Artist Common proves himself uncommon in rap industry
‘Finding Forever’ is a musical portrait of black urban life
Posted on August 30, 2007
Radio stations today bombard listeners with hip-hop songs that are heavy on the bass but lacking in substance. Today’s rap lyrics range from stories about how much money the rapper has and how he spends it to obscene rants about women and how they should be used. For years, there seems to have been no alternative for people looking for rap with meaning in the mainstream. There hasn’t been an abundance of hip-hop worth listening to since the ’90s.
Rap artist Common, whose real name is Lonnie Lynn Jr., released his first album in ’92 but didn’t hit it big with a major label until ’00 when he immediately became a superstar. With eight tracks produced by Kanye West and collaborations with singers such as Lily Allen and Will.I.Am, Common’s seventh album, Finding Forever, is his strongest and most mature to date.
According to Common, Finding Forever refers to a place in music where you can exist forever. Instead of rapping about money and demoralizing women, Common continues to release records that speak from his soul. On the album, Common focuses on social issues affecting lower class communities as well as his own spirituality.
Songs such as “The People” and “Black Maybe” depict thoughtful accounts of situations in need of social awareness. These songs paint portraits of black living under the poverty line surrounded by drugs and violence. They are about being judged based on one’s race and the struggle that people of color must endure in order to be taken seriously in this world.
Not all of Common’s songs are solely about black problems. “The Game” is about the overall demise of America while “Drivin’ Me Wild” and “So Far to Go” are simple, romantic love songs.
No matter what the subject material, all of Common’s songs have an obvious influence of blues and gospel. The essence of hip-hop comes out in the soulful beats and harmonious sounds of brass and percussion on each track. Common continues to break barriers by not just being a rapper and musician but also an artist and a writer. He is one of the few current hip-hop artists that is able to spit rhymes with significance and meaning without losing his essence or flow.
Finding Forever was released July 31.