"Cause I'm on fire, If I was a Michelin I wouldn't tire"

Many who study and enjoy so called ‘real’ hip hop will understand that when you combine such a beautiful musical style such as jazz with the ruff and sophisticated rhymes of hip hop, you create a genre of music like no other! These days it is hard to find musicians who are interested in mixing the two styles together, let alone who are good at it. Groups such as A Tribe Called Quest and The Pharcyde seemed to make it ‘cool’ in the late eighty’s and early nineties. But as the late nineties and early millennium progressed unfortunately artists such as Nas and even Pete Rock embraced the dirtier, grimier hip hop and left jazz behind. In 2004, it seems impossible that any of the artists that the underground has some respect for and the commercial heads lap up (i.e. Eminem) would pick up a trumpet and play it alongside a snug high hat. Though (for a jazz fan like myself) this is upsetting, artists such as Talib Kweli and Mos Def have kept the genres together showing that if it wants to be, hip hop is not only the voice of youth but of beauty. Along with these two artists is a man called Common Sense. Now renamed Common, he is an emcee that is not only one of the greatest to pick up a microphone but the most consistent. Yes, Common did not make a "Illmatic" and then a "Nastradamas". Though all different, many who appreciate his work find it extremely difficult to decide which album is their best. I decided since the sun was shinning in England (It’s SO rare) I would put on my ultimate, relaxed, jazz infused hip hop album "Resurrection". Though it’s hard, I’ve concluded this is my favourite Common album just before "One Day It Will All Make Sense". Now not only is this my favourite Common and jazz/hip hop album it’s one of my favourites of all time. To try and sum up how amazing this album is let me tell you a fact; this is the album that made Talib Kweli want to rap!


Track Listing & Rating
1) Resurrection 5 Stars
2) I Used To Love H.E.R 6 Stars
3) Watermelon 5 Stars
4) Book Of Life 5 Stars
5) In My Own World (Check The Method) 5 Stars
6) Another Wasted Nite With… Not Rated
7) Nuthin’ To Do 5 Stars
8) Communism 5 Stars
9) WMOE Not Rated
10) Thisisme 5 Stars
11) Orange Pineapple Juice 5 Stars
12) Chapter 13 (Rich Man VS. Poor Man) 5 Stars
13) Maintaining 5 Stars
14) Sum Sh-t I Wrote 5 Stars
15) Pop’s Rap Not Rated


”I hit saxophone keys to make appreciative hip hoppers weak at the knees”

Not one reviewer can look at this album without mentioning the pinnacle of rap and the stepping stone is Common’s memorable career. That stone is of course ”I Used To Love H.E.R”. Often imitated but never quite duplicated, self conscious, street smart lyricists such as Cormega have taken the concept of this song and molded it into their own versions. Though they are wonderful there will only ever be one ”I Used To Love H.E.R”. Over (the now) Kayne West invested Chicago producer No I.D beat, this song is the mount Everest of what rap is about, creativity and knowledge. No I.D (who produces all bar one song on the album) brings forward a bizarre electric guitar pluck, a heavy drum loop and the most beautiful of all a light tingling triangle. Though no obvious jazz instruments are used on this particular song it is evident to anyone without glue ear that this is a jazz infused hip hop song. The production on this is so sincere and relaxing to listen to. Even though it’s six in the evening here and the sun is beginning to set, this song (and the whole album) create an atmosphere that is amazingly calm. Here Common takes the listener through the years of a relationship he has with a woman and the ups and downs he has with her. We understand by the last and infamous line that the woman all along is hip hop herself. The irony of the song is it really does relate to the lives that many woman take (and men). From being young and innocent, to the ‘partying’ years, to the social conscious times. Here Common tells the extremely upsetting tale of how he slowly loses touch with hip hop as ‘she’ goes to the West and comes back a changed person. The reality of this song is oddly hard hitting and over the relaxing beat Common’s wise words hit home. ’Told her if she had an energetic image that she could make money, and she did it like a dummy. Now I see her in commercials, she’s universal. She used to only swing it with the inner city circle. Now she be in the burbs’ looking rock and dressing hip, and on some dumb sh-t when she comes to the city. Talking bout’ popping glocks, serving rocks and hitting switches. Now she’s a gangster, rolling with gangster bi-ches’. I mean this has to be one of (if not the) most creative and intelligent hip hop songs ever made. They don’t make it like this anymore, unfortunately.

“Remember the time when jazz was revolution? Now Charlie Parker’s tenor’s facing noose execution”

”Book Of Life” takes a more dramatic fresh, battle faces more prominent jazz approach. Here No I.D takes a slamming drum line and calls light trumpets in the background. Light piano keys also flex their prominence while Common takes social conscious battle lyrics to a new level. He calls over a man’s deep sampled voice and women’s sweet voices. His lyricism is almost futuristic, reminiscent of someone like Vakill. Once again the style is very relaxed and historical and Common tells life tales mixed with battle lyricism. Odd but amazing lines like ’I may not be the darkest brother, but I was always told to act my age not my color’. Lines like these seem to have a double meaning to them but before you get to contemplate them Common keeps moving over the slamming drum loop, two steps ahead of the listener at all times. ”Nuthin’ To Do” maintains a tearing trumpet tearing through the background, light electric keys and a light hi-hat. Here Common reminisces on the old times growing up in Chicago but once again combines these images with sickly calm battle raps that would blow any emcee out of the water. His lyricism swaps from being present tense to being past, creating an effecting release of images for the listener to analyze. Mixing the wonderful trumpet in the background is very much memorable of ”Life’s A Bi-ch” and brings through distant memories of eighties hip hop. His ‘controversial’ style is fresh and diverse as he distinct voice calls over the choral scratching with jaw dropping lyricism like ’My raps do laps around tracks and adapt to any environment. I’m the common common camellia’.

”Yes indeed I exceed expectations, with triangles by my side I’m hotter than chemical radiation”

Certainly the most fulfilling jazziest song on the album is no other than ”Communism”. Taking the windpipe No I.D speeds up melting keys and echo’s early beat bop over the top in the form of a jazz like light drum loop and deep chello’s. Putting his usual original twist on this short track, Common brings through his new revolution of hip hop so called “communism”. To match the seductive, relaxed production, Common flicks light braggadocio for this two-minute song. The production on this might just be my favourite on the album taking a joyous path, with No I.D mixing in the pot a melting concoction of every kind of wonderful sound you’ve ever wanted to hear on a hip hop record. ”Thisisme” combines a fresh light phone ringing sound next to blasphemous light keys and a shaking hi-hat. Common’s usual cocky but beautiful confidence rears again as he comes across with energetic and relieving punch lines like ’Rappers are like jobs to me (why) because they get done’. I mean, wow! This is first class lyricism just not rubbed in your face. That is one of the reasons why Common as an artist (and this album) are so overlooked. Unlike a lot of emcees, Common has amazing amount of talent but does not rub it in your face. His cool, relaxed approach to every song of every album is stunning and chilled, making you want to listen to him even more! The light ringing in the background could be annoying, but actually it just makes the song even more enjoyable and calming to listen to. ”Sum Sh-t I Wrote” is generally regarded as the second best song on the album and to be honest I certainly wouldn’t disagree. Over deep creeping piano keys and a contrasting light, jingling drum loop, this song is all about Common’s lyricism. Being the last song on the album, it is evident Common wants to go out as a man of many words. Listening to this song is very much like listening to an emcee gather all his best metaphors and similes together and explode on to a four-minute track. Like normal, Common keeps his calm and spits every word like it is no effort. With lyrics like 'Marks I erase like racism, I'm as large as a bigot. Brew is my escapism, when I'm bubbly I just kick it’. It’s no wonder that this album is crowned one of the greatest of all time, it simply is.

”I don’t think you understand, I need jazz and hip hop to co-inside. Because it was the happiest day ever when the two arts were revived”

Like many others, I respect Common the most out of an emcee in the industry thus far. As the quotes down this review have shown, over the years Common has stuck with jazz and hip hop as a duo knowing that the two styles cannot be separated. Gradually over the last few years I’ve seen producers like Hi-Tek and Ant embrace it more, but it still remains remote within the underground circle. Though he’s parted from jazz a little more on his latest album ”Electric Circus”, Common will always be regarded as one of the pioneers of fusing the two genres together. ”Resurrection” is an emcee’s emcee and a hip hop fans hip hop album. If you can get that you know what I mean. It’s flawless. And when I mean flawless I mean flawless. The production is creative and fresh, the lyricism is creative, diverse and intelligent and the timing is wonderful. Common in my eyes is quite possibly the best emcee of all time and certainly of my generation. With a career and steady and reliable as a rock, all ‘true’ hip hop listeners know that they can buy the latest Common album and not be disappointed. I urge you with all my heart that if you don’t have this album go out and own it. Much like ”Word…Life” and ”Liquid Swords” this is one album that is looked over but is worth a million of most of the garbage out there.

Overall Rating
5 Stars


Great Music To Play While: Relaxing


Similar Albums:

Common- Like Water For Chocolate

A Tribe Called Quest- The Low End Theory

Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star- Black Star

Talib Kweli and Hi Tek- Train Of Thought