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Showing posts with label Common. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Common. Show all posts
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Resurrected Music: Common - "Nobody's Smiling"

  • Posted on Sunday, February 1, 2015
Common's latest studio album "Nobody's Smiling" takes me back to the nostalgic days of rap (the 90's and it's preceeding era) when you could close your eyes and get an incredibly vivid, and often gritty, dose of storytelling that spoke as much to the mind as it did the heart. In short, it was REAL. Not the ingenuine nonsense we're crap-piled with on the daily. The greatest of these thirteen tracks "The Neighborhood", "No Fear", "Kingdom", and "Rewind That" truly embody this feeling with such an ease that it counters his decision to anchor otherwise enjoyable tracks like "Diamonds" with questionable guest spots from Big Sean all the more disappointing.
Amateur features aside, the instrumentals and production are true to the aforementioned old school vibe. Stripped down beats like that in "Black Magik", hindered, be that it may, by the simple and repetitive hook, and the title track "Nobody's Smiling" serve to make Common's unexpectedly aggressive, substance fueled, and raw flow, cohesive throughout thee enitre project which is rare AF, all the more powerful and effective. The lyrical content on tracks such as "Hustle Harder" fall short in the substance department but Common's charisma and addictive rhyming makes it delightfully engaging. "Real" is a memorable, laid back, and catchy segue for the final three tracks in this deluxe edition to leave the overall impression of a more than satisfactory album.
If you haven't heard it yet, listen to the "Nobody's Smiling" stream below:
Natasha Marie
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Monday, January 12, 2015
John Legend and Common Win At Golden Globes!

  • Posted on Monday, January 12, 2015
“Selma has awakened my humanity. We look to the future and we want to create a better world. Now is our time to change the world. Selma is now.” - Common
Another victory for John Legend and Common was on the horizon last night. The duo took home the Golden Globe for Best Original Song last night for "Glory" [review], created for the civil rights motion picture 'Selma' in theatres NOW!

Others nominated for the category included Lana Del Rey’s “Big Eyes” from Tim Burton’s 'Big Eyes', Lorde’s “Yellow Flicker Beat” from 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1', Sia’s "Opportunity” from 'Annie', and Kronos Quartet and Patti Smith’s "Mercy Is” from 'Noah'.

Watch the video below and congrats to John and Common!


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Monday, January 5, 2015
John Legend and Common Perform "Glory" On GMA!

  • Posted on Monday, January 5, 2015
Photo courtesy of Rap-Up
Everyone knows how much I absolutely ADORE when we make a stand on National television. First, J Cole blessed us with his Letterman performance [see it here] and now John Legend and Common took to the Times Square stage of GMA and performed "Glory" and let me tell you..."mine eyes have seen the GLORY of the coming of the LORDT"! YAAASSSSSSSSSS trailblazing beautiful ass Black men! You better SLEIGH and simultaneously make a statement!
See the powerful performance below:

Natasha Marie

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Friday, December 5, 2014
New Music: John Legend Feat. Common - "Glory"

  • Posted on Friday, December 5, 2014
That’s why Rosa sat on the bus / That’s why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up / When it go down we woman and man up / They say, ‘Stay down,’ and we stand up

I truly appreciate celebrities such as John Legend and Common who use their platforms to make bold statements. This song, and the movie 'Selma' to be quite honest with you, has come at the perfect time. The racial tension in America is at an all time high following the blows of several injustices strewn our way in recent months. That's only the tip of the iceberg. An African American is killed by the police every 28 hours. EVERY. 28. HOURS. I can go on and on so I'll have to address that in a different post...at any rate, listen to "Glory" below and remember THE MOVEMENT LIVES!!! #BlackLivesMatter

 Now the war is not over, victory isn’t won/And we’ll fight on to the finish, then when it’s all done/We’ll cry glory, oh glory/We’ll cry glory, oh glory
 Natasha Marie
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