Chicago rapper unloads the hits

LARAINE WESCHLER

Common
“Thisisme Then: The Best of Common”
(Relativity/Legacy)
Sounds like:  The ultimate album to listen to while wearing your favorite pair of baggy jeans, pretending you’re cool enough to stroll the streets of South Chicago.
Grade: B+

Common’s latest album, “Thisisme Then: The Best of Common,” is a compilation of his greatest early hits. This album is a reminder of why almost every mainstream rapper looks up to his talent. From Jay-Z to Kanye West, rappers reference Common in their lyrics as a true rapper. For old and new fans, this album is a wonderful collection of the genius’ greatest rhymes.

Common first began his career in 1992 in Chicago as a young freestyler. Since then, he’s had several albums climb to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts, and he has had numerous high-profile movie roles, including one in this year’s “American Gangster” with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

“Thisisme Then: The Best of Common” acts as a hall of fame to his lyrics and incredible hip-hop collaborations he has been a part of in the past decade. He has worked with everyone from Kanye West to The Roots. This album includes appearances by Lauryn Hill, Chantay Savage, Erykah Badu, Cee-Lo Green from Gnarls Barkley and Q-Tip.

“Thisisme” is an educational music lesson for anyone who believes rap is thoughtless. Anyone who listens to “Party Like A Rock Star” by Shop Boyz and feels like hip-hop is a worthless genre must pick up this album to remember the great strides and innovations rap music brought from one of its most significant leaders.

-L.P.