New Music Video - Kanye West "Homecoming"

We get a new music video about once a month from Kanye and usually they're a little though provoking or bring us something new visually that we hadn't seen. The Video for "Homecoming" however is a mix between Common's "The Corner" video and an Ipod commercial. Lot's of Chicago landmarks and tall corner shots mixed with Chris Martin's silhouette dancing, singing and playing piano. We love the song but we've seen this type of video before. Also whats with the shot at the end where Kanye has a gangster posse following him through the streets of Chicago.
Gander On!

New Video- Common Feat. Lily Allen - "Driving Me Wild"

This video just made our Monday. Common's third video off of "Finding Forever" is hot. We open to find Lily in a nice green dress wearing combat boots and holding a gas mask and Common dressed up like James Bond chillin in a Bentley. Later Common's chillin in the club with Jeremy Piven and Lily's in a space suit(If you look close you can catch the reflection of some crew members). It's even got Rufus's daughter kelly from Entourage in it. There's alot more but we don't want to spoil it for you.

Gander On!

Common Live in Santa Monica

Common rocked a free show at the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica to celebrate the release of Finding Forever. The show was put on in part by Hear Music - Common is the first hip hop artist to have his album sold at Starbucks. Common played for nearly an hour with a set comprised mostly of songs from the new album but some oldies as well.

Here are some photos:

Gander On!

Common Freestyle

Finding Forever drops toady and if you don't have it yet you need to get it soon. The album is hot and so is this freestyle courtesy of AOL.

Common - 16 Bars Freestyle
Uploaded by yardie4life

Gander On!

Common - Finding Forever - Album Review

4.5 ninjastars out of 5

"Ladies And Gentlemen
It's the C-O double M-O-N
synonym for fresh"
you should all remember him.

With this opening salvo (save the last line which I added) the Chi-city legend returns with Finding Forever his 7th album and second produced by Kanye West. Although I loved Be and was excited about the first two singles "The People" and "The Game" (Where have you been Premier?!?) I was afraid that he would continue to move away from his vocal (such as "Funky for You" off Like Water For Chocolate) and thematic (ie I Used to Love H.E.R off Resurrection) experimentation of his illustrious career.

To me Common represents all that hip-hop could and should be about. And although he has almost completely abandoned the almost spoken word or open mike poetry-style elements of his flow he still addresses subject matter that every rapper with lil' or young in front of his name wouldn't touch with the cliche ten-foot-pole. Such as the traps of materialism ("Drivin' Me Wild"), racial self-hatred ("Black Maybe"), and conversations with your maker ("Misunderstood").

Some people would say this makes him a sensitive MC. I would say that complete is a more fitting term because while Common has a large range of topics and emotions to draw inspiration from the average rapper is so afraid of appearing emotionally insecure that he not only reveals that he his but makes it hard to appreciate more than the rare single let alone call his work art. Whether or not Common ever reaches true commercial success who knows. He's like the rap Derrick Jeter. Whether or not he hits the most home runs or makes the most money the man is a champion.

Further listening - essential tracks from Common's career -
I Used to Love H.E.R
Nuthin' To Do
Communism
Reminding Me of Self
Retrospective For Life
Invocation
The Light
Funky For You
6th Sense
A Song For Assata
1-9-9-9
Respiration (Black Star feat. Common)
I Am Music
Go
Chi City Gander On!

Common "Finding Forever" Album Leak

We were going to post this link with J-Buc's review but We've been listening all weekend and can't get enough. "Back in 94 they called me Chi towns Nas, now these ni**as know I'm one of Chi towns gods." This album is hot Period!

Common - Finding Forever Album Leak Gander On!

Common "The People" Video

The second single off of Common's upcoming release "Finding Forever" is a smooth jazzy beat with a slightly sped up sample for the hook. With this single and "The Game," "Finding Forever" is shaping up to be one of the best this year.

Gander On!

Music Videos Galore

There have been a lot of new music videos released this week. Below you'll find the new video for "Down Boy" from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Gander On for more videos from Mark Ronson Featuring an animated Lily Allen, Common Freestyling on Rap City, Lupe Fiasco, Aly and AJ, and What Made Milwaukee Famous.




Mark Ronson Feat. Lily Allen "Oh My God"



Common Rap City Freestyle



Lupe Fiasco "He Say, She Say"


Aly And AJ "Potential Breakup Song"



What Made Milwaukee Famous "Idecide"





Gander On!

Guru Feat. Common and Bob James "State of Clarity" Video

We've always been a fan of Guru's Jazzmatazz series and today he's dropping volume 4 on us. In this animated video Common plays a Cat and Guru plays what looks to be a crow. It's a little confusing but overall it's great and looks to be based a little on the Fritz the Cat movie.

Other performers appearing on the Solar produced Jazzmatazz Volume 4 are , Damian Marley, Bobby Valentino, Vivian Green, and Blackalicious. Gander On after the video for the complete tracklisting.





1. Cuz I'm Jazzy-Feat. Slum Village
2. State Of Clarity-Feat. Common And Bob James
3. Stand Up (Some Things'll Never Change)-Feat. Damian Marley
4. Look To The Sun (Solar)
5. Connection-Feat. Kem
6. Fine and Free-Feat. Vivian Green
7. Wait On Me-Feat. Raheem DeVaughn
8. International-Feat. Bobby Valentino
9. This Is Art-Feat. Ronny Laws
10. Fly Magnetic-Feat. Dionne Farris
11. The Jazz (Style)-Feat. Omar
12. Follow The Signs-Feat. Shelley Harland
13. Universal Struggle-Feat. Brownman
14. Infinite-Feat. Blackalicious
15. Kissed The World-Feat. Caron Wheeler
16. Living Legend-Feat. David Sanborn
Gander On!