CommonBe

After the sprawl of Electric Circus, Common pulled everything tight. Kanye West and J Dilla lay down warm '70s soul beds, live bass and dusty keys, and Common rides them like a man back home. 'The Corner' rolls on a hand-clap groove and street-corner poetry that feels lived-in, not preached. Eleven songs, no filler, every beat soulful and unhurried. One of his best and one of the most tightly built rap records of its era. Put it on and let it breathe.