Common’s 2005 album, Be, is probably one of my favorite hip hop albums of all time.  I remember when the CD came out at the end of May, Be was in my car’s CD player for at least the rest of the year.  I played it backwards and forwards during the summer of 2005, and still play it regularly today.

Common went back to his roots when he recorded Be.  After the negative criticism he received over Electric Circus, Common decided to take a simpler approach to his next album.  He enlisted super-producer Kanye West to produce the entire album.  All songs were produced by Kanye, with the exception of two outstanding tracks from the late J. Dilla.  The formula worked — Be spawned three hit singles (”The Corner”, “Go!”, and “Testify”) and the album itself went to #2 on Billboard.

Common said in a 2005 interview with sixshot.com: “I named it Be to be who you are man and be able to be in the moment and not try too hard. Be is another way of saying just do without trying hard, like I said natural and be true to the core of who you are and this album I wanted to just be and not just go and exist as just an artist not worried about the past.”

This year Common released the follow-up, Finding Forever; his first album ever to go #1.  Again he stuck with the Kanye formula.  Finding Forever is a great album, however I think Be is still better in terms of both production and lyricism.  I’d be interested to hear other’s views on Be vs. Finding Forever.  Which do you think is the better album?  While you think about that question here are the original samples used for Common’s Be.

Sample:
“Mother Nature” by Albert Jones (from 1977’s The Fact’s of Life)
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Used in:
“Be (Intro)” (produced by Kanye West)
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Sample:
“What It Is” by The Temptations (from 1972’s Solid Rock)
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Used in:
“The Corner” (produced by Kanye West)
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Sample:
“Old Smokey” by Linda Lewis (from 1972’s Lark)
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Used in:
“Go!” (produced by Kanye West)
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Sample:
“Faithful To The End” by D.J. Rogers (from 1976’s It’s Good To be Alive)
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Used in:
“Faithful” (produced by Kanye West)
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Sample:
“Innocent Til Proven Guilty” by Honey Cone (from 1972’s Love, Peace, and Soul)
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Used in:
“Testify” (produced by Kanye West)
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Sample:
“God Is Love” by Marvin Gaye (from 1971’s What’s Going On)
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Used in:
“Love Is…” (produced by J. Dilla)
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Sample:
“Since I Found My Baby” by Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose (1974)
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Used in:
“Chi-City” (produced by Kanye West)
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Sample:
“Nothing Can Change This Love” by Sam Cooke (from 1963’s Mr. Soul)
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Used in:
“The Food” (produced by Kanye West)
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Sample:
“Sweet Children” by Ceasar Frazier (from 1975’s 75)
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Used in:
“Real People” (produced by Kanye West)
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Sample:
“Ghetto Child” by Ahmad Jamal (from 1974’s Jamaica)
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Used in:
“They Say” (produced by Kanye West)
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Sample:
“Share What You Got, Keep What You Need” by The Modulations (from 1975’s It’s Rough Out Here)
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Used in:
“It’s Your World” (produced by J. Dilla)
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