>Retrospect for Life is basically a pro life song but
>obviously with much more nuance and very relatable. I think
>it's a song that focuses on the subject in such a good way. I
>could see someone nitpick certain lines take them out of
>context and claim that's he's anti women's rights lol I think
>a more fair summary of the song is that it's a tough decision
>that people don't and shouldn't take lightly. I don't at all
>think he's saying that women shouldn't have a choice but I can
>see someone twist it that way.

Normal humans with brains wouldn't really be able to pick it apart considering the context. But Faux "News" tried to paint Common as an "advocate for killing cops" cuz of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LssFolrpiD4

... so as we know anything's possible with those idiots lol.


>I think Common's albums from Res to EC are on my list of
>albums I can't live without. I don't know how big that list is
>but they are on it. Be is right there too but for me it has
>the least replay value of those 5.

Yea same here, he's my all time fave MC cuz of that run (and including Borrow a Dollar & Be) so they'd naturally be on my list as well haha.


>I picked up Can I Borrow a Dollar over the weekend. I haven't
>gone back to it in years. Hopefully I enjoy it more than I
>remember lol

It's imperfect but it has some really, really great and important Common moments. Signs of what was to come. Take It EZ, Blows to the Temple, Penny for My Thoughts, Nick of Rhyme, Soul by the Pound (remix especially), etc. It's def pretty goofy in parts (which Kanye famously pointed out in a freestyle radio battle he had vs Common in the late 90s) but has some really bright spots, too.


>I think his post Finding Forever albums will be difficult to
>revisit but I don't think there's anything horrible. The Nas
>discog was hard to go through because of how many albums he
>has and many of them being mid. I'm thinking Common's will be
>a bit better.

They're hit and miss but I think there's a lot more good than bad. I think what happened with Common, as happens with a lot of our heroes after they've been around for a while, is just that he ran out of things to say that were "new" and we moved on a bit. Also it's hard to live up to the expectations he himself set with the above-referenced run of albums, so if he's pushing the same (albeit, important and good) messages he was during that run, but the product isn't at the same level of quality, why wouldn't we just go back to the classics to hear the same messaging only delivered better ?

So while I have an affinity for a lot of his post-Be output, I can't lie and act like most or any of it is on par with his classic works.

But I'd argue that Dreamer/Believer (despite the dumb title) is really, really good, and that Black America Again is his best album since Be. Otherwise, his albums have been what CIBAD was: imperfect albums with a lot of bright spots.

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"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415