| Be | |
|---|---|
 Studio album by Common | |
|
Released |
May 24, 2005 |
|
Recorded |
June 2004 - February 2005 |
|
Studio |
Sony Music Studios |
|
Genre |
Midwest hip hop, Jazz rap, Conscious hip hop, Alternative hip hop |
|
Length |
42:33 |
|
Label |
GOOD Music / Geffen |
|
Producer |
J Dilla, Kanye West (exec.), Common (co-exec.), Derek Dudley (co-exec.), James Poyser, Karriem Riggins |
| Common chronology | |
|---|---|
|
Previous |
Electric Circus (2002) |
|
Next |
Finding Forever (2007) |
Be is the sixth studio album by American rapper from Chicago Common, released in May 24, 2005 on GOOD Music and Geffen Records. Recording sessions took place at Sony Music Studios in New York City, Encore Studios in Burbank, California and Pay Jay in Clinton Township, Michigan from June 2004 to February 2005. Production was handled primarily by Kanye West, with additional production from J Dilla, it was regarded as Common's comeback album after the commercially unsuccessful Electric Circus.
Be debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and on the Top Rap Albums charts, with selling 185,000 copies in its first week of sales in the United States. Be spawned the singles: "The Corner", "Go", "The Food", "Faithful" and "Testify". It is Common's second album to sell over 500,000 copies (over 800,000 copies sold), and becoming a certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Be was also a critical success, receiving acclaim and accolades from several critics and music publications.
Track listing[]
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Be (Intro)" | Common | Lynn, West | Kanye West | 2:24 |
| 2. | "The Corner" | Common, The Last Poets | Hassan, Lynn, Oyewole, West | Kanye West | 3:45 |
| 3. | "Go!" | Common | Lynn, Mayer, West | Kanye West | 3:44 |
| 4. | "Faithful" | Common | Lynn, West | Kanye West | 3:33 |
| 5. | "Testify" | Common | Lynn, West | Kanye West | 2:36 |
| 6. | "Love Is..." | Common | Lynn, Yancey | J Dilla | 4:10 |
| 7. | "Chi-City" | Common | Lynn, West | Kanye West | 3:27 |
| 8. | "The Food (Live)" | Common, Kanye West | Lynn, West | Kanye West | 3:36 |
| 9. | "Real People" | Common | Lynn, West | Kanye West | 2:48 |
| 10. | "They Say" | Common, Kanye West, John Legend | Lynn, Stephens, West | Kanye West | 3:57 |
| 11. | "It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)" | Common, Pops | Lynn, Lynn, Poyser, Riggins, Yancey | J Dilla | 8:33 |
Notes
- Track 1 features keyboards performed by James Poyser and acoustic bass performed by Derrick Hodge
- Track 3 features scratches by DJ A-Trak and percussion performed by Num Amuntehu
- Track 4 features keyboards performed by James Poyser
- Track 6 features instruments performed by James Poyser
- Track 7 features scratches performed by DJ A-Trak and DJ Dummy
- Track 8 features scratches performed by DJ Dummy
- Track 11 features keyboards performed by Kanye West, keyboards and strings performed by James Poyser and percussion performed by Karriem Riggins.
Samples[]
Be (Intro)
- "Mother Nature" by Albert Jones
The Corner
- "What It Is?" by The Temptations
- "You Make the Sun Shine" by The Temprees
Go!
- "Old Smokey" by Linda Lewis
Faithful
- "Faithful to the End" by D.J. Rogers
Testify
- "Innocent 'Til Proven Guilty" by Honey Cone
Love Is...
- "God Is Love" by Marvin Gaye
Chi-City
- "Since I Found My Baby" by Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
- "Upon This Rock" by Joe Farrell
The Food
- "Nothing Can Change This Love" by Otis Redding
Real People
- "Sweet Children" by Caesar Frazier
They Say
- "Ghetto Child" by Ahmad Jamal
- "Papa "T" by Stanley Turrentine
It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)
- "Share What You Got, Keep What You Need" by The Modulations