Originally, we had planned to review Tigermilk by Belle & Sebastian today. As you can see from the title, there has been a change of plans. Recently, Michelle Obama hosted a poetry reading that featured a controversial guest. We speak, of course, of the rapper Common. Honestly, we believed that Common was about as controversial as a box full of puppies playing with a series of tiny little chew toys. As Fox News was quick to point out, we were dead wrong. Common, according to some reporters and pundits, is an advocate of cop killing. Jon Stewart of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show disagreed with this sentiment, as he made clear on his show Thursday. You can view his spoken word takedown here and here.
Bill O’Reilly of Fox New's The O’Reilly Factor took exception to Stewart’s attacks. He challenged Stewart to come on the program and debate this Common issue with him.
Stewart accepted the challenge and came on the program Monday night. You can watch their entire debate here and here:
Now, we here at 1001 Album Reviews have tried not to involve ourselves in too many non-music debates. We have opinions and everything, but this is a music blog and we’ll be damned if we don’t stick by that premise. Luckily, this provides us the rare opportunity to tie our musical endeavors into something else. Here, we have listened to Be, the Grammy-nominated album by Chicago emcee Common and evaluated it not only on how good it is, but also on its lyrical content. If you want to know if Common’s lyrics really do advocate violence like O’Reilly says, or if they are really as positive as Stewart says, then look no further. You don't need to say it; you’re welcome.
Zack: If you’ve been attentive readers, and I know you have, then you can probably venture a guess as to how I feel about Common based on my previous reviews of Lupe and Kanye. I love his music. I love his smooth delivery. I love the beats that Kanye whipped up for this album. But, most of all, I love his lyrics. He weaves uplifting narratives using clever wordplay in a way that is absolutely unparalleled. In case you weren’t paying close enough attention, let me repeat that sentence while applying extra emphasis on important points. He weaves UPLIFTING narratives using clever wordplay in a way that is absolutely unparalleled. Common uses his rapping as a means of construction, a stark contrast to the slew of destructive lyrics that fill the radio nowadays. Common may not be my favorite rapper out there, but he’s the one most comparable to a poet. Essentially, he’s the most pure emcee in the game today. That’s what makes the criticism levied against the Obamas for inviting him, most notably by Fox News, so ridiculous. It’s obvious within several minutes that the critics have never listened to Common’s music, or else they would know better. With Bill O’Reilly specifically, I can see where it’s coming from. Years ago, O’Reilly led a charge against Pepsi’s use of Ludacris as a spokesmen that resulted in him (Luda) being fired. O'Reilley clearly does not agree with hip-hop culture. Now, before that gets misinterpreted, I’m not saying he’s a racist or anything. I’m just saying that he has a stereotype of what rap is about, and that stereotype does not include socially conscious lyrics. Common is a poet in every sense of the word and should be treated like any artist, not like some criminal sympathizer or villain.
Favorite Tracks: The Food; They Say; Testify
Emily: What do you want to be? That’s the question Common poses on this album, aptly titled Be. Common clearly wants to be – and is – a rapper with as much substance as he has style. Kanye’s modern and melodic production allows Common’s lyrical prowess to shine through. The words really are the stars of this album. His lyrics go beyond the typical hip-hop realms of money and bitches to real issues. This album is socially conscious, and it really made me think – something I can’t say has happened with my previous rap experiences. Even though Fox News may disagree, Common is truly a modern poet. Just listen to It’s Your World, where he just speaks his lyrics over a simple beat. If that’s not poetry, then I don’t know what is.
Favorite Tracks: It’s Your World (Parts 1 and 2); Faithful; Real People
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