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Common - Finding Forever
With "Finding Forever", Common rides the momentum created by the classic "Be". The question is how close does he come to reaching that peak. Well, the answer is that he comes very close. Produced primarily by Kanye West, with assistance from Will I. AM and the late J Dilla, Common makes it clear where his mindset is at this point in his life. If he could, I bet he would reach out and lead all his people to the promise land. At the very least, he wants you to feel a sense of hope through his rhymes. On the track "The People" Common reflects on the folks in his neighborhood dealing with their everyday struggles. Dropping verses like "Can't leave rap alone, the streets need me, Hunger in they eyes is what seems to feed me, Inside peace mixed with beast seem to breed me, Nobody believe until I believe me". On "Southside", Kanye and Common trade verses as they rep the City of Wind. Kanye lays down some infectious beats for this one as well as his penchant for clever wordplay make this song one of the albums highlights. Another honorable mention is "Misunderstood". This song starts out with a sample of the Nina Simone 1964 classic "Don't Let Me be Misunderstood" then Common steps in providing social commentary on issues like drugs, AIDS and the political agenda in his community or lack thereof. Other tracks like "Drivin' Me Wild" and "I Want You" are alright but they don't pack the punch that the rest of the disc offers. Basically that's what separates this disc from "Be". Where every song was a winner on "Be", there are two or three songs that are just average here. Still "Finding Forever" is very good. With Kanye on board, you know the production will be tight throughout. Plus, Common provides plenty of memorable moments of just why he is one of the best lyricists in the game today. With "Finding Forever", Common has created a very strong record. In fact, this is grown folks hip-hop at it's best. A classic? Probably not, but I doubt you will be disappointed by this uplifting feel good record.
http://www.common-music.com
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