REVIEW: COMMON - A BEAUTIFUL REVOLUTION (PT. 2)

 

4/5

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.

Aubrey and 'Ye have been going at each other this last week and change with their eagerly anticipated, dropped unexpectedly, game changing albums, 'Certified Lover Boy' and 'Donda' respectively. But it's Mr. West's former G.O.O.D. Music partner that told Drizzy Drake he was 'Sweet', Common who has the sense to change the world this week with the sequel to last Summers smash 'A Beautiful Revolution (PT. 2)' like the 'Ghetto Dreams' of Nas' 'Kings Disease' too. Its been a great season in hip-hop. Bringing the pink and yellow colourful guitars in like the oil painted red and blue trumpets for the light of this rapper that helps us find forever and just be. Just like water for chocolate. Like hoops-were Common started out, wiping the sweat off the Chicago Bulls' United Centre floor as MJ moonwalked back down the hardwood after another fade away-this man makes hip-hop even more akin to its jazz influences. Just call Common Coltrane, because this is his love supreme in all its parts. Whilst his beau, actress Tiffany Haddish counts cards this week with the Pacino like Oscar Isaac and Robert De Niro's 'Taxi Driver' Paul Schrader (just like Oscar's forthcoming Marvel 'Moon Knight' villain Ethan Hawke 'First Reformed'), the man who over the last few has 'Let Love Have The Last Word' with the heart of his latest memoir and even wrote a 'Let Love' letter of an album to that devotion is giving us more of the beautiful struggle like Talib. Not to be televised like Gill Scott-Heron. It's time for the revolution...again. As to end the same week that Keanu Reeves takes us back to 'The Matrix' in trailer, the only man to go toe-to-toe with John Wick in 'Chapter 2' (we think he's still riding on that subway somewhere like Tom Cruise in 'Collateral' or a professional courtesy) is back with a real resurrection in his second chapter.

Lenny Kravitz (who appeared on 'A Beautiful Revolution (PT. 1)' with Chuck D of Public Enemy for 'A Riot In My Mind') once told us with a whole album, 'It's Time For A Love Revolution'. Now like that classic here's another revolutionary warfare almost a year (like Nas' 'Disease' give or take a few) after the original one, on the eve of the 20th year anniversary of when the towers fell in New York. The world needs this now after another year of corona. Common's compelling positivity practice and preach is like no one else's in this industry in need of some inspiration like all of us right now. Beauty begins again with Com's fourteenth album and his ninth since the 'Be' rap renaissance (although we thought the experimental 'Electric Circus' was epic) with this sequel. And it's another album of artistic arrangements when it comes to the instrumental influences. This could be his 'Sketches Of Spain', or diagrams drawn in the Chicago wind for the fingertips of a man who holds a legendary legacy in this game that still doesn't give enough praise to its players. And after October's very own 'Revolution' this is another album that showcases the skills of the prolific PJ like Nas' 'Streets Disciple' Quan. So much so on every track this is like Ghostface Killah being 'Only Built For Cuban Linx' on Raekwon's album and The Chef affording to return the favour on Iron Man's 'Bulletproof Wallets'. Or Jay-Z penning his own testaments to Jay Electronica's 'Written Testimony'. These are collaboration albums, no matter the credit and we can't wait for the next PJ solo for this amazing artist. Intro and outro book ended by prolific poetry from Jessica Care Moore ('Push Out The Noise') and Morgan Parker ('Exclamation Point'), this prose punctuated album is as inspired as Amanda Gorman at Biden's inauguration. 

Chapter and verse as pretty as a picture, this 'Beautiful Chicago Kid' gives us another classic. As just over a half hour these two LP's masquerading as extended plays give us a double disc deluxe offering of outstandingly good...no great music. "When the revolution comes it'll be beautiful/I serenade like a renegade, never been afraid/Of Virginia Wolf I'm the black sheep/Known on black streets, no dig/A beautiful Chicago kid that won't renge", he raps on his devotion to Chi-city for a beautiful day in the neighbourhood. Won't you be his neighbour? Because he's bringing 'The People' back after all this social distance for the all encompassing and embracing influence of 'Imagine' for raps Lennon, even missing his McCartney in Kanye. But it's 'Get It Right' (with an uncredited like the 'Sob Rock' of John Mayer on 'Be's' 'Go', neo-soul legend Raphael Saadiq) that really does that, serving as a standout and a sought after collaboration for the couplets. Common even gets to The Roots of 'When We Move' with Black Thought and Seun Kuti that will sound formidable on Fallon with Questlove backing (just thinking). Still it's on 'Set It Free' with PJ were Common gets to the mountaintop like MLK. Empowering with lyrics like, "precious is your presence/You can feel the essence/The iridescence of your light, no question/Destined to be/A blessing to somebody/Even if they can't see/The lock, key for you to set it free/No man can take from you what's heavenly/Just be you and you'll forever be/Your beauty tells stories like Ebony." All before crowning his queen with 'Majesty' (of that previous deceleration to independent women wasn't already beautiful enough). 'Where We Gonna Take It?' Even higher for the power! It's 'Poetry' like Marcus King and Isaiah Sharkey in music motion. Prolific verses at that for this 'Star Of The Gang' like another PJ powered number. Just see the 'Saving Grave' with Brittany Howard for this nine track with two poems to follow-up last year's nine. One classic deserves another and as Lynn gives us lasting lyrical exercise we can all breathe a little easier. Everyone should be rapping like Common since The Carter gave us that 'Moment Of Clarity'. All before we fade to black. "Behind my eyes, I reach for the skies that tell no lies/The earth it cries for a revolution that can't be televised." Tune into this revolution, because without people like Common, this world is a little less beautiful. TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Playlist Picks: 'A Beautiful Chicago Kid (Feat. PJ) ', 'Imagine (Feat. PJ)', 'Get It Right (Feat. Raphael Saadiq).'