2006 Albums Review hip hop: blue scholars common market gabriel teodros geologic ra scion sabzi
COMMENT?
Common Market – Self Titled (Massline Media, 2006)
This group seems concerned with not the just the state of the nation, but that of music and hip-hop in particular. Though the focus isn’t only on that culture, the self assured stance and performance of the group sets them apart from their contemporaries as well as Sabzi’s other group, Blue Scholars (at least on earlier releases). While there is a difference between Common Market and others right now, they aren’t actually advancing the music. Instead Common Market is contented with further defining a movement that began almost thirty years ago.
The group functions cogently and is intelligent, interesting, talented and above all else, has good taste. Ra Scion ends up sounding like Talib Kweli from either his Black Star or Reflection Eternal stints. Lyrically and musically, this duo has done their work, giving the listener one of the few clever plays on sucka mcs ever in “Succor MCs.”
But what this album does is prove that the “Daisy Age” concept and everything that runs in that style since still has legs. And as long as there are heads willing to sacrifice originality for solid performances, tenacity and sincerity it will work.
Tracklisting:
01 – Sacred Texts
02 – Do U (w/ Jerm)
03 – No Label (Esma Remix)
04 – Beautiful (GT Version)
05 – Sexcapism
06 – Racoon Rock (w/ Toni Hill)
07 – East Africa
08 – Don’t Cry For Us (w/ Khingz Makoma & Toni Hill)
09 – In This Together
10 – The Dirty 6
11 – It’s That (w/ Geologic)
12 – Third World Wide
13 – Warriors (Lovework Reprise)
14 – Chili Sauce
15 – Find A Place (w/ Rajnii Eddins)
16 – Lovework (w/ Toni Hill)
17 – Rest ‘O Me Dayz (w/ Khingz Makoma)
