One Day It'll All Make Sense

Rap Pages - "...his brand-new bevy of rhymes and life...finds Common mathematically speaking, searching for understanding in his God year....Common offers a water bed of live ivory ticklings, spaced drum thumps and understated strings..." Spin - 8 (out of 10) - "...Common is that rare MC who can spit memorably rugged freestyle boasts, yet slide right back into the role of serious messenger, and not seem contradictory..." Q - Included in Q Magazine's "50 Best Albums of 1997." The Source - 3.5 Mics (out of 5) - "...the former Common Sense has continued to get better with each and every rhyme he's penned.... [C]ritical praise and grassroots appeal are how he's cultivated his career..." Rolling Stone - 3.5 Stars (out of 5) - "Common could be the most thoughtful, lyrically skilled rapper you've never heard of....Common's incisive observations offer a contrast to the materialism drowning today's hip-hop..." Q (1/98, p.111) - Included in Q Magazine's "50 Best Albums of 1997." The Source (11/97, p.160) - 3.5 Mics (out of 5) - "...the former Common Sense has continued to get better with each and every rhyme he's penned.... [C]ritical praise and grassroots appeal are how he's cultivated his career..." Rap Pages (11/97, p.107) - "...his brand-new bevy of rhymes and life...finds Common mathematically speaking, searching for understanding in his God year....Common offers a water bed of live ivory ticklings, spaced drum thumps and understated strings..." Rolling Stone (1/22/98, p.58) - 3.5 Stars (out of 5) - "Common could be the most thoughtful, lyrically skilled rapper you've never heard of....Common's incisive observations offer a contrast to the materialism drowning today's hip-hop..." Spin (12/97, p.156) - 8 (out of 10) - "...Common is that rare MC who can spit memorably rugged freestyle boasts, yet slide right back into the role of serious messenger, and not seem contradictory..."

Common's third and most introspective album is a career-making effort. The man people knew as Common Sense dropped the later half of his moniker along with the forty-and-blunts rhymes to reflect on themes such as adulthood, the pitfalls of self-hatred, abortion, and fatherhood. Complete with some of the most impressive and inspired production of the '90s, with the lion's share attributed to No I.D., ONE DAY IT'LL ALL MAKE SENSE is one to remember.
Common invited an impressive group of friends over for this outing. One standout pairing is his teaming up with Goodie Mob's Cee-Lo on "G.O.D"., where the two ponder the state of religion with more honesty than Oral Roberts and Jim Baker could muster in an entire career. Other guests include Q-Tip, Lauryn Hill, De La Soul, and Erykah Badu. Of course, Common tears through the solo cuts with ease just to show you he doesn't need a little help from his friends. When a '90s hip-hop revival takes root, this is one of the albums your kids will steal from your collection. You better get two.|