When Common is mentioned in a conversation on rap, \u201csocially conscious\u201d is likely to be uttered or suggested. Universal Mind Control <\/i>has a bit of irony about it, as the title track features phrases like \u201ccoochies poppin\u2019\u201d and \u201cmove your behind,\u201d though to be fair, the lyrics aren\u2019t as important as the synth-driven production of The Neptunes. <\/p>\n
I\u2019m reminded of Q-Tip\u2019s solo debut, Amplified<\/i>, another album with an intellectual rapper showing his, uh, less intellectual side. If one compares these records to works of art like Q-Tip\u2019s The Renaissance <\/i>or Common\u2019s Resurrection<\/i>, one is likely to be disappointed. But I find myself enjoying the commercialized albums anyway, if not for their superb production, then for the fact that silly lyrics sound better when a rapper has good flow. <\/p>\n
There are a few things that make Universal Mind Control <\/i>a better album than Amplified<\/i>. Most obviously, Common has guests who are better than Busta Rhymes and Korn. Cee-Lo\u2019s vocal on \u201cMake My Day\u201d really drives the song; Kanye West, whose rapping I usually don\u2019t care for, is appropriate for \u201cPunch Drunk Love\u201d (West can work if he isn\u2019t trying to be smart); and Martina Topley-Bird is a perfect match for the electronic \u201cEverywhere.\u201d <\/p>\n
It is also reassuring that Common doesn\u2019t come off as a newborn hedonist on every track \u2013 he certainly does on the majority of the album\u2019s first half (\u201cMake My Day\u201d being the exception). The second half is more lyrically diverse. \u201cGladiator\u201d is a fun, over-the-top battle song: \u201cAm I loved or feared? \/ A beast amongst boys \/ Like Paul I\u2019m revered.\u201d Next is an ode to Barack Obama\u2019s presidential campaign, \u201cChanges,\u201d which features this memorable lyric: \u201cI spoke like a child \/ I wrote like a child \/ I always smiled, let my mind float like a child \/ Wishin\u2019 I was smart as these kids are now \/ All grown up, still wishin\u2019 I\u2019m a child again.\u201d Realizing one\u2019s potential is the theme of \u201cInhale,\u201d and the energetic \u201cWhat A World\u201d concerns Common\u2019s philosophy and history as a rapper. <\/p>\n
With 10 tracks clocking in at about 40 minutes, Universal Mind Control <\/i>is tighter than most rap albums, so its better moments are sweeter and its mediocre ones easily forgotten. And while the lyrical content may falter, the production from The Neptunes and Mr. DJ is exciting and creative. One could have a worse introduction to a noteworthy artist, but I can\u2019t speak for Common fans. \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":30452,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"artist":[7972],"rating":[5615],"class_list":["post-42116","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-common","rating-rating-b"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/42116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42116"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/42116\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=42116"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=42116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}