Common leaks

I didn't really want to post on the new Common album until it actually comes out. But a few tracks have leaked now and I feel like its important to share them rather than just hold onto them. Thanks to the one-man hype -machine Mr. Kanye West, Common's new album Finding Forever has quite a bit of buzz behind it. There's good reason for this as his previous album the critically acclaimed Be has launched Common into the top circle of rap artists, and I must admit that its one of my favorite rap albums. The thing I love about Common is how consistent he is. He doesn't have the flashiness or huge singles that so many rap artists depend on, rather he just makes consistently great songs that grow on you over time. Be is a solid album from beginning to end, something that is refreshing in a genre where there are so many filler tracks made just to fill out an album.

I am very excited about the release of Finding Forever, which is tentatively slated for a July 10th release. Once again the production is done by Kanye West, who does talk a big game, but also consistently seems to back it up. The first song here is rumored to be the first single from his new album, and features Common rapping over a basic hip-hop beat with some scratching done by DJ Premier. I love how this song demonstrates Common's ability to support a song based on his lyrics and rhyming. That's not to say that the beat is bad, its just striped down to allow Common to own the spotlight.

Common - The Game

The second track is one that is also rumored to be a single as well. The touch of Kanye is definitely evident on this one with its soulful style and sped up samples used. It's a real laid back song that you can just grooves and it's growing on me more and more.

Common - The People (feat. Dwele)

All in all I like what I've heard so far from the album. Kanye claims it will be the best album of the year (somewhat surprising considering he has an album coming out later this year) and although I think its a little too early to tell, what I've heard so far sounds promising.

-Alec