2016 studio album by Common
Black America Again
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Released
| November 4, 2016
(
2016-11-04
)
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Genre
| Hip hop
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Length
| 56
:
43
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Label
|
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Producer
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- "Love Star"
Released: September 2, 2016
- "Black America Again"
Released: September 23, 2016
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Black America Again
is the eleventh studio album by American rapper
Common
. It was released on November 4, 2016, by
ARTium Recordings
and
Def Jam Recordings
.
[1]
[2]
Black America Again
was supported by two singles: "Love Star" and "Black America Again". The album received widespread acclaim from critics, debuting at number 25 on the US
Billboard
200
.
Background
[
edit
]
Common felt the need to release the album due to the American election year.
[3]
Singles
[
edit
]
The album's first single, "Love Star", was released on September 2, 2016.
[4]
The song features guest appearances from musicians
Marsha Ambrosius
and
PJ
, while the production was handled by
Karriem Riggins
.
The album's second single, "Black America Again", was released on September 23, 2016.
[5]
The song features guest appearances from American
R&B
singer
Stevie Wonder
, with Karriem Riggins, who also produced the track as well, alongside
Robert Glasper
. On November 14, 2016, Common released the remix to "Black America Again", which features guest appearances from American rappers
Gucci Mane
and
Pusha T
, alongside the additional guest vocals from American recording artist
BJ the Chicago Kid
.
[6]
Critical reception
[
edit
]
Black America Again
received widespread acclaim from critics. At
Metacritic
, which assigns a
normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an
average
score of 88, based on 13 reviews.
[8]
Andy Kellman of
AllMusic
said, "All that's here, dark or bright, is vital."
[9]
Greg Kot
of
Chicago Tribune
said, "One of the year's most potent protest albums.
... The album sags midway through with a handful of lightweight love songs, but finishes with some of its most emotionally resounding tracks: the '
Glory
'-like plea for redemption 'Rain' with
Legend
, the celebration of family that is 'Little Chicago Boy', and the staggering 'Letter to the Free'."
[10]
Eric Renner Brown of
Entertainment Weekly
said, "It's the MC's empathetic and clear-eyed rhymes that truly make this a vital contribution to the national conversation."
[11]
Erin Lowers of
Exclaim!
said, "
Black America Again
isn't an album meant for casual listening, but rather a socio-politically charged album meant to be absorbed so that everyone can truly recognize the 'Bigger Picture Called Freedom'."
[19]
Andy Cowan of
Mojo
magazine stated, "'Pyramids'
'
borrowing of
Chuck D
's mantra 'I don't rhyme for the sake of riddlin
'
' is emblematic of his still-abrasive mood, whether dissecting the prison system's failures on 'A Bigger Picture Called Free' or unleashing his most heartfelt rallying cry on the thrilling
Robert Glasper
-produced,
Stevie Wonder
-starring title track."
[13]
Damien Morris of
The Observer
said, "Although there's no hit to rival the
Selma
soundtrack epic, 'Glory', and a reunion with its vocalist John Legend is the worst of furrowed-brow, gluten-free beat poetry, this is intelligent, impressive work."
[14]
Edwin "STATS" Houghton of
Pitchfork
said, "Time and again he suggests that freedom itself is an act of improvisation, of imagination, that begins now: 'We write our own story.' It's in the context of these bigger ideas that Com lands some of his biggest gut-punches of all time, while rapping in his simpler, prize fighter mode."
[15]
Steve Yates of
Q
magazine stated, "Uneven as it may be,
Black America Again
is a stirring reminder of the Chicago MC's relevance."
[16]
Scott Glaysher of
XXL
said, "At the end of the day, Common creates a great album with such a pertinent and topical purpose. If nothing else, it's a strong snapshot of the happenings in America right now and the promise of what the country could become."
[18]
William Sutton of
PopMatters
said, "Whilst certainly not flawless,
Black America Again
sees Common deliver some of his most vital work and reaffirms his place in the discussion of greatest conscious rappers of all time."
[20]
The Independent
placed
Black America Again
at number 19 on their "Best Albums of 2016" year-end list.
[21]
Commercial performance
[
edit
]
Black America Again
debuted at number 25 on the US
Billboard
200
, selling 15,000 copies in the United States.
[22]
Track listing
[
edit
]
Title
| Writer(s)
| Producer(s)
|
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1.
| "Joy and Peace" (featuring
Bilal
)
| | Karriem Riggins
| 2:40
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2.
| "Home" (featuring Bilal)
| | Riggins
| 3:31
|
---|
3.
| "Word from Moe Luv Interlude"
| Robert Glasper
| Robert Glasper
| 0:40
|
---|
4.
| "Black America Again" (featuring
Stevie Wonder
)
| | | 6:09
|
---|
5.
| "Love Star" (featuring
Marsha Ambrosius
and
PJ
)
| | Riggins
| 5:09
|
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6.
| "On a Whim Interlude"
| Riggins
| Riggins
| 0:41
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7.
| "Red Wine" (featuring
Syd
and
Elena
)
| | Riggins
| 4:35
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8.
| "Pyramids"
| | | 3:30
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9.
| "A Moment in the Sun Interlude"
| Glasper
| Glasper
| 0:51
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10.
| "Unfamiliar" (featuring PJ)
| | Riggins
| 3:58
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11.
| "A Bigger Picture Called Free" (featuring Syd and Bilal)
| | Riggins
| 4:38
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12.
| "The Day Women Took Over" (featuring
BJ the Chicago Kid
)
| | Riggins
| 5:16
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13.
| "Rain" (featuring
John Legend
)
| - Lynn
- Riggins
- Tanisha Riggins
| Riggins
| 4:08
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14.
| "Little Chicago Boy" (featuring
Tasha Cobbs
)
| | Riggins
| 6:37
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15.
| "Letter to the Free" (featuring Bilal)
| | | 4:24
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Total length:
| 56:43
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Notes
- "Joy and Peace" features background vocals by
Syd
,
Tasha Cobbs
,
Marsha Ambrosius
,
PJ
and
BJ the Chicago Kid
- "Word From Moe Luv Interlude" features vocals by David Grants
- "Black America Again" features background vocals by
Chuck D
and
MC Lyte
- "Pyramids" features vocals by
Bilal
- "A Moment in the Sun Interlude" features vocals by Lynetria Johnson and
Elena
- "Little Chicago Boy" features background vocals by Marsha Ambrosius
Sample credits
- "Joy and Peace" contains elements from "Empty City", performed by
Gentle Giant
.
- "Home" contains elements from "I'm Going Home (To Live With God)", performed by
O. V. Wright
; it also contains elements from the album
Our Time Has Come
by
Louis Farrakhan
.
- "Black America Again" contains elements from "Catch a Groove", performed by Juice.
- "Love Star" contains elements from "You, Me, and He", performed by
Mtume
; It also contains a sample of "Sexy Mama", performed by
The Moments
.
- "Red Wine" contains elements from "Cormoran Blesse", performed by Edgar Vercy.
- "Pyramids" contains elements from "Brooklyn Zoo", performed by
Ol' Dirty Bastard
.
- "Unfamiliar" contains elements from "Half Forgotten Daydreams", performed by
John Cameron
, licensed courtesy of KPM Music.
- "The Day Women Took Over" contains elements from "Quiet Run", performed by Mark Blumberg, courtesy of Mark Blumberg and published by TM Century Inc.
- "Little Chicago Boy" contains elements from "Stoner's Creek", performed by
Frank Dukes
.
Charts
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Black America Again by Common on Apple Music"
.
iTunes
.
Archived
from the original on October 29, 2016
. Retrieved
October 29,
2016
.
- ^
Reed, Ryan (October 17, 2016).
"Common Plots Politically Charged 'Black America Again' LP"
.
Rolling Stone
.
Archived
from the original on October 29, 2016
. Retrieved
October 29,
2016
.
- ^
Smith, Trevor (November 6, 2016).
"Common explains why he released Black America again close to election"
.
HotNewHipHop
.
Archived
from the original on November 27, 2016
. Retrieved
November 26,
2016
.
- ^
"Love Star (feat. Marsha Ambrosius & PJ) ? Single by Common on Apple Music"
.
iTunes
. September 2, 2016. Archived from the original on October 29, 2016
. Retrieved
October 29,
2016
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
link
)
- ^
Welsh, April Clare (September 23, 2016).
"Common teams with Stevie Wonder on 'Black America Again' single"
.
Fact
.
Archived
from the original on November 4, 2016
. Retrieved
November 20,
2016
.
- ^
"Listen to Common's 'Black America Again' Remix Feat. Gucci Mane & Pusha T"
.
Billboard
. November 14, 2016.
Archived
from the original on November 15, 2016
. Retrieved
November 15,
2016
.
- ^
"Black America Again by Common reviews"
.
AnyDecentMusic?
.
Archived
from the original on January 8, 2017
. Retrieved
January 7,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
"Reviews for Black America Again by Common"
.
Metacritic
.
Archived
from the original on November 18, 2016
. Retrieved
November 18,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
Kellman, Andy.
"Black America Again ? Common"
.
AllMusic
.
Archived
from the original on November 21, 2016
. Retrieved
November 18,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
Kot, Greg
(November 4, 2016).
"Common regains his hip-hop mojo on 'Black America Again'
"
.
Chicago Tribune
.
Archived
from the original on November 19, 2016
. Retrieved
November 18,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
Brown, Eric Renner (November 3, 2016).
"Common's Black America Again: EW Review"
.
Entertainment Weekly
.
Archived
from the original on November 18, 2016
. Retrieved
November 14,
2016
.
- ^
Carroll, Jim
(November 3, 2016).
"Common ? Black America Again: a furious, righteous, powerful return to form"
.
The Irish Times
.
Archived
from the original on November 4, 2016
. Retrieved
November 18,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
Cowan, Andy (November 7, 2016).
"Common ? Black America Again"
.
Mojo
.
Archived
from the original on November 18, 2016
. Retrieved
November 17,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
Morris, Damien (November 6, 2016).
"Common: Black America Again review ? a call to arms for election month"
.
The Observer
.
Archived
from the original on November 14, 2016
. Retrieved
November 14,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
Houghton, Edwin "STATS" (November 4, 2016).
"Common: Black America Again"
.
Pitchfork
.
Archived
from the original on November 17, 2016
. Retrieved
November 17,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
Yates, Steve (February 2017). "State of the Nation".
Q
(368): 113.
- ^
Ryan, Patrick (November 3, 2016).
"Review: Common's vital 'Black America Again' resonates in Trump era"
.
USA Today
.
Archived
from the original on November 10, 2016
. Retrieved
November 18,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
Glaysher, Scott (November 14, 2016).
"Common Aims to Inspire on 'Black America Again'
"
.
XXL
.
Archived
from the original on November 17, 2016
. Retrieved
November 17,
2016
.
- ^
Lowers, Erin (November 9, 2016).
"Common Black America Again"
.
Exclaim!
.
Archived
from the original on November 22, 2016
. Retrieved
January 7,
2017
.
- ^
Sutton, William (November 7, 2016).
"Common: Black America Again"
.
PopMatters
.
Archived
from the original on November 14, 2016
. Retrieved
January 7,
2017
.
- ^
"Best Albums of 2016"
.
The Independent
. November 30, 2016.
Archived
from the original on December 1, 2016
. Retrieved
December 1,
2016
.
- ^
Hernandez, Victoria (November 14, 2016).
"Hip Hop Album Sales: Rae Sremmurd, Alicia Keys & Common"
.
HipHopDX
.
Archived
from the original on November 19, 2016
. Retrieved
November 20,
2016
.
- ^
"NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart"
.
Recorded Music NZ
. November 14, 2016.
Archived
from the original on November 11, 2016
. Retrieved
November 11,
2016
.
- ^
"Common Chart History (
Billboard
200)"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
- ^
"Common Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
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Studio albums
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Compilations
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Video games
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Related articles
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