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Once known as "Common Sense," Chicago artist "Common" has managed to defy easy "rapper" stereotypes for nearly a decade, forsaking the bling and the busty babes in favor of social commentary and natural fabrics. Common's look is boho chic, his rap style a smooth flow, a cool river that runs over the rocky bottom of the urban black experience. "Be" is perhaps his best album to date, a poignant reflection on the nuances of the everyday that manages to be insightful and reactionary without being shrill. Common is too smart to be trite with his revolution; instead, he chooses to highlight small details—the devastation of a county court date in "Testify," the dirty streets of his hometown in "Chi City." Common's strength lies not merely in his intelligence and his sense of melody, but in his lack of brooding self-seriousness. Even when singing out dissent, he makes sure to keep his sense of humor and his sexuality intact, adding a sensual swing to his protest that makes the cause that much more appealing. In "Go," a red-hot dance floor anthem, he gleefully encourages fantasy and fun; in "The Food," he joins fellow MC Kayne West to match the trials and tribulations of early parenthood with a beat that shakes the hips. Common, like Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield before him, knows that the best way to unite the people is on the dance floor and in the bedroom. His brand of social movement and imminent change is born of love and hope and very groovy music.
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