If you put Jimi Hendrix, Jethro Tull, The Doors, Prince and a healthy dose of socially conscious hip-hop like De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Public Enemy in a bottle and shook it up, Common’s “Electric Circus” would explode all over the walls.
Recorded predominantly at Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios in New York City, “Electric Circus” thrives on collaboration in every facet, including production, guest appearances and cover artwork–similar to The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s ‘faces in the crowd’ image.
This imagery makes sense as Common slowly unveils his eclectic guest lineup throughout the record which includes Prince, Mary J. Blige, Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab, vocalist Sonny of P.O.D. and Cee-Lo.
With five contributors at the production helm, including the Neptunes (“Come Close”) and Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson of The Roots (“I am Music”), the album touches on elements of acid-rock, big band and even erotica.
Lyrically, Common is a street poet who possesses an uncanny sense of observation, sensitivity and introspection that is all but gone from today’s ‘bitches and hos’ rhyme schemes which oversaturate the genre.
“It was a story of innocence taken/ Thought she could redeem, through love makin’/ When she was eight she was raped by her father/ And tried to escape through multiple sex partners,” Common raps on the thought-provoking “Between Me, You & Liberation.”
Common, formerly of the moniker Common Sense, has remained relatively under the radar since his 2000 release, the critically acclaimed “Like Water for Chocolate.” But like Outkast’s “Stankonia,” this album rises to challenge the pillars of hip-hop.
In “Jimi was a Rock Star,” Common calls up the spirit of ’60s icon Jimi Hendrix in a duet with Erykah Badu that intentionally is uncomfortable and off-kilter with sporadic beats and bedlam guitar interludes reminiscent to the rock ‘n’ roll psychedelic.
“Come Close,” featuring Mary J. Blige and production from the Neptunes, is the first single off “Electric Circus.” It is the standout track on the disc, not because it is the most ground-breaking, but because it is the most predictable. The catchy serenading ballad comes out of nowhere and struggles to stand next to any of the other more bohemian-influenced songs.
Nevertheless, “Come Close” does serve its purpose of getting Common’s name in your mouth and the heartfelt, heavily rotated video has become a staple on MTV and BET recently.
With Jill Scott soulfully fronting a big band in “I am Music,” Common bravely and successfully blends his influences, while dipping in and out of the tune with unsurpassed freshness boasting he is music and “On every station that’s hot you can’t stop my heat/ I taught Jay and Dre how to rock the beat.”
Essentially, “Electric Circus” is the spirit of Hendrix and Common’s deep thought rhymes shine through the hip-hop prism, where new light beams penetrate and create the calico rays of a new presence. Common is a fascinating artist on the hip-hop platform, but his artful rap exploits will be lost in the thumpin’, bumpin’ and thuggin’ of modern rap.