| 20/20 Vision: The Soulquarian Edition | November 18, 2020 |
The penultimate edition of Son Raw's retrospective review series is a three-album installment, weaving together the impact of 'Voodoo,' 'Like Water for Chocolate,' and 'Mama's Gun.'
| Rework the Angles: Common’s ‘One Day It’ll All Make Sense | October 10, 2017 |
Zilla Rocca's Rework the Angles series continues with a rearrangement of Common's 'One Day It'll All Make Sense.'
| Retrospect For Life: Remembering Common’s Golden Era | August 10, 2016 |
A look back at when Common wasn't just an ex-Gap model and gun-toting goon from Suicide Squad.
| Crucial Conflict: Common “Nobody’s Smiling” | August 12, 2014 |
Thomas Johnson is hyper as a heart attack Chicago’s been in a predicament over the last few years. While the quality of its music is steadily on the rise, the quality of life of many of those making the music has been on a steep decline. Drill scene artists like Chief Keef reflect the warzone […]
| The Dreams of Lonnie Lynn | December 27, 2011 |
No I.D. just sent Jonah Bromwich a beat tape. Self-seriousness. It’s always been Common’s Achilles heel. When he forgets to be Common, conscious rapper and spokesman for the people, he’s one of the most compelling veterans in the game. When he casts himself in that role-model mold, he becomes a caricature, the guy we make […]
| The Dreamer, The Believer, but most importantly, The Rapper | November 11, 2011 |
Tosten Burks is to hip hop what Bo the Dog is to politics. Finally, Common has stopped being a symbol, stopped being a Gap-wearing motivational poster, and started being a rapper again. The revival started with “Ghetto Dreams.” Unfortunately for Common, that song also started the revival of 2011-poet-laureate Nas, who has overshadowed better men […]
| Common & Nas’ “Ghetto Dreams” | July 13, 2011 |
If you need Evan Nabavian he’s upstate, but not on the Riker’s Bus. Common? The black guy from Wanted? The one who did that romantic comedy with Queen Latifah last year? He raps? Are you sure? Yes, Common was once a rapper. And long before that, he was a good rapper. If you can’t remember […]
