂќ is soft and soul-stirring without being in any way cornball or trite, the kind of rap Com can express that few other rappers have the moxie to attempt. The bouncing boom bap and hype hip-hop samples scratched into вЂњThe GameвЂќ are a throwback to early 1990вЂ™s rap in the best possible way. ItвЂ™s not often that hip-hop albums feel too short, but at only 12 tracks in length вЂњFinding ForeverвЂќ ends far too quickly. The duo easily dive into songs like вЂњDrivinвЂ™ Me WildвЂќ filled with sly references to a love crazy вЂњlike the astronaut lady,вЂќ the kind of love KRS-One rapped so eloquently about years ago in вЂњLoveвЂ™s Gonna GetвЂ™Cha (Material Love).вЂќ Elsewhere the duo manifests itself more directly in вЂњSouthsideвЂќ when Kanye steps from behind the board make a welcome vocal appearance, as the two flow to excerpts of Don CovayвЂ™s вЂњIf ThereвЂ™s a Will ThereвЂ™s a Way.вЂќ Kanye speaks for both when he declares himself вЂњthe future of the ChiвЂќ with no hubris. Undoubtedly the smooth influence of Kanye throughout the album helps Com keep his focus, allowing the two to smoothly вЂњStart the ShowвЂќ while Com accurately describes himself as a вЂњsynonym for freshвЂќ where вЂњtruth is the emblem.вЂќ The diversity of topic matter and sound is remarkable. ItвЂ™s not easy to be an icon of progressive music and not get caught up in your own self-importance, but Common manages to display both humility and self-confidence without either one being contradictory. ItвЂ™s those people he addresses both in the opening quotation and throughout his new album вЂњFinding Forever,вЂќ where Kanye West plays the part of DJ Premier while Com plays the role of Mahatma Gandhi. Com was at times uncomfortable with his newfound audience of вЂњcoffeeshop chicks and white dudesвЂќ but overall seems to have settled into the idea that people from all walks of life connect to his smooth voice and well thought out lyrics. A hip-hop career soon flourished, and as the rapper shorted his nom de plume from Common Sense to Common, a remarkably uncommon thing occured вЂ“ the underground Chicago rapper became critically acclaimed while simultaneously garnering a larger mainstream following. 15 years ago he broke into The SourceвЂ™s вЂњUnsigned HypeвЂќ column, back when both the column and the magazine still meant something.

Rebel Cadillac music for the peopleвЂ™s sakeДЄrtistically speaking thereвЂ™s little left for Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. Put the bang in the back so the seats can shake Sometimes we find peace in beats and breaks The karma of the streets is needs and takes Standin in front of the judge with no honorД«arack stick, knight the people like Obama I see the вЂIвЂ™ in вЂWeвЂ™ my nigga, yours is my drama Yeah you know how we do, we do it for the peopleДЇrom Inglewood to a single hood in Botswana My daughter found Nemo, I found the new Primo

Common finding forever samples