Released in 2002, "Like Water For Chocolate" was the fourth album by the Chicagan MC, Common, following on from "One Day It'll All Make Sense", which dropped in 1997. Common continues to provide the world with positive Hip Hop in this release as he comes with some more well thought-out rhymes which manage to grap your attention with limitless complexity and diversity.
1. "Time Travellin'"
Although at first you may think that its quite an odd way to kick the album off Common comes with a track which has him seemingly travelling through sound as he explores a few genre of music with several jazzy compositions before entering himself witth some muffled raps. Its all quite eery, but creates a good atmosphere.
**Four Stars**
2. "Heat"
Following on from the big start, Common continues with his quality as he come swith another hard tune. After havin a host of producers come together on the first tune with the likes of ?uestlove (fom The Roots), D'Angelo, James Poyser, and J Dilla. The latter of which returns to do it all for this one in his typical jazzy way as he did with Sum Village prior to his death in 2006.
**Four Stars**
3. "Cold Blooded"
This for me was the favourite track from the album, which I hadn't heard prior to listening to the whole album (as "The Light" is the top tune from the LP). I suspect that most of it is down to the amazing production, whcih is prvided from the Philly
Roots crew, and D'Angelo, who come with the most hyped-up Hip Hop beats, which makes Common so highly-motivated to come with relavent rhymes to suit the sound to the beats.
**Five Stars**
4. "Dooinit"
Jay Dee does it once again as he comes with yet another banging Hip Hop beat for Common to MC along to. Common seems so excited as he performs it as you can tell that he is passionate for the music which he is performing here, and the fact that J Dilla take sit back to it's good old early nineties where Jazz rap was one of the biggest sub-genres in the game.
**Five Stars**
5. "The Light"
This was the first track which Common caught my attention with, and one of his biggest to date. He even made a remix to it with Just Blaze this year as it is one of his best even singles. This one is built from a sample of Bobby Caldwell, who sings the chorus, as well as other parts of the tune, and from here Common a love letter aroudn it. It is a classic from the artist, and one not to be missed.
**Five Stars**
6. "Funky For You"
The momentum just doesn't die down at all here as Common continues to draw out incredible tunes, here he manges to pull out to banger as he collaborates with two of the top names in Neo Soul, Bilal and Jill Scott, who accompany the Consicous MC as he comes with one of the funkiest tracks on this record.
**Five Stars**
7. "The Questions"
Here's a very interesting tuine as Common manages to surprise us once again as he opts for a concept track, and as always is able to pull it off in a way which you wouldn't be able to predict. Common comes with a series of questions, all of which come out of no where as he comes out of the blue with queston sabout the world and some personal things, The range is massive, and manages to a provoke so many thoughts as he questions things you probably haven't put any thought towards.
**Five Stars**
8. "Time Travellin'" (Reprise)
9. "The 6th Sense"
Although this one is hyped up as one of the biggest singles off the album, I really don't see it as the majority do. Although I am able to appreciate the lyrics, inn which Common address afrocentricity (which was a big issue for the Soulquarians), having Common show how developed his mind is at coming with complex lines, and such. It also has DJ Premier do the prudction, but I justdidn't think that it all came together as well as it could have, the remixes to it have also been unsuccesfull at doing this for me.
You find yourself listening to another interesting tune by Common as he switches things up by MCing as if he in a conversation with a female, one of his workers as he acts as a pimp. It's a really fun listen, as you know how this is so out-of-character from him, but it's great to here him as he works off MC lyte as the converse throughout it in rhyme.
**Four Stars**
11. "Nag Champa"
I wouldn't say that th quality drops for this one, however I thought as though this one just didn't have the energy that a lot of his earlier tracks did and so this one remained a track which you would easliy forget amongst so many bangers on this incredible album. I expect that you would feel the same towards it too as its chilled, but in a way that you hardly take notice of his words.
**Three Stars**
12. "Thelonius"
This track is a collaboration between Common and Slum Village, and with this comes the beatmaker of the group, Jay Dee, better known as J Dilla. As always, this artist comes with a great compostion and allows Common to shine as we like to hear. The group seem to work together effortlessly and the chemistry is what makes it so natural and effective.
**Four Stars**
13. "Payback Is A Grandmother"
This track seems to affirm the relationship between Common's raps and J Dilla's production works together thta just about any duo in hIp Hop, as here they manage to get a great balance between the rhymes andthe beats whcih accompany it. You have Jay dee make full use out of Common's 'payback' theme by bringin up James Brown classic, "The Big Payback", and he inserts it at key parts through the tune.
**Five Stars**
14. "Geto Heaven (Part II)"
Thsi is yet another track whihc I felt received some overating as a reuslt of being released as a single. I though tthat this one was pretty average in comparison with a lot of the rest of the material from this relase and so I was uuanble to get tino to as I would have liked. I thought that the complexity tf the lyrics became a barrier here, as they usually are quite inviting, but it pushed me away this time around.
**Three Stars**
15. "Song For Assata"
From the cover to the CD, you can tell that Common had been looking at the Civil Rights movement for inspiration, and this tune seems to prove it as he re-tell the story of Assata Shakur (aunt to Tupac Shakur). it's an amazing track and one which really opens your eyes to the levels of discrimination in the '70s for African Americans.
**Four Stars**
16. "Pops Rap III" (Skit)
Although many claim that Common corssed over into the mainstrream with this relase, I doubt that many would remember hearing any of the tunes from it if you wern't an underground Hip Hopper at the turn of the century, however it really should have been the point where he made it big in the game, and as it is strong pretty much throughout, he deserves to have it heard by so many more.
If you are a fan of the alternative Hip Hop sounds, with groups like The Roots, Mos Def and Talib Kweli, then this is definately something you will enjoy. Fellow Chicago-native kanye West would be a good comparison too as they are quite similar in how they perform a sound which contrasts from the dominating Gangsta Rap scene.
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Sep 1st, 2008
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