Common: Resurrection Vinyl LP

Why you'll love it

This Columbia / Legacy reissue, pressed in the EU, brings the Chicago classic back to vinyl. In 1998 The Source named it one of its 100 Best Hip Hop Albums.

This edition

Pressed in the EU
Stereo mix

About the album

Chicago's South Side has Stony Island Avenue running right through it, and Common built a whole album around it. Resurrection is split into the "East Side of Stony" and the "West Side of Stony," with short interludes stitching together a loose story of day-to-day life in the neighbourhood where he grew up. It's also the last album to carry his full original name, Common Sense, before he trimmed it down.

No I.D., who'd produced most of his debut, handles the bulk of the beats here, all warm jazz loops and dusty drums. "I Used to Love H.E.R." is the masterpiece, a love story that turns out to be about hip hop itself, and it brought Common to the attention of fans and critics alike. "Resurrection" is a lyrical showcase, "Thisisme" reflects on how far he'd grown since 1992, and "Chapter 13 (Rich Man vs. Poor Man)" is a thoughtful two-sided debate. The closer, "Pop's Rap," is the first of the spoken-word pieces by his father, Lonnie "Pops" Lynn Sr., that have ended his albums ever since.

Brian Coleman's book Check the Technique breaks it down track by track, and critics often hold it up as a classic. It's a rare rap record where the most quoted guest is the artist's dad, and frankly he earns his spot.

Also at Kops: more Common on vinyl · browse Hip Hop / R&B

Tracklist

Side A
1. Resurrection
2. I Used To Love H.E.R.
3. Watermelon
4. Book Of Life
5. In My Own World (Check The Method)
6. Another Wasted Nite With...
7. Nuthin' To Do

Side B
1. Communism
2. WMOE
3. Thisisme
4. Orange Pineapple Juice
5. Chapter 13 (Rich Man Vs. Poor Man)
6. Maintaining
7. Sum Sh*t I Wrote
8. Pop's Rap