Common
Universal Mind Control

Campus Correspondent By Trevor Starnes,
Samford University


After seven critically acclaimed albums and a slew of singles, you would expect Common to have some “Common Sense” and release a solid album. Fans have come to expect an album full of the usual R&B/hip-hop/jazz infused beats, but on his latest album Universal Mind Control, he’s tried something completely different by infusing more of a techno/electronic state. Like his good friend and fellow Chicagoan Kanye West (who also produced the album, along with the Neptunes) Common strays from the usual bona fide and soulful rhymes (like “The Light” on Like Water for Chocolate) and instead embraces danceable club hits. Instead of being able to lyrically relate to him on this album, his fans are left to bump and grind to the music.

On Common’s first single “Universal Mind Control,” Common raps “Nigga, this is that new s*** and it don’t feel the same.” Just as he stated, this new stuff is s***.

However, there is one bright spot on the album and it’s on the Obama anthem entitled “Changes.” President Obama loved the song so much that he invited Common to play at the Inauguration Concert at the Lincoln Memorial and included on the compilation project “Change Is Now: Renewing America’s Promise.”

“Cool” should not define Common. His uniqueness is lost as a rapper on this album. For a man who came into the game being known more for his lyrics more than his beats, it’s sad to hear him sacrificing his greatest gift- the words- for futuristic electronic beats. Common needs to stick to what got him into the game and not what gets him the most fans and mainstream attention.