Common just made me want to stab my ears out.
Written By: brad luck 
02. Dec, 2008 
7 Comments
Remember when Electric Cricus dropped? Remember how disapointed you were when you first heard that album? Now, remember when Be dropped and it was awesome? The intro to Be was my favorite song the year it came out. I was so releaved that Common quit the bullshit and got back to making hip hop records.
So…me totally not paying attention to hip hop I didnt even realize he had a new album coming out. I was just excited that Common was all over the blog instead of Lil Wayne. Hav tells me that this new albums available. So I download it while I’m finishing cooking up some raviolli for diner.
I just got done eating and the B side of Fun House by the Stooges finishes. Sweet…I get to hear some new Common. So I click on the first track “Univeral mind control”. WOW…this fucking sucks. I dont know any other way to describe it than garbage. Its like hes trying to do some Bambatta shit. Its not working at all.
Then it moves on to “Punch drunk love” with Kanye. This is a little better but still terrible. I don’t understand why Com is making music like this. I understand an artist might want to expand their style over time but…really? This fucking sucks. This songs by the guy who made “Car horn”? The fuck?
These beats are fucking TERRIBLE. I’ve never been a fan of the Neptunes style. It sounds like pretty much every track was produced by them. Somebody just said “My dick is like a Blow pop baby/and it gets stiffer than some Botox baby” on this “Announcment” song. Sadly…this is by far the best song on the album. I can actually listen to the beat with out grimmacing.
All in all. I think I can safley say I hate this. This is why I never listen to new hip hop anymore. Common needs to stick to what he does best and save this drivell for his own personal enjoyment. Seriously, who told him this shit was hot when he came out of the studio? I cant hate…Common does come correct with the lyrics when he wants to. These beats are so bad to me though. I honestly want to stab my ears out. “Sugar 4 sex”? Seriously? What the fuck Com?
I so disapointed in this. I had my hopes up for this. “Wow! Theres a hip hop album out this year I might actually like.” I wasnt going to get drunk tonight. This just pushed me to crack a beer. Terrible.
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ConvoTrack
Just sending out some greetings from germany.
Sorry for my blog being in german, the text just says that I’m feelin’ what you say. “Be” was dope, but UMC sucks big time. It’s good to see other people thinkin’ the same way. Keep it up!
ONELOVE,
aloha
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I’m going to third this. I’m not feeling this album at all. It’s disappointing cause Common is one of my favorite artists and when he bricks hard It’s like I gotta wait for him to reinvent himself again. I’m losing faith in a lot of these rappers who used to be dope, mainly everyone on G.O.O.D. music, they’re trying so hard to evolve personally that they’re alienating their original fanbase in search of a different fanbase. I guess that’s all peace, I just don’t see how artists can sit there and say that their fans should be happy when the artist evolves and alienates them. Are they really that incapable of thinking from the eyes of their fans?
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I got to say that I don’t agree with you in that point. Because I don’t think that artists should focus on what their fans will like. Whether it’s music, street art, paintings, stand-up comedy, books, or any other kind of art. An Artist should have only one goal, and that is to express him or herself. Express his ideas. SAY what he thinks is important. DO what he thinks is important. To himself, not to the fans. Maybe to mankind in general, because I like artists who address problems with their art that affect everyone of us, or get us to think about stuff we didn’t think of yet – or enough (that’s why I like George Carlin & Bill Hicks for example).
But they should do it because they want to, not because their fans would expect it or their manager tells them to – in order to not disappoint the fans. To me, this is the most important thing when it comes to art. “Keep it real” is the correct term for that, I guess. Keep it authentic. Don’t disguise yourself. Be yourself and do what you gotta do. If people like it, and feel the same way you do, you might get some fans and make a little money. If they don’t like it, they won’t buy it, and you won’t be able to make a living from your art. And there are many great artists who can’t make a living with their stuff. It’s a little sad sometimes, but to me that’s the only way to make real art. Art and music are often mutually exclusive.
Now when it comes to music and all those rappers who used to be dope but are now just producing bullshit, I too am disappointed, of course. But it’s their right as an artist to “reinvent” themselves or try something different or adjust their opinion or likings. It’s just that I can’t see the reason for Common switching from dopeness to whackness. The only reason I can think of is that somebody told him it’s trendy, and I guess it was Kanye who told him that. Because his production of bullshit evolved extremely over the years, and I think he made it to the top with his autotune bullshit.
To sum this up: I think it’s OK to try something new. It’s OK to ajust your opinion and likings, and it’s OK not to think about your fans when you do something in the first place. But it’s sad to see some of the greatest artists prostitute themselves for money, which is what I think is happening here. Some folks seem to think that electro- and pop-like-hip-hop is the new shit, because radio stations play it, the clubs play it, people buy it. And everybody wants to be a part of it and get their piece of the cake. Maybe they are bored by sampling the same old funk & soul tracks. Maybe they think that hip-hop needs to be re-invented. Maybe they want to set a new trend, be the first in something. But maybe they just want to make a little extra cash and produce music that more people could like.
I personally LOVE the funk & soul tracks, I love it when they sample them, I love it when the lyrics piss off a lot of people, I love it when hip-hop has rough edges. Because I think that’s what hip-hop is all about. It’s meant to be a big punch in the face. I don’t want the government to like hip-hop. I don’t want people on the street to not stare at me for wearing baggy clothes. I don’t want the gucci and prada bitches to think they are a part of hip-hop now because Kanye and Common are “finally” producing music they like. I don’t like the polished and political correct shit, I don’t like the bling-bling party shit, and I don’t want my hip-hop to be mixed up with techno. And if some rappers, whose names you used to throw at people when they asked you what you love, suddenly want to produce bullshit and gain new, more, or other fans, it’s up to you to not buy their records anymore and say goodbye to them. There’s still lots of dope shit out there and you can always choose new heroes.
Maybe Common just wanted to try something different, maybe he’ll get back to his roots and come up with something dope again. If not, I’ll just put my “Be” record on once more, and accept the fact that he did some great shit a few years ago and was suddenly blinded by the lights. He’s not the first one and he’ll not be the last.
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It should say “Art and PROFIT are often mutually exclusive.”
Sorry for that. And for the bad grammar, too ;)
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Well thought out response homie. I have no problem with an artist trying something new, except when they alienate their fans. I’m not saying that common shouldnt be able to make music like this. What I’m saying is that he should make music his fans want. His fans are the reason he is where he is today.
Bill Hicks stayed true to what he did. George Carlin stayed true to what he did. You didnt see either of them stray off and start pulling props out on stage or smashing water melons. They didnt need a gimic to get their point across. These bullshit electro(i have no problem with electro) beats are a just that to me.
Thanks for putting some thought into it though. It means a lot when people comment. Thanks.
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