Common Sense establishes his elite status

Contrary to popular belief, "Resurrection" is not Common's debut; while "Can I Borrow a Dollar" established him as a genuine lover of hip-hop and an every-day man, "Resurrection" is more of an emphasis on skills. Superior in every way to any other one of his albums, "Resurrection" is also considered one of the greatest hip-hop accomplishments, ever.

The production is excellent, and Y-Not expresses some lyrical dexterity (although never rivaling Common). Common's flow is considerably different than on "Can I Borrow a Dollar" and would only continue to change with subsequent releases.

[b]1. Resurrection (5/5)[/b]

The title track starts things off very well; the production is excellent and the lyrics may be, at first, hard to decipher. Part of this track is a play on words on the American justice system:

[i]"I've asked for my fingerprints, that they've relinquished since, 'cuz I was guilty-in-a-sense (innocence)/"[/i]

[b]2. I Used to Love H.E.R. (5/5)[/b]

This is the most well-known track off of "Resurrection" and established Common as a legend a few minutes into the CD. This is an extended metaphor on hip-hop, at first seemingly the decline of a woman. Definitely the best here.

[b]3. Watermelon (5/5)[/b]

A track that only boasts Common's microphone prowess. There is plenty of clever punchlines and wordplay, backed by one of the best beats on the album, with a hook repeating the phrase [i]"Waat-er-mel-Unn!!"[/i] over and over again. Very enjoyable and entertaining.

[b]4. Book of Life (5/5)[/b]

One of the best and most introspective songs Common has ever recorded, "Book of Life" comes to terms with the reality of broken motivation, procrastination, idleness and the overall decay of spirits in young, aimless men of today. The production is excellent; definitely one of the best songs on here.

[b]5. In My Own World (5/5)[/b]

An excellent beat compliments both Y-Not's and Common's good verses. Common gets the last prop: [i]"I love black thighs!/ Sisters with the real hair and the real eyes get the real guys/ So before you make-up your face/ You better make-up your mind/"[/i]

[b]6. Another Wasted Nite With... (3.5/5)[/b]

A humorous skit that purposely points out the misogyny in others.

[b]7. Nuthin' to Do (4.5/5)[/b]

A track revolving around nostalgia, with Common reminiscing and wishing to return to a time that has been long gone. The production is good. Anyone can relate to this track, especially those living in urban communities.

[b]8. Communism (5/5)[/b]

Starting off with a hint of misogyny, the opening doesn't really fit the tone of the song. Common repeatedly hurls different lines at us, using "Com" at the beginning, such as "community", "complain", "community", etc. The true strength of the track, however, comes with the numerous references to economics that, at first, cannot be noticed or truly understood...check the bolded words to understand what is being said:

[i]"It’s a [b]common market[/b] and it’s so much [b]competition[/b]
But to me, [b]competition[/b] is none
To my comp I’m a ton I get amped like watts in a riot
My compact disc is a [b]commodity[/b], so buy it
Instead of [b]competing[/b] with pete
Com compromised, com made a promise
Not to [b]commercialize[/b], but [b]compound the soul[/b]
Without the elements, compelling sense into [b]communism[/b]"[/i]

[b]9. WMOE (4/5)[/b]

A skit for the purpose of giving praise to radio stations that offer genuine hip-hop music to its their listeners.

[b]10. ThisIsMe (4.5/5)[/b]

Common talks about keeping his own individuality, refusing to comform and remaining happy about it. He points out his flaws but refuses to allow them to bring him down. The down-side to this track is Common's drunken, lazy flow on this song; it's makes you sleepy.

[b]11. Orange Pineapple Juice (4/5)[/b]

An overall nice track and a nice beat. Common emphasizes humor over a message; it sounds like it was recorded immediately after the release of "Can I Borrow a Dollar" considering his flow and subject matter is very similar to something found on his debut.

[b]12. Chapter 12 (Rich Man vs. Poor Man) (5/5)[/b]

Another classic from "Resurrection", this is an extraordinary look into the mindsets of the rich and the poor. This is not meant to be a serious critique of society and social classes, but a [b]humorous[/b] one. Y-Not takes the role of the rich man, and Common, the humble, every-day man, takes the role of the poor man. Y-Not claims, sarcastically, [i]"Even if I threw garbage on the ground, I couldn't pollute...I'm too rich for that, b*tch!"[/i] In the end, Common tells a very funny story regarding the treatment of the poor by the rich:

[i]OK...there was a black man a white man and a Chinese man
The black man of course he was po' (yeah)
The white man, he was rich (uh ha)
And the Chinese man, he owned a store (alright c'mon)
OK, the black man lived on Beech Street
The white man lived on Wall Street
And the Chinese man's store is where they all meet
Not really on the good foot
Because the white man kept steppin' on the black man's toes
And in his shoes there were holes
But the white man didn't care, sh*t he didn't have to wear it (uh ha)
He scratched that pad he got from his parents, with his tight a$$
He would of been poor white trash, but anyway
Everyday the blackman would ask for some spare change
But at him, the white man would stare strange
So the black man got fed up
'Cause wasn't nobody feedin' him and feedin' him
And took red by his neck and started beatin' him and beatin' him
The Chinese man got ]noid and broke out like a peon
And now the black man owns the store, and the name of it is Leon's
(what's that?)
Barbeque that is...Rib tips hotsuace, mild sauce, fries and chicken![/i]

[b]13. Maintaining (4/5)[/b]

An almost enirely dance-able track, laced with a good beat geared towards a party, amping up the spirits and the body. The lyrics are still impressive, and Common has not made a single average track yet.

[b]14. Sum Sh*t I Wrote (5/5)[/b]

I was very satisfied when I heard this track; the beat is one of the best Common has ever appeared on, and the tone is very battle-esque, the lyrics the same. It has an edge to it, and remains one of the best tracks on "Resurrection."

15. Pop's Rap (3.5/5)

From "Resurrection" and onward, every CD Common put out has had his father appear in some way or form, usually a "Pop's Rap" at the close. The only exception is "Electric Circus" which does not have a "Pop's Rap" but a short, soft spoken-word by his father at the end of the gospel-musical extravaganza "Heaven Somewhere." This particular "Pop's Rap" is pretty good, but the beat behind it is average, his father's words saving the track from obscurity. It does not compare to the perfect "Pop's Rap II/Father" of "One Day It'll All Make Sense", but is nonetheless a good addition to "Resurrection."



There it is...one of the best hip-hop albums to be ever recorded by a highly influential then-underground artist.