Real People (2005) (Explicit Content - Parental Advisory)

Artist: Common

Write a Review

enlarge image

Song Price:

$0.99

Also Available: CD

Click here for usage rules

Available in 256K What is this?

Related Videos

New Releases in Music
Check out the hottest new releases hitting the shelves this month.

Gram Rabbit: Radio Angel ...
Influenced by their home town of Joshua Tree, California, Gram Rabb...

Top 10 in Music
The Top Ten Music Countdown features the hottest titles of the week...

Disc 1
Song Title	Album	Sample	Time
9. Real People	Be		2:48

(P) 2005 Geffen Records

How long does it take to download a song?
	Broadband: under 1 minute
	56 kbps modem: 15-20 minutes

Release Date: 5/24/2005

UPC: 00602498818626

Buy.com Sku: 201529691

Album Notes and Credits

Notes & Personnel Info
	Personnel: Common (rap vocals); The Last Poets (spoken vocals); James Poyser (various instruments); Derrick Hodge (double bass); Num Amuntehu (percussion); DJ A-Trak, DJ Dummy (turntables); John Legend, John Mayer , Kanye West, Lonnie Lynn, Bilal, Luna E (background vocals).
	Recording information: Sony Music Studios, New York, NY; Encore Studios, Burbank, CA; Pay Jay, Clinton TWP, MI.
	After fusing hip-hop, rock, and soul on 2002's THE ELECTRIC CIRCUS, Chicago rapper Common returned three years later with BE. Like its two-letter title, BE is much leaner, consisting of 11 pure hip-hop tracks marked by Common's enlightened, contemplative, easy-flowing lyrics. Although the album is more streamlined, it's not predictable or unoriginal, as the beats unfold with the same combination of rawness and melodic energy that made Kanye West's debut so uncommonly engaging. This is no coincidence--West is present throughout much of BE, producing all but two of the songs here. West even appears on one of the disc's highlights, "The Food," with some expert freestyle rhyming as captured live on CHAPPELLE'S SHOW.
	Common's confident, yet constantly searching, demeanor and his poetic instinct for just the right words bonds him to the heritage of hip-hop, a point hit home by the presence of rap legends the Last Poets on "The Corner." Common is always slightly and endearingly unsure, and his self-deprecation seeps out on "Love Is..." and "Faithful." However, he has the inner power to garner attention, as evident on the smooth party jam "GO!" (featuring John Mayer). BE is Common at his unaffected, commanding best.

Artist Overview

Born Lonnie Rashied Lynn in Chicago, the rapper who would become an integral part of the 1990s underground hip-hop scene started out as Common Sense. His 1992 debut CAN I BORROW A DOLLAR? showcased a politically conscious, musically eclectic artist interested in expanding the boundaries of hip-hop. Though forced to shorten his handle to Common after a legal dispute, he pursued his vision, incorporating jazz, rock, R&B and more into his sound, and collaborating with everyone from jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove to up-and-coming rapper Cee-Lo and R&B diva Erykah Badu.

Artist Influences
A Tribe Called Quest
Bob Dylan
Boogie Down Productions
De La Soul
Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
EPMD
Eric B. & Rakim
Gil Scott-Heron
Guru (Rap)
Jimi Hendrix
Joni Mitchell
Poor Righteous Teachers
Prince
Run-DMC
The Last Poets

Artist Contemporaries
Black Eyed Peas
Company Flow
Erykah Badu
Goodie Mob
Kool Keith
Mos Def
Outkast
Pharoahe Monch
Rahzel
Slum Village
Spearhead
Talib Kweli
The Roots (Rap)
Wyclef Jean

Artist Followers
311
Aesop Rock
Atmosphere (Rap)
Camp Lo
Cannibal Ox
Cee-Lo
El-P
Guilty Simpson
Jean Grae
Jurassic 5
Kanye West
Lupe Fiasco
Lyrics Born
Mr. Lif
Prefuse 73
RJD2

Technical Info


	Release Date : 05/24/2005
	Original Release Date : 2005
	Catalog ID : 0004670
	Label : Geffen Records (USA)
	Number of Discs : 1
	Studio/Live : Studio
	Mono/Stereo : Stereo
	SPAR Code : n/a
	UPC : 00602498818626

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (No. 975, p.70)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "[H]is sixth and best disc....[Kanye] West is the producer Common has been waiting for all of his career: He makes Common both catchier and edgier at the same time..."

Spin (p.63)
- Ranked #17 in Spin's "40 Best Albums Of 2005" - "Bathed in throwback soul and lively drums, Common suddenly sounded like the seer he'd always hoped he was."

Spin (p.102)
- "[With] '70s-soul string samples, store-front-church piano tinkling, chipmunk gospel vocal hooks....Common's remarkably hungry raps push it along." - Grade: A-

Entertainment Weekly (No. 821/822, p.136)
- "[T]he marriage of [Common's] conscious rhymes to [Kanye] West's gritty, boho-inflected production boasts more organic freshness than a Whole Foods Market..." - Grade: A-

Uncut (p.97)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "[The record] offers a rich jukebox of gospel-tinged R&B flavours over which Common scatters his gems."

Mojo (Publisher)
(p.112)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "BE succeeds through its sense of focus and poignancy."

Product Image

Back to top

Suggestion Box
Every voice counts, so stand up and be heard! Your opinion is important to us. If you have spotted a typo, discovered an incorrect price, or encountered a technical issue on this page, we want to hear about it. Thanks again for your feedback, and happy shopping! Please note: we are unable to reply directly to suggestions.

For additional information, click here to visit our Help Center.

Quick Help	My Account	What are you looking for?
Forgot Password? Redeem or Buy Gift Certificate Shipping Rates Low Price Guarantee Help Center Company Info	Login/Register My Cart Order Status Return a Product Wishlist Track your Order	BuyTV BuyCanada Careers @ Buy.com Commercials Advertising Become an Affiliate