openentrance – What's Really Going OnWhat's Really Going On

“My daughter found Nemo/ I found a new Primo/ you know how I do it/ I do it for the people” that’s in the opening verse of Common’s latest single ‘The People’ off his new CD ‘Finding Forever’ out July 31, 2007 and they sound like some grown man lyrics. ‘Finding Forever’ is an appropriate album name for an artist who has managed to do just that in the fickle rap game.

His first album was ‘Can I borrow a Dollar’, I missed that one, but I caught on back in ‘94 when he came out with ‘I Used to Love Her’ off his album ‘Resurrection’ Common Sense (as he was known back then) announced that he was here to stay. His other single ‘The Game’ reminds you of old school hip hop and some of his early work. Long before Nas Declared hip hop dead, Common was there like a prophet resurrecting a genre that was about to peak in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. He kept me going as a high school kid who was awkward and shy and reinforced my self esteem with ‘This is Me’. On that cut he said ‘I love the way I am and can’t nobody out here change me’. I took that to heart and began to feel more comfortable in my own skin.
Later he kept the party going with 1997’s ‘One Day It Will All Make Sense’. If ya’ll don’t know there are some classics on that joint, ‘Retrospect For Life’ with Lauryn Hill at her finest and ‘G.O.D. (Gaining One’s Definition)’ with Cee-lo. Those still get play in my iPod.
Following those discs, he dropped ‘Like Water For Chocolate,’ ‘Electric Circus,’ and my personal favorite ‘Be.’ …They heard ‘The Corner’ and they say that nigga’s back… I’m here to tell you that he never left he’s been here forever and I can’t wait to hear ‘Finding Forever’.