Common revisits past, raps

The moniker “entertainer” truly fits the rapper Common… The Dreamer, The Believer

Common

Warner Bros./Think Common Music Inc.

Grade: A

The moniker “entertainer” truly fits the rapper Common.

The once-raw rapper has produced album after album, appeared in multiple films and even dabbled in a form of rap more akin to spoken word poetry than hip-hop. Since the 1998 track “I Used to Love H.E.R.” in which Common lamented the state of hip-hop, he’s experimented with many paths, each of which has been reflected in his music. Now it seems like the multi-talented Chicagoan — aside from appearing in AMC’s “Hell on Wheels” — is once again focused on being a rapper.

Formerly known as Common Sense, Chicago’s South Side emcee starts off his new album with a track titled, “The Dreamer.” Produced by fellow Chicagoan No I.D., the album features Common laying down meaningful lyrics over No I.D.’s characteristic blend of samples and electronic sounds and the typical snare and hi-hat which define the genre. Although Common’s lyrical talent shines through, the spotlight belongs to featured artist Maya Angelou, who ends “The Dreamer” with a poem that urges the listener to “dare to dream.”

Calling on another poet, Common also enlists the help of New York City emcee Nas in his second song, “Ghetto Dreams.” It seems as if the poet inside Common is battling the Common of his earlier days on the music scene as the performer lays down raw lyrics while still conveying an uplifting message of positivity and belief in dreams.

An edgy beat complements the sound of both rappers as Common and Nas tell the stories of various “ghetto dreams from the hood” — some fulfilled, some not. Both rappers refused to let go of their dreams during their rise to the top and were able to carry themselves out of their harsh childhood environments into stardom.

Aside from longtime collaborator John Legend, the album belongs solely to Common. Hearkening back to his humble beginnings on the track “Gold,” Common says, “Now it’s new beginnings like a born again Christian / On the mic, victorious, story is redemption.” Calling his shots, the 39-year-old even goes so far as to proclaim in the song “Sweet” that, “How can I say this? / F*ck it, I’m the greatest / I am the A-list for all these great debaters,” letting all those who might have doubted his last album — a musical experiment titled Universal Mind Control — that Common is back and here to stay.

Going back to his roots and producing a lyric-heavy album with as much drive as the man himself, Common makes the message of his CD known: Dare to dream.