Common Buzzing on "Be"

Illinois rapper Common will drop his fourth album, Be, May 24th. The record, his first since 2002's Electric Circus, will mark his debut on Kanye West's Good Music label. Kanye is one of two producers on the record, the other being Detroit's J-Dilla (De La Soul, Busta Rhymes).

In working with just the pair, as opposed to a handful of producers, Common decided to go with quality over quantity. "I'm really excited for Kanye because we're working together," Common told Rolling Stone during Grammy weekend in Los Angeles, where the two hung out frequently. (West would win Best Rap Album for The College Dropout). "I'm really feeling the energy now, like I'm connected to it."

Common recently shot the video for Be's first single, "The Corner," and he plans to hit the road this summer with some heavyweight tourmates. "We're planning to do a Good Music tour, which will be myself, Kanye and John Legend," he says. "We're gonna pump it."

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Song Stories

“Satisfied”

Tom Waits | 2011

Only the genius of Tom Waits could combine the subject of mortality, a reoccurring theme in his work, with wordplay that name checks both Mick and Keith, whom he calls "Mr. Jagger" and "Mr. Richards," and the title of their magnum opus, "Satisfaction." And to show just how cool Waits really is, he even got Mr. Richards to play along, one of nine guest appearances the guitarist has made on three Waits albums. "This growling roadhouse stomp is a late-breaking response to the Stones' greatest hit," Rolling Stone said of the track.

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