A solid album to all but finish off the year, and while I'm not a massive fan of Common, he is an artist who I still need to check out when he drops something fresh. First of all, I think that this album could have flowed better by not containing Maya's poem at the end of the opening track. It loses the heat created by the dope first 4 minutes of the album. It is a similar situation for the album closer 'Pops Belief'. I'm not going to listen to five minutes of someone talking more than once, especially when it's someone unknown, and when the beat doesn't do anything either.
Nevertheless, the first couple of tracks are standouts. Like 'Ghetto Dreams' 'Sweet' is a near banger, but I don't think some of the lyrics and anger Common spits with suit him. I mean, he ain't exactly DMX. At track eight, 'Cloth' is another favourite, the production, verses and chorus all bond well forming a great R&B/rap tune.
As far as Common albums go, I'd rank this one pretty high. There may not be the brilliance of his other albums, but it's more concise, the weaker tracks on other albums are weaker than the stuff I may not listen to over and over on this, and the production across the eleven tracks is consistent.
Best Tracks: The Dreamer, Ghetto Dreams, Cloth, Celebrate, The Believer
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