Common’s whip-smart flow has grown more wicked this time out. Whatever: Finding Forever is a winner, lean and mean and without a minute of wasted space. It’s the curse of being sly and thoughtful, and I’m pretty sure it’s happened to others before. And as good as Finding Forever is - and it’s very good - it’s hard to imagine it vaulting Common into superstar status.
He still seems in want of - and in search of - that universal, crossover acclaim that’s been granted to similarly gifted associates like Mr. Which is why it’s weird that Common, seven albums in, seems to still be fighting to shatter the ceiling into some upper echelon. The man knocked out a handful of Gap ads a few months back and his reputation suffered nary a splotch. Ladies love him, his style is of the sort that makes us guys think that when it comes down to it, we’re really not very good at anything.
What is there not to like about this guy? His smooth-to-the-point-of-absurdity flow is all but perfected, his gift for smacking around various social ills without sounding didactic is a given, his spirituality is one of the strongest arrows in his quiver, his selection of producers and beats - even not counting the Kanye card - results in an organic unity that’s damn near the Guru/Premier variety.
Barring another Electric Circus-type detour down the psychedelic-rap off-ramp, it’s nearly impossible to conceive of Common, at this stage in a rock-solid rap career, coming out with a bad record.
0 kommentar(er)
