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After he experimented with psychedelic grooves and abstract lyrics on 2002's Electric Circus, Common returned to soul samples and witty wordplay with this year's Be. The Academy rewarded him with a nod in the Best Rap Album category, putting him up against fellow Chicagoan Kanye West (who produced much of Be). But Common has no doubt who made the best hip-hop album of the year.
Did the nominations surprise you?
I gotta say they didn't. I believe in the music, and I felt that the timing was right. I made the decision not to go into my albums like, "People aren't going to understand this." I really believe that if we don't underestimate people, then they will get to it.
Do you have an early Grammy memory?
Yeah, I remember seeing Michael Jackson at the Grammys. And I remember my first time being there [in 2000]. I actually had a good time; there was some really good music. They had Ibrahim Ferrer from Buena Vista Social Club, God bless his soul. That year, the Roots won with Erykah [Badu, for "You Got Me"], and it gave me hope. I was like, "Damn, the Grammys are saluting real music!" I really was feeling it.
Do you think you deserve to win all the categories you're nominated in?
Yeah! [Laughs] I want to and I deserve to. Kanye made an incredible album too, and he's my family, so if he wins it's all good, but I definitely want to win. If you're gonna ask me if I have the best rap album of the year, I'm gonna humbly say, "Yeah."