Common - Electric Wire Hustler Flower (Electric Circus, 2002)

Produced by the late, great J Dilla (drums, bass, electric guitar, moog synthesizer) and James Poyser (keyboards, guitar).

“Out-of-body experience, hard to explain / like the pyramids and gods I remain / I know pain, like Kurt Cobain / or A.I. playing hurt the whole game”

It’s the return of the G.O.A.T. King.

Common - Hungry [Prod. No I.D.]

Lonnie Rashied Lynn Jr. displaying seemingly extemporaneous linguistic gymnastics while waxing poetic over a vintage No I.D. beat which paints a vivid picture of a dreary Chicago winter evening (and although I’ve never been to Chi-Town in the winter, I do live in Ottawa where you better believe it gets even colder, so I can definitely relate). This is a prime example of Com and No I.D. together, at their very best.

And although Retrospect 4 Life is IMO the standout track from One Day…, this entire 2 minute extended verse represents my personal favourite group of bars from Com; it’s beyond ridic and dude comes incredibly fierce on the lyrical tip with no filler lines whatsoever. Plus the piano punches and dope scratches by No I.D. only serve to punctuate the relentless battle tone that much more, creating a hip hop masterpiece in the process. And at 2 minutes and 34 seconds, this short but hard-hitting track is all quality and leaves the listener truly hungry for more.

Having said that, the lyrics for this joint definitely need to be posted. So feel free to follow along and appreciate the supreme skill of one of the finest emcees (at his finest) collaborating with one of the most underrated beatmakers around. Strictly for the true headz, this is rip a muthaf*cka night:

Yo, niggaz don’t want none of this
Niggaz know they can’t fuck with this
Turn this shit up just a little more

I walk the night in rhymin armor, bomb a nigga like a winter coat
Have him on Death Row searchin for an Interscope
Yet I sparkle like Irene Cara
Symbolize dope, like sirens do terror
Marie just had a baby someone else decapitated
Flashbacks of past raps make me so glad I made it
Players is gettin traded
I drop a gem off, them who’s style is jaded
My juice is grated
Shit is so bangin niggaz say it’s gang related
On philosopher’s rink of thought, I’ve skated with precision
Crews is gettin split like decisions
Com will let it ride in collision
Vision like Coleco or tele, I battle stars in stellar…
Regions, my thought scheme was like my offspring
Now, it’s teethin
My reason of rhyme applies to season and time
Season of mind, body and regions divine
In mom’s cookouts, I’m leavin the swine
Verbal vegetarian, squashed beef with Ice Cube
Came in this rap life nude
Now I’m fully clothed with flows
You tricks can’t hide behind expensive cars and clothes
Old niggaz I expose like Luke does hoes in videos
With classic material, imperial and rugged like
Got mag, but my slugs a mic
You fake like a smile, like a hug, I’m tight
Skip ladies, this is rip a muthafucka night
Oracle arouse, niggaz don’t even run for cover right
Downtown interracial lovers hold hands
I breathe heavy like an old man, with a cold can of Old Style
Hold a Stone Isle profile
Mix between Malcolm X and Sef when I go wild
Hold mics like a second nut until the second comin
Hummin comin towards you with power like forwards do
Hip hop, you my bitch and like a Ford, I’m Explorin you
So, wack niggaz be cool, with them, I stay cordial
Flowin room temperature, cats is presumed miniature
Like golf. Soft like Tiger Woods
And real nigga angles I’ve stood with ways that’s geometric
Don’t need to rob banks with dike broads to Set it
I levitate to the occasion, lounge like a lyricist
Rhyme wise, you a rest haven
You sat by the door spooked like I was Wes Craven
You need to do more deletin and less savin
A praise in hell, raisin heaven
As the bill on my page eleven
What you should have known from day one
You will on day seven

Man, I’m hungry. I think I’m gonna go toast me an apple strudel Pop Tart.

Common - Gladiator (prod. The Neptunes) Saw Com perform this live in Montreal last September (it was the concluding track of the show, if I recall correctly). And it was simply awesome (the vibe, the energy and its placement on the setlist). “Are you not entertained?” Oh God, am I ever! Lonnie’s lyrics are on point, the Neps beat goes HARD. There’s nothing more that I could ask. Taken from the final entry in my list of anticipated albums of a monster musical ‘08, Universal Mind Control.

Common - Be (OG Version) Prod. J Dilla

Raw ish; Com sounds hungry on this beat. Would have made a nice bonus cut on BE, or even a b-side to the Kanye version (which I also love). Now if the OG version of the entire BE LP can be leaked (OG Ready To Die style), us hip hop headz would be an army of happy campers.

Source: Er’ybody!

18. Common - Come Close [J Dilla’s Closer Remix] (feat. Pharrell, Q-Tip & Erykah Badu) (Come Closer 12”, 2003)

With an all-star lineup of artists laid out all over this track, Dilla takes things back to the essence, when love is all that mattered (similar to the intention that Tribe had on the mostly Jay Dee produced Love Movement). Speaking of Tribe, the backbone of this whimsical beat is of course the flipping of the Bonita Applebum “twang” (with an assortment of electronic disturbances in the background). And as big of a Neptunes fanboy as I am, Dilla clearly out did Pharrell and Chad, who produced the original version of Come Close from Common’s avant-garde Electric Circus album. A picturesque beat, perfect for Q-Tip’s sumbliminal declarations of love to Nicole Kidman (whom he was getting friendly with at the time…according to rumours). Listen to the lyrics.