I don't know about you guys, but I think Metacritic seriously neglects many rap albums on their lists. Everyone's talking about the "best of '05" and for Rap, Common is a serious contender. I have all the tracks and they're awesome and all, but I woudn't want him to get neglected - he's got great potential.

I don't care that that much but still it's been bugging me a lot and there are other cases besides him too.

I seriously hope not.Common is a waste of time.

I do agree though that a bunch of rap is not featured.But...metacritic has not said they are going to cover and have reviews for every release, just the few that will recieve enough attention to garner a worthwile score.If there are only 3 or 4 reviews then what is the point of a cumulative review?

quote:

Originally posted by Imprezu21:
I seriously hope not.Common is a waste of time.

Alright, we were kind of chatting about this the other night, I21. You turned me on to the Edan album especially "Fumbling After Words That Rhyme" (which I can't get out of my head). I also checked out Common's "The Corner" recently (I was attracted to The Last Poets connection). I like it too.

You know my background with rap and hip-hop is pretty sketchy and doesn't extend much past the early 80s, so I don't really feel like I have a good vocabulary with the music, which is to say I'm just not conversant in it.

So, my question for you...

Side by side, what makes Edan's latest so much better than Common's?

I'm looking for a pretty 101 answer here, so have at it!

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First off it is hard to compare 2 artists like common and edan.Mainy because of the fact that i despise common and edan is one of my favorite rappers and producers making music now.

I am sure i will not tell you anything u do not already know.My analytical skills are not very good.I just have a good grasp of what i like and dont like.

After listening to both versions of "the corner".I feel like the version that is played on the radio is almost a complete contradiction to itself and a total contradicition to the reprise with the last poets.Common takes himself way too seriously.If i want serious hardcore political raps talking about blac culture today.I will pop in my Dead Prez albums.Those guys are serious and they have somewhat of a knowledge of what they are saying.I cannot see common having an ounce of streetlife in him.Maybe i am wrong.He really should be rapping about boca burgers and sweet peas.
I mean what is he stating in the song that has not been done and redone and smashed 50 times before.Murders...drugs...german beers?Last time i checked studio gangsters care about what beer they like.In the ghetto they buy whats cheap.

There is not one thing i like about the versionw it common.The music is ok...It sound slike another kanye west track.He is also singing in the chorus??Do we have another puff daddy on our hands?I wonder how many ghost writers and producers took part in making this song.I bet all common had to do was come in and rap.

Now in complete complete contrast of common you have Edan.Edan is fucking awesome.For one he produces all his albums he obviously writeshis own raps...no onecould keep his sense of humor intact through all of his work unless it was him.he has some what original ideas.he relys heavilyon the sound from the mid to late eightes east coast sound.

I dont know man...why does anyone like or dislike anyone?I am sure common is a good guy...but as an artist he foney.I hate that the most.Whereas edan is so real.I mean his live shows are completely personal and unique.I really cannot think of one bad thing about edan.Well maybe he is a little cocky at times...but hey.

So to break it down a bit easier-

common=fake
edan=real

I mean u have listened to both songs?What do u think?

Oh and i believe edans song is called fumbling over words that rhyme?Which yes is very addictive and i am constantly humming its melody througout th day.

I didn't know Common had a new one out??? Maybe Metacritic don't either.

I liked Common's last outing, so I'll be interested in this one...

***Another note...Two best rap albums so far....Edan, Prefuse73.......what should I pick up next????? I'm looking a Quasimoto OR 1988-Blueprint.

Suggestions on these or others.......

first off if u are talking about electric circus you are sad...that was one of the most horrendous albums to come out in the past years...solely based on what common "could" do...and chose not to.

I would reccomend edan and quasimoto...they are both good and edan is actually excellent.Stay away from prefuse 73 the more and more i listen to it...it turns me off.Blueprint is good also...if u like blueprint.he can be a bit lazy at times...but when he is good he is really good...at other times he is very bad.

quote:

Originally posted by Imprezu21:
After listening to both versions of "the corner".I feel like the version that is played on the radio is almost a complete contradiction to itself and a total contradicition to the reprise with the last poets.

Thank you, Imprezu. I think that's the answer I was looking for. As I've mentioned in chat, I'm probably more familiar with The Last Poets than every rap and hip-hop act of the past ten years combined. The fact that they appear on "The Corner" gave me a connection I could hang on to, but you're right, Common's lyrics seems to contradict everything The Last Poets had and have to say. It's hard to know what any artists really thinks or believes, but that contradiction is hard to take.

I think in the end my comparison with Edan's "Fumbling Over Words That Rhyme" was a tenuous, but was probably motivated by The Last Poets appearing on "The Corner" and Edan paying tribute to the artists who came before him in "FOWTR." On a related note, though, thanks for mentioning Digable Planets in Monday night chat recently. I've been listening to Reachin' this week and "Last of the Spiddyocks" reminds me of everything I like so much about the Edan tracks you've directed me to.

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No Prob...Even though Digable Planets where signed to a major, they are usually overlooked as one of the great groups in rap history mainy becaus eof their short career.I have seen some news recently that they are thinking about recording again...you have to be reluctant to hear what "could" happen.

quote:

Originally posted by Imprezu21:
first off if u are talking about electric circus you are sad...that was one of the most horrendous albums to come out in the past years...solely based on what common "could" do...and chose not to.

Yeah, I was talking about Electric Circus, and I guess it's sad you don't get the grooves and live feel of the tunes. Yeah, he went for a diff sound this time out, which was risky and brave. Live guitars, drums, many guest spots from Mary J and Erykah to some odd but excellent choices as with Laetittia Sadier. More rock and R&B and less rap...you probably missed the rap, so dissed the ablum.

And to quote you earlier...it IS hard to compare Common and Edan, and your analytic skills may not be very good, but I see Electric Circus as a super-produced album with a bunch of booming tracks that rocked/rapped/scratched and mellowed out, each different than the other. How can you not like 'I am Music' with Jill Scott with those horns a blarin'. I wanna swing man!!!!
Edan's lo-fi Beauty and the Beat, on the other hand, seems unfinished at times, and under-produced. I like the feel of the album and he undoubtedly has a LL Cool J sounding voice on some tracks, and you can hear him thanking all others of his influence. Some of his technique reminds me of DJ Shadow as well. Both albums are very different and I think Electric Circus will get more plays than Edan in my player, but they my sad ears not yours.

No comment on the new Common, as I have not heard yet, and I usually don't seek out an artist because of past purchases, so I'll have to hear a couple of tunes and see what direction he takes this time out....so you may be right on the new stuff, and that is my peace. Out.

I did not miss the rap.I missed the SUBSTANCE.That album was so forgettable.R and B (rap and bullshit) is the most depressing genre of music being made now.I would not consider that common album r and b for the most part...but you did.I cannot stand any of those chicks...jill scoot, mary j blige; what a waste of time.

I totally disagree with you in edan sounding like LL cool J.That is a terrible comparison.Edan is unique and one of a kind.Nobody sounds like him and his production certainly does not sound anything like DJ Shadow.That is the easiest cop-out an reviewer or anybody giving there opinion about an album with sample based production."It sounds like shadow" well if u really listen to it, it does not.
But i am guessing since u liked the FAUX funk and r&b that common did.Then u should not understand edans album.Everything about the album was made specifically for a purpose...u say it sounds un-finished?I am not sure what u mean...but if u have not heard anything else from edan's previous career then i can see where that is coming from.His style is very raw, raw production and very raw vocals.

Not to get too defensive, but, I am sure Edan would be the first to admit that DJ Shadow was an influence. I just made the comparison(on technique-sampling- NOT overall album production) because I CAN hear it in his music. You have to admit, in a couple of songs he has that flow of LLCool J going on...just a couple of tunes. Listen again...Fumbling Over Words that Rhyme = Mama's gonna Knock You Out. If you can't hear that, well, I guess I'm getting old or crazy or somethin'.

...and another thing, I'm not any kind of fan of R&B and don't own anything by Mary J or Jill Scott, but if Common is going to venture into that territory, hell, he went out and got some talent, and I like how they sound on HIS album. I'm dying now for Edan to make a similiar album in about 5 years...heck, the two albums we are talking about evan have similiar album covers. INFLUENCES. Edan has cut-up faces of his influences in scrap form. Common has a paint-by-numbers of the people in his life(family,friends and mentors from Prince to Danny Glover to Stevie Wonder, and of course, Hendrix, as this album was produced at Hendrix's studio Electric Lady). So, with different influences a different album make.(yoda tongue).
Actuallly, I hope Edan makes a jazz album in the future. I like the jazz lines in Murder Mystery that then goes into Shadow territory again(shadow again beginning of The Science...)I could see him doing an album ala Guru's Jazzmatazz. Would be interesting...it's good to venture out....

quote:

Originally posted by The Furnace Is Fiery:
Listen again...Fumbling Over Words that Rhyme = Mama's gonna Knock You Out. If you can't hear that, well, I guess I'm getting old or crazy or somethin'.

You are off your rocker.There is no way fumbling over words that rhyme has anything relatively similar to mama said knock you out.

I cannot even believe i am having to say that.

You obviously arelistening to the album in generalized terms...or something.I am not quite sure.

I could not even see edan make a jazzmattaz album.Have u heard his previous stuff.H has not strayed too far away from a certain line.This album beauty and the beat incorporated a different sound...but its not that far off.

And frankly i am tired of jazzy hip-hop it comes off sounding like lite breeezy shot with a rapper on it.There are probabbly a handfull of songs that are great off of the "jazzmattaz" series.And none of them where form streetsoul...that album is right up there with commons crap.I wanted to slap guru for making that album.It was a total sell out...and i consider guru to be on of my top fav mcs.

I still do not see the shadow references...why because he sampled rock songs and utilizes breaks?

yeah the digable planets are one of best in my opinion, i like blowout comb a little better tho than reachin,

i havent heard edan or commons. guess im just up to date like that

ok, first of all, common's been around for over 10 years and to judge his career by "the corner" is a HUGE mistake. go out NOW and pick up "One Day It'll All Make Sense" and you wont be disappointed. The problem was that he was putting his heart and soul into his albums with little and no returns. So this album he went with Kanye West to get some exposure and 'viola!' it worked. Not that it's a bad thing at all. I actually like the new album, I think that in today's rap landscape it's as comprehensive an album as you can get. There are little or no skippable tracks, no godawful skits, just straightforward rhymes and beats.
Like I said, get "One Day..." and you'll warm up. Stay away from Electric Circus, which totally missed the beat. "Like Water for Chocolate" is in between both.

And Edan sounds exactly like LL Cool J on a couple songs. And I think it's great nonetheless. Why is everyone so down on one of the founding fathers of modern rap? I'm not a huge LL fan, or Run DMC, or Grandmaster Flash, but I appreciate what they've done as far as paving the way for others. Give respect where it's due, don't say he doesn't sound like him when it's pretty much a dead ringer on those tracks.

First off, I understand that music, like art, is purely subjective so people are gonna have their personal opinions. Common? Love or hate. Edan? Love or hate. But to compare the two is absurd. That's like comparing 2001: A Space Odyssey to the original Star Wars. Both are in the same genre but use different methods of getting their message across, have different visual aesthetics and feeling. But one isn't better than the other. Its all a matter of personal opinion or preference.

Edan is dope. I just got into him this year with Beauty and the Beat, but so far he has blown me away. His textured beats layered on top of one another create visceral sound environments that my ears and mind don't want to leave. His choice of sampling compliment his scratching, rapping and aggressive battle delivery very well. If I was to say one thing bad about his perfect record is that his delivery, while dope, tough and very aggressive, gets very monotonous very quickly. The variety of word play, rapping off of syllables, and changing his overall emceeing tone is lacking. But he works through this by keeping his tracks short, his album length around half an hour and guest spots on 40% of his songs. His featuring assists: Insight, Percee P, Dagha, especially Lif, help keep his album sounding like a dope collective and adds variety where a solo emcee, on an album like this, can get mundane and extremely self-absorbant and narcissistic on Edan's part. Overall Beauty and the Beat is one of the best Hip-Hop albums of the year.

Then you take Common. Common is a guy who has been in the rap game going on ten years but has gotten no daps. Even with classics like Resurrection, One Day..., and Like Water for Chocolate, he hasn't gotten the respect he deserves. Common is a dope rapper that uses interesting wordplay, change ups in delivery, and strong metaphorical lyrics. What else do you want in an emcee. To judge Common on The Corner, on one song, is ridiculous. To judge Common on all his records is more accurate. To do that is to see a man that has grown better and wiser in ten years, like The Roots or De La Soul have, were most rap artists stay stagnant. With Be, Common is speaking his mind on a bunch of ish but with an adult's perspective. He's changed like we all have over time. Be uses soulful sampling and an R&B aesthetic to get Common's message across about poignant topics like life, one's environment, and love. That's much better than most mainstream rappers out there. At least Com cares enough to find profundity in socially conscious messages and awareness themes. That's what he's been doing. Be is just another chapter in his story that he's gots to tell.

I'm from Chicago so maybe i'm biased but I'd like to think i'm being as critical of Common as I am of Edan. They are both equally dope its just a matter of preference of whom you rock with more. I choose both. I've been down with Com since I Used to Love HER. When he hooked up with the Okayplayers he just got better. I've seen him live three times. Each time I got a different Common for 2 reasons. 1. He's changed each time i saw him. 1st was when Like Water for Chocolate was dropping, he was with the Roots, he was already a veteran, 2nd time was when the Electric Circus dropped. he did a solo show with his band. I've seen the Roots six times and I still say Common's Electric Circus show is my favorite hip-hop show of all time. 3rd time out was a few years later were he it was just him a DJ rocking it old school to new. He did his best of his entire compendium as well as his guest spots he's done with Talib, The Roots, and De La Soul. Com's been different each time out but has gotten better. The 2nd reason he keeps it dope is because I change each time. I find new things to enjoy about his live shows as i do his albums. That's what you want from an artist. Growth. Change. To stay the same is to stay stagnant. Now I haven't heard Edan's previous efforts but in the future I hope he does something different, change it up, keep his fans on their collective toes. That's what art is about. I mean you shouldn't hate on Common because he finally got a video on MTV and tapped one of the more mainstream producers (really cuz Kanye is Chicago and you got to support your peers right?). He used Kanye so he could connect with new listeners on a wider scale.

To reverse topics I wanted to bring up Com's Electric Circus. Everybody hates on the Electric Circus. But when you see that ish live, it will change your life. The show, like the album is so powerful. Who cares that he used a variety of soundscapes? That's what you want in an artist. He is exploring different sounds in order to find himself. It like an oil painter trying a series in watercolor. Its not wrong, just different. With rock, rap, soul, jazz, and even ragtime, Common taps a diversity that most rappers stay away from. The Electric Circus just pushes the boundaries of rap no different then The Beastie's Paul's Boutique, RunDMC's Raising Hell, ATCQ's The Low End Theory, De La's Three Feet High and Rising, Andre 3000's The Love Below, The Roots' Organix, Company Flow's Funcrusher Plus, Digible Planets' Reaching, or Mos Def's The New Danger. Those are all albums that tried something new and different in rap and Hip-Hop beyond the old school Boom-Bap, which is always going to be dope, and gangster rap. Those records aren't bad by any means. Just different then what most want to hear. That's what we should expect from our artists. Art is there to change society not conform and keep it stagnant, which is what is happening in mainstream Hip-Hop now.

I apologize for the tirade. I just think as listeners we should be honest with ourselves and find beauty in the art instead of just hating on folks. Common put himself out there in the world, out in the open, which most of us would never do, and he's got peoples hating on him. But whatever.

Go.ILL!!!

^damn this kat said everything I was thinking^

Common one of the illest niggas of all time. A perfect example of an emcee evolving and a human being growing spirtually and mentally. His music is much needed in an artform corrupted by materialism. He's ahead of his time....or is he....maybe he just grew up and the surrounding Hip Hop world never grew with him.

WOW my topic is still alive !?!? It's like totally 2006 dude.

For the record, Edan is an amazing artist, and no his production did not remind me whatsoever of DJ Shadow. Maybe if you try too hard it does.


Also that was a tight post cpa13, you pretty much broke it down. I can understand why people would dislike Common just based on his last 2 albums. "Ressurection" is something everyone needs to hear.