| Like Water for Chocolate | |
|---|---|
 Studio album by Common | |
|
Released |
March 28, 2000 |
|
Recorded |
April 1999 - January 2000 |
|
Studio |
Electric Lady Studios |
|
Genre |
Midwest hip hop, Alternative hip hop, Conscious hip hop, Jazz rap |
|
Length |
77:51 |
|
Label |
MCA Records / Universal Records |
|
Producer |
?uestlove (also exec.), Common (co-exec.), J Dilla, Derek Dudley (co-exec.), DJ Premier, James Poyser, D'Angelo, Karriem Riggins |
| Common chronology | |
|---|---|
|
Previous |
One Day It'll All Make Sense (1997) |
|
Next |
Electric Circus (2002) |
Like Water for Chocolate is the fourth studio album by American Hip hop artist Common, released in March 28, 2000 through MCA Records and Universal Records. Recording sessions took place at Studio A in Dearborn Heights, Michigan and at Electric Lady Studios and D&D Studios in New York City from April 1999 to January 2000. Production was handled by DJ Premier, Karriem Riggins and Soulquarians members: ?uestlove, J Dilla, James Poyser and D'Angelo. It includes guest appearances by Mos Def, Slum Village, MC Lyte, Vinia Mojica, Roy Hargrove, Bilal, Jill Scott, Cee-Lo Green (of Goodie Mob) and D'Angelo. It was Common's first major label album, and maintains the same level of social responsibility and awareness that was displayed on his first three albums.
The cover photo of the album, 1956 Alabama by Gordon Parks, is a photo of a young black woman in Alabama, dressed for church, drinking from a "Colored Only" drinking fountain.
The album peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200 and #5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Like Water for Chocolate released the singles: "The Light", "The 6th Sense" and "Geto Heaven, Part II". The album was both critical and commercial breakthrough, receiving widespread acclaim from major magazine publications and selling 70,000 copies in its first week. On August 11, 2000, Like Water for Chocolate was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). According to Nielsen Soundscan, the album had sold 748,000 copies by March 2005.
Track listing[]
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Time Travelin' (A Tribute to Fela) | Common, Vinia Mojica, Femi Kuti | Archer, Lynn, Poyser, Thompson, Yancey | D'Angelo, ?uestlove, James Poyser, Jay Dee | 6:37 |
| 2. | "Heat" | Common | Lynn, Yancey | Jay Dee | 3:41 |
| 3. | "Cold Blooded" | Common, Rahzel, Black Thought | Archer, Brown, Lynn, Saunders, Thompson, Trotter | D'Angelo, ?uestlove, Kelo, The Roots | 4:58 |
| 4. | "Dooinit" | Common | Lynn, Yancey | Jay Dee | 3:37 |
| 5. | "The Light" | Common | Lynn, Yancey | Jay Dee | 4:21 |
| 6. | "Funky For You" | Common, Bilal, Jill Scott | Lynn, Poyser, Yancey | Jay Dee, James Poyser | 5:55 |
| 7. | "The Questions" | Common, Mos Def | Lynn, Poyser, Smith, Yancey | Jay Dee, James Poyser | 4:09 |
| 8. | "Time Travelin' Reprise" | Common | Archer, Lynn, Poyser, Thompson, Yancey | D'Angelo, ?uestlove, James Poyser, Jay Dee | 1:33 |
| 9. | "The 6th Sense" | Common, Bilal | Lynn, Martin, Oliver | DJ Premier | 5:19 |
| 10. | "A Film Called (Pimp)" | Common, Bilal, MC Lyte | Lynn, Oliver, Yancey | Jay Dee | 6:05 |
| 11. | "Nag Champa (Afrodisiac for the World)" | Common | Lynn, Yancey | Jay Dee | 5:10 |
| 12. | "Thelonius" | Common, T3, Baatin, Jay Dee | Altman, Glover, Lynn, Yancey | Jay Dee | 4:41 |
| 13. | "Payback Is a Grandmother" | Common | Lynn, Yancey | Jay Dee | 4:30 |
| 14. | "Geto Heaven, Part II | Common, D'Angelo | Lynn, Archer, Thompson, Peter Lord, Sandra Victor, Vernon Smith | D'Angelo, Questlove, Poyser | 5:18 |
| 15. | "A Song for Assata" | Common, Cee-Lo | Burton, Lynn, Poyser | James Poyser | 6:48 |
| 16. | "Pop's Rap... All My Children" | Lonnie "Pops" Lynn | Lynn, Riggins | Karriem Riggins | 5:09 |
Notes
- Track 1 features trumpet performed by Roy Hargrove, congas performed by Melena, additional keys performed by D'Angelo, and guitar performed by Jeff Lee Johnson.
- Track 2 features additional vocals performed by Jay Dee, and scratches and cuts performed by Jay Dee.
- Track 3 features trumpet performed by Roy Hargrove, claves performed by D'Angelo, drums and bass performed by ?uestlove, and hand claps performed by ?uestlove, James Poyser, D'Angelo, Roy Hargrove, Black Thought and Common.
- Track 4 features scratches and cuts performed by Jay Dee.
- Track 5 features additional keys performed by James Poyser.
- Track 6 features vocoder performed by James Poyser.
- Track 7 features background vocals performed by Monie Love.
- Track 8 features additional vocals performed by Vinia Mojica, trumpet performed by Roy Hargrove, congas performed by Melena, additional keys performed by D'Angelo, and guitar performed by Jeff Lee Johnson.
- Track 9 features scratches and cuts performed by DJ Premier.
- Track 10 features scratches and cuts performed by Mista Sinista, and flute performed by Antonio Hart
- Track 11 features background vocals performed by Jay Dee, additional vocals performed by T3 and Baatin, guitar performed by Jeff Lee Johnson, and handclaps performed by T3 and Baatin.
- Track 13 features scratches and cuts performed by Mista Sinista and Jay Dee.
- Track 14 features drums performed by Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, bass and keyboards performed by James Poyser, flute performed by Antonio Hart, and strings arranged and conducted by Larry Gold.
- Track 15 features strings written, arranged and conducted by Larry Gold, drums performed by ?uestlove, rhodes, bass and organ performed by James Poyser, and guitar performed by Jeff Lee Johnson.
- Track 16 features bass performed by Richie Goods, vibes performed by Stephon Harris, keys performed by Orin Evans, drums performed by Karriem Riggins, trumpet performed by Dwight Adams, and trombone performed by John Paxton.
Samples[]
Heat
- "Asiko (In a Silent Mix)" by Tony Allen
Cold Blooded
- "Space Intro" by Steve Miller Band
- "Funkin' for Fun" by Parliament
- "Doing It to Death" by Fred Wesley and The J.B.'s
Dooinit
- "Give It to Me Baby" by Rick James
- "Car Horn" by The 45 King
The Light
- "You're Getting a Little Too Smart" by Detroit Emeralds
- "Open Your Eyes" by Bobby Caldwell
- "It's a Wonderful Life" by Henry Kaiser
Funky for You
The 6th Sense
- "Memories Are Here to Stay" by The Intruders
- "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil Scott-Heron
- "Allustrious" by Mobb Deep
A Film Called (Pimp)
- "Brazilian Skies" by Bill Summers
Nag Champa (Afrodisiac for the World)
- "Running Away" by Roy Ayers Ubiquity
- "Morning Order" by Hugh Hopper and Alan Gowen
Thelonious
- "Space Intro" by Steve Miller Band
- "Vulcan Mind Probe" by George Duke
Payback Is a Grandmother
- "S.U.S." by Placebo (Jazz Band)
- "The Payback" by James Brown
Geto Heaven, Part II
- "Ghetto Heaven (Soul II Soul Remix)" by The Family Stand
Pop's Rap III... All My Children
- "Water No Get Enemy" by Fela Kuti
- "Next Lifetime" by Erykah Badu