Lonnie Lynn Jr., the man we know as Common, grew up on the South Side of Chicago, having a good teenage life with his parents (while they were divorced), formed a group called CDR, and ended up successfully on the "Unsigned Hype" column in The Source while at University. This got him signed to Relativity and released 3 albums on the label (including Resurrection, known for "I Used to Love H.E.R"). He then signed a deal with MCA and released 2 albums on that label (one of the albums, Electric Circus, [where he experimented with other genres other than rap and hip-hop] was seen as a weak project from him). He left the label and luckily got signed to Kanye West's GOOD Music, and released 3 albums on there (Be, Finding Forever and Universal Mind Control). While he was on the label, he started doing major film work, in movies like New Year's Eve, Date Night, Dow Jones and his most popular film, Just Wright with fellow rapper/singer Queen Latifah. He left GOOD without any hard feelings, and released The Dreamer/The Believer, and now, he has recently got signed to his longtime friend No ID's ARTium, releasing Nobody's Smiling on that label in July.
I think that paragraph sums up his whole career at the moment...
Anyway, in September 1992, Lonnie was known as Common Sense and released his debut single, "Take It EZ". This was then followed by his debut album, Can I Borrow A Dollar?, released the following month under Relativity. The album was produced by No ID (who was then known as Immenslope), Twilite Tone and The Beatnuts. Although the album didn't really sell much, it was praised by critics and the hip-hop audience, it also did expose Common to the underground world of hip-hop, along with the 3 singles hitting the charts.
Let's give this album a listen and see what there is to hear...
1. A Penny for My Thoughts
The song takes a long time to get to the point and has a really lengthy build up, but it's worth it. I find it really laidback and great. Common's wordplay and delivery are really nice & smooth. He has very appealing lyrics, bringing up what's on his mind, and showing off his lyrical skills (even referring to popular people like Wesley Snipes and MC Eiht). I do remember Young Roddy (Jet Life) doing a track to this song on his mixtape, Good Sense (which is why I know this song in the first place). No ID's beat is nice and the Eddie Kendricks sample was a great highlight of the song. One of the best tracks on the album.
2. Charms Alarm
This song is a great one, the chorus is catchy and the beat is a funky boom-bap beat. Com does his thing with his fast-rhyming, and his lines. Furthermore, the sample interests me a lot, along with the lyrics. An interesting and excellent cut.
3. Take It EZ
Also known as Common's debut, No ID gives Com a groovy beat. It was a good way to introduce himself to the hip-hop scene, especially coming from Chicago aka the Midwest. A lot of Jazz elements are formed here like any other song from the early 90s. Common's lyrics are on point and the way he gets on the track is really appealing. However, the more I hear Com's friend Ynot on the beginning and end of each song, the more it feels like he's the host of this album, making this feel like a major concept album, than just a regular type of album. Nevertheless, this is great.
4. Heidi Hoe
I see this as the darkest track on the album. Here, Common disrespects the women that "don't have respect for themselves". If anything, it's a good track and the concept interests me, mainly because the amount of "hoes" degrading themselves that is in the generation right now. A great song.
5. Breaker 1/9
The second single of the album. No ID samples The Isley Brothers' "Between The Sheets", which would be a known sample when it was later sampled on "Big Poppa" by The Notorious BIG. And if I had to choose which one is sampled and done better, it had to be "Big Poppa" (not just because it's Biggie). Anyway, the instrumental is smooth, mainly because of the Isley sample. Common uses an lot of romantic adventures for the plot of the song (which has been a frequent thing to talk about in 90s songs), and it comes off as an appealing song. His lyrics are nice and it's a very fun track. Another solid cut.
6. Two Scoops of Raisins
Common & No ID collaborate on this track. Of course, on the previous 5 tracks, we only saw Immenslope/No ID as a producer. The two share the mic and they both do well. No ID does great for someone who's a producer, but no matter how many tracks we can hear him rap on, I'll always see him as a producer rather than an occasional rapper. Oh yeah, I nearly forgot about Common. He did great too, although he gave an bigger opportunity for No ID to shine on. His lyrics were very fine and the references were accurate. Another one of the best tracks on the album.
7. No Defence
Ain't nothing but an interlude. NEXT!
8. Blows on the Temple
This song is a little boring. The sample is good, but the beat is a little fast and it feels like it don't suit Common. He did well, though.
9. Just In The Nick of Rhyme
Now I know why "Blows on the Temple" was boring. Twilite Tone!
10. Tricks Up My Sleeve
Ok, now this one features Rayshel, Common's "ex-girlfriend". The beat is great, and Common does well. Rayshel proves to be a good rapper, so it's funny how she never blew up after this. She's nice. Once again, another solid cut.
11. Puppy Chow
Twilite returns to production, and he makes a good song, unlike the other 2 tracks he done. This feels like a new jack swing track. Singer Miss Jones does the background vocals, and she's excellent. Common contributes good lyrics on this song. But the overall song just comes out decent.
12. Soul By The Pound
I think this is one of the softest tracks on this album. It's not that fast like other tracks, and I feel that this is Common at his finest on the album. He's more serious than before and it's a laidback and smooth cut from him. However, there is a Thump Mix of this song, which is hardcore and has a darker vibe. Still, this is an awesome song.
13. Pitchin' Pennies
Common concludes this album by making a rap about a game that is played in Chicago. And it's an excellent way to end the album. I like how he messes with the concept and he says what he's doing in the game. It's hilarious how it ends with him taking a piss. Well, that's the album for ya.
Can I Borrow A Dollar? is an interesting listen for me and a lot of people. It puts Common in a very different position instead of the position he has been in for 20 years. He showcases a fun, positive side, instead of the lyrical conscious side which he has used since Resurrection. This can be known as one of the most slept-on debuts I've ever came across, especially when Com has many classic albums like Resurrection, Like Water For Chocolate and Be. On this album, Common makes a lot of good tracks and many listeners can be surprised with an album like this. With excellent production from Immenslope & Twilite Tone, and features from 3 people, he messes around with many concepts and uses jazzy beats, fast rapping, positive vibes and lyrical skills. It's great, in many ways, but when listening to the album start-to-finish, it makes you happy that he switched up after this; which is why this is a very interesting listen. He shows that he was ahead of his time and knew how to keep it real since the start of his career. I do recommend that you borrow a few dollars (or pounds if you're British) and buy this (or stream it on Spotify). It's an underrated debut from Common, and as I said before, puts him in a very different position. A decent and solid effort.
The Furious 5ive
A Penny For My Thoughts
Two Scoops of Raisins
Charms Alarm
Breaker 1/9
Soul By The Pound (preferably the Thump Mix)
Honourable Mentions
Heidi Hoe
Take It EZ
No comments:
Post a Comment