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COMMON Be Good/Geffen ****

In a perfect world, it would be Common, not 50 Cent, who would be making the hip-hop headlines. Be is the Chicago rapper's sixth album and, like the bulk of his back catalogue (save 2002's somewhat scrambled Electric Circus), it's a work of considerable class. While most socially conscious hip-hoppers are worthy but often dull, Common's musings on the ups and downs of life and love are passionate and powerful. On Be, they also sound splendid, thanks to the presence of super-producer Kanye West. There's plenty of West's trademark hooks and teases here - the startling use of an old soul sample on Testify, the infectious soulful funk on Be (Intro) - but it's Common who really calls the shots. Whether it's the dusty ode to the good old days (The Corner with the Last Poets) or the majestic Faithful, this is hip-hop as it was surely meant to be.

[ www.common-music.comOpens in new window ]

Jim Carroll