Sample Flips: Common Ft. Dwele – “The People” (Prod. by Kanye West)

Common is a rapper and a actor from Chicago, Illinois who has been rhyming since the ’80s.  In high school, Common was apart of a rap trio called C.D.R.  After the trio split in the early ’90s, Common pursued a solo career.  He started rhyming under the name Common Sense, and in 1992, he released his debut album, Can I Borrow a Dollar.  His third album, One Day It’ll All Make Sense, was important for two reasons: It was his first album under the name Common, and it was the album that spawned his record deal with MCA records.  Common continued to grow in the 2000s.

At the top of the decade, he released his fourth album, Like Water for Chocolate.  It was critically acclaimed and commercially successful.  In 2005, he released his sixth album, Be.   He earned a Best Rap Album of the Year nomination at The Grammy’s, and it also marked the beginning of his collaborative run with Kanye West.  In 2007, Common released Finding Forever.  Common received another nomination for Best Rap Album of the Year, and Kanye produced the majority of that album, too.   “The People” is one of the best songs on the album, and the video is hard.

Common – “The People”

Gil Scott-Heron – “We Almost Lost Detroit”