Common: Finding Forever

The verb "finding" should have been dropped from the title of Common's seventh studio album, Finding Forever. After all, the path to "forever" had already been found with the release of the single, "I Used To Love H.E.R.". Its accompanying album, Resurrection, typified a boundary breaking sound of timeless, conscious hip-hop. His last album, BE, was a soulful record with huge commercial success and a well-deserved Grammy nomination, partly thanks to an intensive collaboration between Common and Kanye West. On Finding Forever, the Chi-Town geniuses are joining forces again and present a harder formula than they did with BE.

Finding Forever can be divided into two diverse concepts; Common's signature sound of warm soul jams and a handful of darker electro productions. Nine out of eleven beats are handled by Kanye The Louis Vuitton Don, who knows how to create a matching aura with Common's unforced way of rhyming, by using a hodgepodge of synthesizers, violins, harps, drums and soul samples. The rougher edge on the album is a tribute to their late friend and producer's producer J Dilla, whose neo-soul sound and hard drum productions are easy to recognize in West's deliveries.

After a minute of dreamy instrumentation, Common welcomes the listener with "Start The Show," an imposing opener on which the lyrical mastermind knocks fellow rappers off their pedestal; "Hardcore since I was next door to Clem and them / Cold as the winter when fake n----s was shiverin' / Shakin' in their Timberlands, you was played as Bennigans / Hot for a minute, now you just a 'remember him' / I been a Master since P was No Limit-in." Social-political issues are being addressed on the uplifting street ode "The People" and "Misunderstood," while he exposes his life experiences over military drums and gospel crooning on stand-out "Finding Forever." Common presents a strong yet short piece of spoken word on classic soul track "Black Maybe," which was named after a Stevie Wonder song.

With his sultry high voice, soul crooner D'Angelo turns Dilla production "So Far To Go" into a sexy love confession, which is up the same alley love songs like Will.i.am production "I Want You," and the storytelling "Break My Heart." With his well thought-out wordplay, Common knows how to touch upon a tender string, but alternates with light-hearted bars like, "We make the music -- baby, you on the vocals / International lover, I never stay local / Go to places that you never been / Beautiful outside, even better when it's in / You have arrived, girl -- you can come again." The single, "Drivin' Me Wild," has a profound message about useless desires for riches and fame. The seductive piano tinkling and pleasant voice of England's enfant terrible Lily Allen give this song a strong hit potential.

Although his first five albums never really managed to break into the limelight or find their way to the big audience, it has always been clear that Common was too talented to stay out of the public eye. He is the ultimate example of a hip-hop artist that -- despite of the commercial success he is enjoying these days -- always guards his core identity and maintains full creative control of the material he puts out. Social-political issues still get the upper hand, but with a more accessible vibe. In an industry that is dominated by bogus gangsters, cash and sexuality, Common highlights Chicago soul, spirituality and above all: reality.

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