Common Discusses New LP

Common has been hard at work on his upcoming Warner Bros debut album entitled The Dreamer, The Believer. The project is due November 22nd and features production work by Common's longtime collaborator No ID. The rapper shared that he feels the record will provide some positivity for hip hop fans.

"It's going to be positive hip-hop. Hip-hop that can really generate good spirit, the spirit of the music and just good energy," he said. "I'm excited about the album. I feel blessed that I got to work with No I.D. I'm enthused to do hip-hop, which is something that I have to do when I feel it."

"It's the spirit and energy of hip-hop that made you just enjoy it and love the music and not feel like, 'Man, is this gonna sell?' or 'I sold this many.' It's stuff that made you feel something, it's stuff that you can use that inspired your life. I think about hip-hop like Brand Nubian and KRS-One and N.W.A. and Rakim, that stuff inspired my life. Those things really shaped who I am."

Common Leaves Universal

Chicago rapper Common has departed his longtime label, Universal, and signed a new deal with Warner Brothers. The announcement was made yesterday during an outdoor concert in New York City.

“I'm very grateful to be a part of this family, to be a part of this team,” Common told the crowd. “We have very inspirational, exciting music to team up with you. We're just open to what this change can bring."

This is Common's third label, starting his career on Relativity Records in 1992, where he remained for three albums before switching to Universal in 2000. When he released Like Water for Chocolate. He enjoyed more commercial success and visibility on Universal.

Ironically, his last album for the label was 2008's Universal Mind Control.