With the #9 pick on my top 20 MC's EVER list comes my dude from the Chi, Mr. Lonnie Lynn aka Common. Now can anyone really front on this pick? Com has been holding it down since '91 when I first saw his video for "Take It EZ" and things only got better with "Breaker 1, 9" and the remix for "Soul By the Pound" off his debut album "Can I Borrow A Dollar?" No need to school ya'll about his sophomore album "Resurrection" when he blessed us with one of the GREATEST hip hop songs with "I Used To Love H.E.R." And with jawns like "This Is Me", "In My Own World", "Resurrection" (the original and both the remixes Extra P blessed him with...yeah Paul had two remixes for it) and "Watermelon" I knew that if this cat stayed on this track he was on he'd end up becoming one of my favorite Mc's. Plus he showed some growth to me as a MC cause gone was the Das Efxish kinda flow and style and now money was coming with more lyrics. His 3rd album "One Day It'll All Make Sense" (which I give 5 mics...I know, I'm the only one) dropped at a time in my life when I was going through a lot of hoopla (graduating from Morgan State, trying to get on with my beats in ATL, trying to find a gig in my major, relationship drama, etc.) and that album truly spoke to my situation and everything I was going through. And again money was showing even more growth cause now he was dealing with serious issues like abortion "Retropsect For Life" with L Boogie and his storytelling game went to another level with "Stolen Momnets Part 1-3" and with "Hungry", "1, 2 Mnay" and "Making A Name for Ourselves" with Canibus (this is when Canibus was Canibus) he showed everybody he may be that laid back dude but that money could get in that ass if need be.
I was salty when I heard he wasn't rocking with No ID on the beat tip for his next album "Like Water For Chocolate" but I couldn't be TOO mad that heard he was gonna be rocking with Jay Dee. "Like Water For Chocolate" was dope and I'm not mad at it but it was just to "peaceful" for me. I always felt like I needed to grow dreads, burn some incense and enroll at Howard everytime I listened to it. I was missing that boom bap that No ID was giving money. But that's no dis to Jay Dee (but I would've loved to hear Com over more Dilla stuff...yeah there's a HUGE difference between Jay Dee & J Dilla...for more explanation check this out) cause the beats were dope, plus he gave Com his biggest song with "The Light" and help lead Com to his first gold album. Now after "LWFC" came the travesty that's called "Electric Circus." That album sucked...I don't care how you call it and I've heard it called many different ways from many different people but it sucked...period. But I've always given Com a pass for that mess cause I understand he was under the spell of hip hop/R&B's green eyed medusa, Erykah Badu so he wasn't himself. But Com mos def gets the best hip hop comeback award cause I don't know if anybody has ever come back as hard as Com did with "Be." (another album I give 5 mics) "Be" was SO crazy it was almost like this dude never lost his mind and wasn't just rocking smedium crochet sweaters on his last album and it was all a dream. "Finding Forever" was dope but I do hold that "Universal Mind Control" album against him (cause E. ain't have nuthin' to do with that crash and burn job) and for a dude who's been in the game for 12+ years (even while he was getting his Hollywood on) this dude proved with his latest album "The Dreamer, The Believer" that he can STILL come was some certified grade A hip hop.
So at the end of the day, Com has any and everything you could want out a MC. He's got the voice, the flow, the lyrics, an ill storyteller, he's lasted the test of time and damn, did I forget to mention that little battle he participated in when he single handedly took down the West Coast kingpin Ice Cube and his croonies the Westside Connection with the Pete Rock produced "The B-tch In You" And as far as his discography, let's see we've got 1 dope album, 3 very, very dope albums, 2 classic and 2 bricks...and at the end of the day even with the bricks Com is mos def a top 10 MC. Salute.
My Favorite Common Quote:
"I met this girl, when I was 10 years old
And what I loved most, she had so much soul
She was old school, when I was just a shorty
Never knew throughout my life she would be there for me
On the regular, not a church girl, she was secular
Not about the money, no studs was mic checkin her
But I respected her, she hit me in the heart
A few New York n-ggaz, had did her in the park
But she was there for me, and I was there for her
Pull out a chair for her, turn on the air for her
And just cool out, cool out and listen to her
Sittin on bone, wishin' that I could do her
Eventually if it was meant to be, then it would be
Cuz' we related, physically and mentally
And she was fun then, I'd be geeked when she'd come around
Slim was fresh jo, when she was underground
Original, pure untampered and down sister
Boy I tell ya, I miss her."
"I Used To Love H.E.R." - Common
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