Common

Common is one of the most highly influential figures in rap music, keeping the sophisticated lyrical technique and flowing syncopations of jazz-rap alive as commercial trends have threatened to obliterate the style's advancements. The Chicago MC's outward-looking, nimbly performed rhymes and political consciousness haven't always fit the fashions of rap trends, but his albums have consistently hit the Top Ten of the R&B/hip-hop chart and been praised by critics. Since achieving mainstream popularity with the gold-selling full-lengths Like Water for Chocolate (2000), Be (2005),...