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

“Is It True”

Brenda Lee | 1964

As the British Invasion reached its peak in 1964, Brenda Lee went from Nashville to London to record one of her hardest-rocking hits, her perky vocal backed by a stuttering, squalling guitar. That guitar was played by session musician Jimmy Page, yet to skyrocket to fame with first the Yardbirds and then Led Zeppelin. "She said to me, 'I've come here to make a record with the British sound,'" remembered producer Mickie Most. "She felt she wouldn't get the same sound in Nashville because they're only just catching up on the British beat group sound of about six months ago."

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