Common

I was recently listening to "Finding Forever" (which was actually my first time hearing the album), and being that I'm a long time Common fan, this album was a great listen, from start to finish. In certain ways, it's always been compared to "Be" from 2005, and it might just be better than album. Your thoughts.

I like Be more, but FF is good.

It is not better than Be IMO

Finding Forever

Be. Its a surefire classic

Finding Forever was mediocre and uninspired. Be was much better.

Jason wrote:

Finding Forever was mediocre and uninspired. Be was much better.

Mediocre and uninspired? Not really Jason. I have to respectively disagree with that one.

BE wins but I can see where Jason is coming from even though I really enjoy FF. Its just that FF always comes off as BE's baby brother or something.

Jeff?

Meh, I got them both at 3.5 stars. FF has my favorite song though...

Wayne wrote:

Jason wrote:

Finding Forever was mediocre and uninspired. Be was much better.

Mediocre and uninspired? Not really Jason. I have to respectively disagree with that one.

Common had never been so complacent before, that album was filled with cookie cutter songs, little more than "intelligent rapper" cliches and rehashes from Be. Basically, Finding Forever was bland and safe. Personally, it was the real confirmation for me that he'd gone Hollywood, name-checking Finding Nemo, Oprah, and whatever, making inoffensive songs. It's the point when his acting career became more important than his rapping, so he decided to coast.

I am going to have to go with "Be" for this debate. I checked out a track "Next Time" that supposedly didn't make "Finding Forever" on okayplayer.com that was nice though.

Be, easliy. And I believe Be was from '06, not '05

Shaun wrote:

Be, easliy. And I believe Be was from '06, not '05

05

Ah

Yeah. Be dropped in 2005.

Be is way better IMO. I didn't like FF much when it first came out, but it has grown on me a little bit. I got Be at about 4.5 and FF at 3.5.

I'm with Dwight on this one. My ratings are the same as his.

Be might be the superior album, but they both lose replay value incredibly fast...

Jason wrote:

Wayne wrote:

Jason wrote:

Finding Forever was mediocre and uninspired. Be was much better.

Mediocre and uninspired? Not really Jason. I have to respectively disagree with that one.

Common had never been so complacent before, that album was filled with cookie cutter songs, little more than "intelligent rapper" cliches and rehashes from Be. Basically, Finding Forever was bland and safe. Personally, it was the real confirmation for me that he'd gone Hollywood, name-checking Finding Nemo, Oprah, and whatever, making inoffensive songs. It's the point when his acting career became more important than his rapping, so he decided to coast.

They're both bland and safe.

I agree that they are bland and safe. It is not really conscious rap, because he doesn't say anything of relevance on either album really I don't think. It is more of the same and is just very meh. Resurrection is dope. That is common when he is fresh.

booerns wrote:

I agree that they are bland and safe. It is not really conscious rap, because he doesn't say anything of relevance on either album really I don't think. It is more of the same and is just very meh. Resurrection is dope. That is common when he is fresh.

Bland and safe? Can't say I agree with you there, but I respect your views. These two albums are world's better than most of what we're hearing today.

While I would certainly take Be or FF over anything Boosie or Hollow Tip puts out, I will say that the content on either album isn't all that distant from the thoughts being echoed in the mainstream. He just spins them in a not-as-different-as-advertised kind of way.

In that aspect, yes, it's quite safe. He did take a chance when it came to alienating his core fanbase...which he is doing quite effectively.

Universal Mind Control was ignored for a reason...

Cop that new Reflection Eternal, though. lol It's dope.

I'll go with Be, but the only reason I even look at it is for The Food. FF has the "The People" which has a good Premier beat I guess. Both 3 star albums for me though.

Bushido Brown wrote:

While I would certainly take Be or FF over anything Boosie or Hollow Tip puts out, I will say that the content on either album isn't all that distant from the thoughts being echoed in the mainstream. He just spins them in a not-as-different-as-advertised kind of way.

In that aspect, yes, it's quite safe. He did take a chance when it came to alienating his core fanbase...which he is doing quite effectively.

Universal Mind Control was ignored for a reason...

Cop that new Reflection Eternal, though. lol It's dope.

What did you think of Electric Circus?

I love that album. 4.25 in my book. It has grown on me, though. When I first heard it, I didn't like it. His last three albums haven't grown on me at all mostly because I don't think they've aged very well. Good albums, but not "great" albums, IMO.

I have trouble linking the guy that made LWFC and Resurrection the the guy that made Be, FF, and UMC. It's tough to watch sometimes...

At least he alienated fans on EC for the sake of being experimental and the outcome was interesting.

Be and FF he basically abandoned his fans to pursue the pop chart formula.

Bushido Brown wrote:

I love that album. 4.25 in my book. It has grown on me, though. When I first heard it, I didn't like it. His last three albums haven't grown on me at all mostly because I don't think they've aged very well. Good albums, but not "great" albums, IMO.

I have trouble linking the guy that made LWFC and Resurrection the the guy that made Be, FF, and UMC. It's tough to watch sometimes...

I'm going to give that album another spin myself.

Kid Joe wrote:

At least he alienated fans on EC for the sake of being experimental and the outcome was interesting.

Be and FF he basically abandoned his fans to pursue the pop chart formula.

Pretty much my take on it as well.

halfsharkalligatorhalfman wrote:

I'll go with Be, but the only reason I even look at it is for The Food. FF has the "The People" which has a good Premier beat I guess. Both 3 star albums for me though.

Kanye beat, actually.

Jason wrote:

halfsharkalligatorhalfman wrote:

I'll go with Be, but the only reason I even look at it is for The Food. FF has the "The People" which has a good Premier beat I guess. Both 3 star albums for me though.

Kanye beat, actually.

Wow, I always thought that was Premier but I guess not.

Bushido Brown wrote:

I have trouble linking the guy that made LWFC and Resurrection the the guy that made Be, FF, and UMC. It's tough to watch sometimes...

UMC was terrible, but there's plenty to like on Be and FF IMO.

Other than the production and a name change, I see no difference between the guy on Resurrection, LWFC, and One Day from the dude that did Be and FF.

KJ Styles wrote:

Other than the production and a name change, I see no difference between the guy on Resurrection, LWFC, and One Day from the dude that did Be and FF.

Cosign.

The guy on Be and FF doesn't write like this anymore

I stagger in the gathering possessed by a patter-in
That be scatterin
Over the globe will my vocals be travellin
Unravellin my abdomen it's Lon that's babblin
Grammatics that are masculine
I grab them in, verbally badgerin broads
I wish that Madelline, was back on Video LP
I went against all odds and got a even steven
Proceed to read and not believin everything I'm readin
But my brain was bleedin, needin feedin, and exercise
I didn't seek the best of buys, it's a lie to textualize
I analyze where I rest my eyes
And chastise the best of guys with punchlines
I'm Nestle when it's Crunch-time
For your mind like one time
If poetry was pussy I'd be sunshine
cause I deliver like the Sun-Times
Confined in once-mines on dumb rhymes I combine
I'm hype like I'm unsigned, my diet I unswine
Eatin beef sometimes I try to cut back on that shit
This rap shit is truly outta control
My style is too developed to be arrested
It's the freestyle, so now it's out on parole
They tried to hold my soul in a holding cell so I would sell
I bonded with a break and had enough to make bail
A misdemeanor fell on his knee for the jury
I asked No for his ID and the judge thought there was two of me
Motion for a recess to retest my fingerprints
They relinquished since, cause I was guilty in a sense

Jason wrote:

The guy on Be and FF doesn't write like this anymore

I stagger in the gathering possessed by a patter-in
That be scatterin
Over the globe will my vocals be travellin
Unravellin my abdomen it's Lon that's babblin
Grammatics that are masculine
I grab them in, verbally badgerin broads
I wish that Madelline, was back on Video LP
I went against all odds and got a even steven
Proceed to read and not believin everything I'm readin
But my brain was bleedin, needin feedin, and exercise
I didn't seek the best of buys, it's a lie to textualize
I analyze where I rest my eyes
And chastise the best of guys with punchlines
I'm Nestle when it's Crunch-time
For your mind like one time
If poetry was pussy I'd be sunshine
cause I deliver like the Sun-Times
Confined in once-mines on dumb rhymes I combine
I'm hype like I'm unsigned, my diet I unswine
Eatin beef sometimes I try to cut back on that shit
This rap shit is truly outta control
My style is too developed to be arrested
It's the freestyle, so now it's out on parole
They tried to hold my soul in a holding cell so I would sell
I bonded with a break and had enough to make bail
A misdemeanor fell on his knee for the jury
I asked No for his ID and the judge thought there was two of me
Motion for a recess to retest my fingerprints
They relinquished since, cause I was guilty in a sense

Classic verse here.

I'll admit that Be and FF aren't classic like Resurrection, but they're FAR from wack IMO.

I like GO, Testify, The Corner, The Food, Southside, The People, Drivin Me Wild, The Game, etc.

I've got Be at 4.25 and FF at 4.

KJ Styles wrote:

I'll admit that Be and FF aren't classic like Resurrection, but they're FAR from wack IMO.

I like GO, Testify, The Corner, The Food, Southside, The People, Drivin Me Wild, The Game, etc.

I've got Be at 4.25 and FF at 4.

Yep, those 2 albums are nowhere near wack.

I put Be at 3.5 and FF as worthless. This isn't an insult to anybody, so relax. I just don't like that album.

Kid Joe wrote:

I put Be at 3.5 and FF as worthless. This isn't an insult to anybody, so relax. I just don't like that album.

That's fine, you're entitled to your opinion. I just entirely disagree with it.

FF has "rehash" written all over it. Sure, if you like Be, then you'll fall for its doppleganger as well. Persoally, I find myself rotating less and less. Be has its qualities, but FF just screams "remake" at me.

"Wow, I always thought that was Premier but I guess not."

Preemo did the scratches, though (I think).

"FF has "rehash" written all over it. Sure, if you like Be, then you'll fall for its doppleganger as well. Persoally, I find myself rotating less and less. Be has its qualities, but FF just screams "remake" at me."

Indeed. I play Be all the time, and never go for FF

Shaun wrote:

"Wow, I always thought that was Premier but I guess not."

Preemo did the scratches, though (I think).

"FF has "rehash" written all over it. Sure, if you like Be, then you'll fall for its doppleganger as well. Persoally, I find myself rotating less and less. Be has its qualities, but FF just screams "remake" at me."

Indeed. I play Be all the time, and never go for FF

What's your rating for Be?

Be's a personal classic for me

Shaun wrote:

"Wow, I always thought that was Premier but I guess not."

Preemo did the scratches, though (I think).

"FF has "rehash" written all over it. Sure, if you like Be, then you'll fall for its doppleganger as well. Persoally, I find myself rotating less and less. Be has its qualities, but FF just screams "remake" at me."

Indeed. I play Be all the time, and never go for FF

Co-sign Norf and Shaun.