Thanx to all those who helped make Common's 7th album his first #1 debut overall!

(post jack, sorry LG)

***PRESS RELEASE***

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN: RAP ARTIST COMMON ACHIEVES FIRST CAREER #1 ON BILLBOARD ALBUM CHART WITH FINDING FOREVER

Santa Monica, CA August 8, 2007 – On his 7th album, Finding Forever, Grammy winning rap superstar Common hits the jackpot, scoring his first career #1 on the Billboard Album Chart.

The G.O.O.D. Music/Geffen Records album scanned 155,329 in its first week, 32,187 more than the next best selling title. Common’s previous best ranking on the chart was #2 for 2005’s BE. Like BE, Finding Forever has fellow Chicagoan Kanye West in the role as executive producer. Guest artists on the album include West, Lily Allen, will.i.am, D’Angelo, and Gang Starr’s DJ Premier. Along with production by West; will.i.am and the late Detroit legend J. Dilla (So Far To Go) produce tracks.

What’s extraordinary about the best selling Finding Forever is that it was truly the people who made Common #1. With songs and an album that have received critical acclaim and consumer interest, Common’s music has not yet penetrated mainstream commercial radio. Those who bought the album bought it for the artist and his brand, not a particular song. Very few artists make the connection with the public as Common does. As his hometown paper Chicago Tribune wrote, “Common has become the rarest of pop success stories: a mainstream hip-hop artist who projects a mature, compassionate image and thrives on thoughtful, soul-fired albums designed for repeated listening rather than short-lived singles.”

Common is an anomaly, who thrives with the multi-impressions he gets outside the traditional hip hop avenues from his Gap television commercial a few months back to him being the face of Converse’s (Product) Red campaign to his album being carried at Starbucks as well as him playing and doing a very successful album signing at a Starbucks in Santa Monica, which according to the Fire Marshal drew over 1,500 people. On-line Common has been everywhere. Finding Forever and Common have been the main featured title at iTunes, and was featured with Verizon, to currently being Artist of the Month at Microsoft Windows Media, to performing for Live Sets on Yahoo! and AOL’s “Sixteen Bars” and the album previewed with MTV.com’s The Leak.

In the press, which has always been with Common from his 1992 debut Can I Borrow a Dollar? through 2000’s acclaimed Like Water for Chocolate and 2005’s multi-Grammy-nominated BE, Common is often cited as one of the best observers and masters of wordplay in rap history and critics believe that Finding Forever continues that legacy. In a stellar review XXL wrote: “Common makes timeless hip-hop seem easy.” Both People and USA Today bestowed their highest rankings on the album. Rolling Stone wrote, “…his ear grabbing command stands up to almost any MC out there.” And for the first time in his career Common graces the cover of the Source in their August 2007 issue. In the last few months Billboard, Ebony, and Uptown magazine have put him on their cover.

On top of his music success Common has recently launched a burgeoning acting career with roles in Smokin’ Aces with Jeremy Piven as well as the soon-to-be released American Gangster with Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington as well as filming both Wanted with Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman and The Night Watchman with Keanu Reaves and Forest Whitaker.

There are very few artists who consistently deliver such thought provoking cutting edge material who are accepted by the mainstream as Common. The chart topping may have signaled a new era in not just hip hop but in credible music overall, and Common and his fans have led the charge to this era.

Nat Mystic's going to nerdgasm all over this post.

a comgasm

real talk.
ive been waiting for this day for a long time.
seriously.
it feels like *I* won or something.




oh yeah.
and FUCK YOU GUYS!!!
lol.


____
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6IRU5TZY

>ive been waiting for this day for a long time.
>seriously.
>it feels like *I* won or something.

tons of people who've never seen common live in all different parts of the world really do appreciate that shit.


whatever i can do to move the movement.
lol




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glad to see com at the top. this is very encouraging as a long-time fan of that camp.

*fist pump*

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http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6IRU5TZY

Yeah boy! (c) Flav
It's about time Cornbread got his shine on. I've seen a few of your vids. Good shit.

you GO nigga!

PS. I helped

HAHAHAH!!!!



i love it.

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http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6IRU5TZY

Good for you Common!! Stay there for as long as you can

__________________________________

.

*blows you kisses*


____
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6IRU5TZY

and label guy. and common's father. and also john legner (he's a fan from ohio) lol.

157,216 units. estimated.

.

____
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6IRU5TZY

R-E-A-D-A-B-O-OKAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!

www.myspace.com/djjedi1

who would've thought that we'd have an artist like common up there in the mainstream popular music world, getting people to listen to his sound and still making great art. he's one of a very few. good work.

- - - - -

jy
1974-2006

peace & love

He dropped LWFC and Electric Circus, so good for him.

That's great!!! It is also well-deserved.

from 2,012,036 plays the week before FF dropped.

http://www.last.fm/music/Common

that means his shit got played more than 600K times.
beautiful thing man.
FINALLY.





FUCKING FINALLY.


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http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6IRU5TZY

"Fuck gettin money, for real, get freedom"-Black Thought

"I already peeped your verse before you said it, I scan the wack shit with the power of telekinetics"-Pharoahe Monch

Keep it extra gully

definitely a good look.

My faith has been somewhat restored in the record-buying public!

Hip Hop Hooray, ho, hey...lol!

Congrats to Common & all his cohorts & staff...it's been a long time coming, and well-deserved too.

Me:"You got Common Sense?"

HUH!! *looking offended*

Me: "The rapper...Common Sense"

*puzzled look*

Me:"He did that song "Soul By The Pound"

I don't know what that is

Me: "They play in on The Box all the time"

*blank look*

Me: He's from Chicago

*disgusted*...Naw, we got Snoop tho...





Its been a looooooong wait, yo


****************************************************************************

<--- My Family Is DEEP...

long time comin fam.


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sellin out never sounded sweeter

All of you other OkayArtists, take notes!

congrats, common.

y'all dont even understand. i'm almost teary.

It's good that Common finally reached commercial recognition. I just hope he won't become lazy on the mic, which you can already hear a little bit on Finding Forever. I also hope Common will put his music forward again and let Kanye West behind him. Finding Forever is a dissapointment for me, but it's still a good album. All the beats kanye produces are just not good and even Common doesn't come as hard as he always do, but I can forgive him for that.

that is all

Been following your music since "I Used To Love H.E.R.", glad you did it.

"Your current frequencies of understanding outweigh that which has been given for you to understand." Saul Williams

Congrats to Common (and Kanye).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DROkayplayer: I'm a Professional Weed Smoker. Not because of how MUCH weed I smoke, but because of how WELL I smoke it.

congrats to com for this is long deserved.
-----------------------------
www.myspace.com/teedome
www.myspace.com/turbzmusic
www.myspace.com/revisionmusic
www.myspace.com/arthurizzo

Rest In Peace Mr. James D Yancey

much love....

JOHN BOOK'S MYSPACE
http://www.myspace.com/crutmusic

THE RUN-OFF GROOVE
http://www.musicforamerica.org/node/114377

BOOK'S MUSIC Podcast
http://booksmusic.podomatic.com/

THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
http://www.allmanbrothersband.com/index.php?vst=45730

JOHN BOOK'S MYSPACE
http://www.myspace.com/crutmusic

THE RUN-OFF GROOVE
http://www.musicforamerica.org/node/114377

BOOK'S MUSIC Podcast
http://booksmusic.podomatic.com/

THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
http://www.allmanbrothersband.com/index.php?vst=45730

*motherfuckershit*

well deserved.

http://www.myspace.com/livesociety

it's about time!! That's great news...
_____________________________________

*Currently holding tryouts for a new sig*

Shouldn't have taken this long...Thanks for consistently making great music!

Well deserved brotha...keep up the good work!

MUCH CONGRATS! Next up...TALIB!

Sweet. Com definitely deserves this. It goes to show that good hip-hop can sell too. I hope the higher ups take notes. Com's still got it! Celebrate now because the mainstream machine will replace Com with just another shallow artist who will sell more than they should. He's number 1 and competition is none!

Yes!! It's good to see real artists get rewarded.

.

keep shining for the southside....repping hard!!!!!

Congratulations! Maybe we should also be celebrating for the kids out there listening too.

"Arrest the President" (c) Intelligent Hoodlum a/k/a Tragedy Khadafi
Read My Blog! http://canelanyc.blogspot.com/
www.myspace.com/canela_nyc

____

#1.

http://www.last.fm/user/empressericka
http://www.youtube.com/EmpressEricka

How about a round of applause for all the producers and collaborators who put their work into Common's newest album?
Even if he did make it to #1 without them, it wouldn't be the Finding Forever that we know.

Freakin' outstanding. Can't express enough how happy i am for him and his music. Cot damn!!!!!!!!!!!

>Thanx to all those who helped make Common's 7th album his
>first #1 debut overall!
>
>(post jack, sorry LG)
>
>***PRESS RELEASE***
>
>THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN: RAP ARTIST COMMON ACHIEVES FIRST
>CAREER #1 ON BILLBOARD ALBUM CHART WITH FINDING FOREVER
>
>Santa Monica, CA August 8, 2007 – On his 7th album, Finding
>Forever, Grammy winning rap superstar Common hits the jackpot,
>scoring his first career #1 on the Billboard Album Chart.
>
>The G.O.O.D. Music/Geffen Records album scanned 155,329 in its
>first week, 32,187 more than the next best selling title.
>Common’s previous best ranking on the chart was #2 for 2005’s
>BE. Like BE, Finding Forever has fellow Chicagoan Kanye West
>in the role as executive producer. Guest artists on the album
>include West, Lily Allen, will.i.am, D’Angelo, and Gang
>Starr’s DJ Premier. Along with production by West; will.i.am
>and the late Detroit legend J. Dilla (So Far To Go) produce
>tracks.
>
>What’s extraordinary about the best selling Finding Forever is
>that it was truly the people who made Common #1. With songs
>and an album that have received critical acclaim and consumer
>interest, Common’s music has not yet penetrated mainstream
>commercial radio. Those who bought the album bought it for the
>artist and his brand, not a particular song. Very few artists
>make the connection with the public as Common does. As his
>hometown paper Chicago Tribune wrote, “Common has become the
>rarest of pop success stories: a mainstream hip-hop artist who
>projects a mature, compassionate image and thrives on
>thoughtful, soul-fired albums designed for repeated listening
>rather than short-lived singles.”
>
>Common is an anomaly, who thrives with the multi-impressions
>he gets outside the traditional hip hop avenues from his Gap
>television commercial a few months back to him being the face
>of Converse’s (Product) Red campaign to his album being
>carried at Starbucks as well as him playing and doing a very
>successful album signing at a Starbucks in Santa Monica, which
>according to the Fire Marshal drew over 1,500 people. On-line
>Common has been everywhere. Finding Forever and Common have
>been the main featured title at iTunes, and was featured with
>Verizon, to currently being Artist of the Month at Microsoft
>Windows Media, to performing for Live Sets on Yahoo! and AOL’s
>“Sixteen Bars” and the album previewed with MTV.com’s The
>Leak.
>
>In the press, which has always been with Common from his 1992
>debut Can I Borrow a Dollar? through 2000’s acclaimed Like
>Water for Chocolate and 2005’s multi-Grammy-nominated BE,
>Common is often cited as one of the best observers and
>masters of wordplay in rap history and critics believe that
>Finding Forever continues that legacy. In a stellar review XXL
>wrote: “Common makes timeless hip-hop seem easy.” Both People
>and USA Today bestowed their highest rankings on the album.
>Rolling Stone wrote, “…his ear grabbing command stands up to
>almost any MC out there.” And for the first time in his career
>Common graces the cover of the Source in their August 2007
>issue. In the last few months Billboard, Ebony, and Uptown
>magazine have put him on their cover.
>
>On top of his music success Common has recently launched a
>burgeoning acting career with roles in Smokin’ Aces with
>Jeremy Piven as well as the soon-to-be released American
>Gangster with Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington as well as
>filming both Wanted with Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman and
>The Night Watchman with Keanu Reaves and Forest Whitaker.
>
>There are very few artists who consistently deliver such
>thought provoking cutting edge material who are accepted by
>the mainstream as Common. The chart topping may have signaled
>a new era in not just hip hop but in credible music overall,
>and Common and his fans have led the charge to this era.
>

a good look for hip-hop

This calls for a celebration, all kangol/knitted hat wearing mofo's must march down to times square and demand a re-count on that hottest MC list!

congrats on not only placing first but still having a successful career. There are a many other rappers who have come and gone but you've lasted! it's been a slow rise (mind you, this is coming from someone who's been a fan since the 2nd album, "Resurrection," and wanted you to recieve mainstream success years ago) but fame and success elude you no more. I'm happy for you and i hope that you are happy too. There can be nothing more rewarding than earning a living doing what you love and the people certainly love what you do. continued success to you, man.

...album is dope start to finish...reminds me of LWFC

There isn't one Okayartist who deserves it more than Common. He's the people's champ!!!!







You don't impress me!!

____

#1.

http://www.last.fm/user/empressericka
http://www.youtube.com/EmpressEricka

Instead of mentioning Common at #1, the headline on their entertainment page is about Korn's new album debuting at #2..

http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/

alternate link: http://www.turnto23.com/news/13861192/detail.html

WTF IS THAT SHIT?

on some fox news shit.

Incredible...


*stomps on young chris, young berg, rich boy and all the clones on the way to the top....

do your thing

Congrats joe...Keep openin those folks eyss

asw

congrats to common and everybody involved!!

Big ups to Common.As well as all those who made the album number 1.I'm a 30 yr old South African who was introduced to Common by a friend about 10 years ago and have never looked back since.I haven't heard the new album yet as it will only be available in stores here at the end of the month.However, radio stations here have been playing 'A dream' for quite a while now and the otha day I heard 'So far to go' and 'The Game' and I must say I was highly impressed.I've hinted to my girlfriend that I'd like to get a copy of the album and yesterday I couldn't help but notice she was on okayplayer.com.Since my birthday is coming up later this month,I hope and pray she was ordering the Finding Forever copy online.Thanks to Common and all otha Hip Hop and Soul artists (Mos Def,The Roots,Slum Village,Talib,Guru,D'Angelo,Bilal,Musiq,Jill Scott,Bilal,Floetry,Jeff Townes et al) who continue to inspire us through their music and thought provoking lyrics.

Growing up in the townships of Mzansi (Township slang for South Africa) with the high unemployment rate,crime and drug situation one could have easily swayed off the rails but your music helped me to stay focused and on top of my game. I must say, my favourite Common recordings of all time are 'The Light' and most recently 'Its you world' and 'Love is' from 'Be'.One question for all artists I have mentioned...When are ya'll coming down here? We've had Buster, Kanye, JayZ and Snoop and they all kicked butt.

God Bless Common (If heaven had a height/You would be that tall)
God Bless Africa.God Bless all ya'll reading this.One Love
R.I.P Dilla
R.I.P Steve Biko
R.I.P Bob Marley

Thapelo aka Thap's

for a real album Com! It's about time with that #1!

Damn..The brotha had to wait 'till his mid 30's to get his much deserved fame.

2 weeks, number one. come on

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH

This made me laugh loud.