Like Water for Chocolate (album)
Encyclopedia
Like Water for Chocolate is the fourth studio album
by American hip hop
rapper Common
, released March 28, 2000 on MCA Records
. It was a considerable critical and commercial breakthrough for Common, receiving generally favorable reviews from major magazine publications and selling 70,000 copies in its first week. The album was certified Gold
on August 11, 2000 by the Recording Industry Association of America
. According to Nielsen SoundScan
, the album has sold 748,000 copies by March 2005. The video for "The Light" was frequently shown on MTV
, adding to Common's exposure. The album also formally marked the formation of the Soulquarians
, a collective composed of ?uestlove
(of The Roots
), Jay Dee
(formerly of Slum Village
), keyboardist James Poyser
, soul artist D'Angelo
and bassist Pino Palladino
, among numerous other collaborators. This group of musicians would also be featured on Common's next album, Electric Circus
.
The album's cover photo, 1956 Alabama by Gordon Parks
, is a photo of a young black woman in Alabama
, dressed for church, and drinking from a "Colored Only
" drinking fountain
.
, Common moved to New York City
where he began collaborating with the Soulquarians at Electric Lady Studios
. It was there that Ahmir Thompson (?uestlove) who oversaw the album's production, introduced Common to D'Angelo
. Thompson had been doing a great deal of producing there with several members of the Soulquarians, including D'Angelo. The track "Geto Heaven Part Two" was originally supposed to be a track on D'Angelo's 2000 album Voodoo, but was traded for "Chicken Grease," a track which Common had intended to include on Like Water for Chocolate. ?uestlove on "Chicken Grease":
novel Like Water for Chocolate
, which was adapted into a movie in 1992. The phrase "Like water for chocolate" is of Spanish origin (translated, como agua para chocolate). In many Latin American countries, hot chocolate is made with water rather than milk. The phrase refers to someone who has reached their boiling point, like water ready to be used to make chocolate. In an interview with Combustible the Poet, Common compared the main character, Tita de la Garza's passion for food with his passion for music:
Another popular interpretation of the album title ties in the phrase with the image on the cover of the album. Using the word 'chocolate' to symbolise people of dark skin color and the words 'like water' to describe the racially provocative concept of providing drinking water of exactly the same likeness for two different races alludes to the famous image and the themes of race that are found within the lyrical content of the album.
themes. It borrows from the Afrobeat
genre on the track "Time Travelin' (A Tribute To Fela
)", the Tony Allen
-sampling "Heat" and the Slum Village-assisted "Nag Champa
(Afrodisiac For The World)". MC Lyte
and Mos Def
join Common for the amusing "A Film Called (Pimp)" and "The Questions," respectively. In the former, Common sends up his own "conscious" image with a skit depicting him as a hypocritical woman-beater.
Like Common's previous two albums, Like Water for Chocolate closes with spoken word
recited by Common's father Lonnie "Pops" Lynn
. A slightly altered version of the album was released after its success on the charts, with the Macy Gray
-assisted "Geto Heaven Remix T.S.O.I. (The Sound of Illadelph)
" replacing the original.
As of 2011, the musical interludes on tracks such as "A Film Called Pimp" and "Time Travelling" have been removed from all online versions of the album, possibly due to uncomfirmed sample-clearing issues.
, and conscious hip hop artists do not achieve great mainstream success. Yet despite being Common's first commercially successful album, Like Water for Chocolate maintains the same level of concern and social responsibility that had previously been seen in Common's first three albums. The album contains significant afrocentric elements which are particularly evident on "Time Travelin' (A Tribute to Fela)" and "Time Travelin' (Reprise)." Both tracks discuss the ills of modern society and are a tribute to Fela Kuti
, a pioneer of Afrobeat
music and a prominent human rights
activist, with "Time Travelin' (Reprise) featuring Kuti's son, Femi Kuti
. Track 2, "Heat" samples Tony Allen
, Fela Kuti's one-time fellow band member and co-founder of the Afrobeat genre.
Also unique are "Payback is a Grandmother" and "A Song for Assata." "Payback is a Grandmother" is a continuation of the series of "Stolen Moment" songs that appeared on One Day It'll All Make Sense
, whereby Common weaves a fictional tale in which he pursues a thief (on this occasion the thugs who have robbed his grandmother). Amidst the intricate caper, the song emphasizes the importance of family values. As Common says in the song's intro "I don't know what was on y'all niggaz birds to go up to the boat - and start robbin old folks". The song ends in a skit involving police officers at the scene of a crime where, breaking out of character, one of the officers can be heard saying "the skit definitely needs more added to it... Someone get Prince Paul on the phone please" - the last remark being a recognition of Prince Paul's reputation as a pioneer of the album skit.
"A Song for Assata" chronicles the arrest
, trial
, incarceration
and Cuba
n political asylum of Assata Shakur
(a member of the Black Panther Party
, after whom Common named his daughter, Omoye Assata Lynn). The spoken word piece at the end of the track is a quote from Assata Shakur. During the album's creation, Common traveled to Havana
, Cuba
where he met and talked with Shakur. The excerpt used details Shakur's thoughts on what freedom is and what it means to be free. As she notes:
Working as both a battle song and self-reflection, the sensuous "Nag Champa (Afrodisiac for the World)" sees Common proclaiming himself "The Earth, Wind, and Fire of hip hop" while admitting "By Rakim
and Short I been inspired" - a comment which compounds the two very contrasting rap artists. Common goes on to note:
"Nag Champa" is one of a few rare occurrences in which Common's frequent collaborator, producer J Dilla
takes on the role of singer. Common later explained:
and The Ummah
. Common and Jay Dee both hailed from the Great Lakes
region (Jay Dee from Detroit
and Common from Chicago
) and were good friends. The track "Thelonius" was even placed on both Like Water for Chocolate and Slum Village's 2000 release Fantastic, Vol. 2
.
Common also wanted to work with DJ Premier
, citing Gang Starr
as one of his favorite groups to listen to. In an interview with New Jeru Poet, Common described his motivation to work with DJ Premier:
s kris ex, who called Common "A hip-hop MC willing to actually examine himself through his art." Spin Magazine gave it a rating of 8/10 calling it "His most aggressive and powerful record yet." The Wire
called it his "best album", and Mojo
chimed in with "most user-friendly contribution so far to the wave of 'conscious' rap". NME
called him a "great storyteller" who is "Equal parts philosopher and documentarian". In 2004, PopMatters
' Marc Lamont Hill
named the album his personal favorite, writing:
The music online magazine
Pitchfork Media
placed Like Water for Chocolate at number 169 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s.
The album's hit single, "The Light
" received a 2001 Grammy Award nomination
for Best Rap Solo Performance.
. It featured the Soulquarians more prominently than Like Water for Chocolate, but was not nearly as successful because of its more eclectic vision, and relatively poor promotion from MCA Records
. Electric Circus was considered a commercial disappointment, selling just over 200,000 copies, whereas its predecessor sold over twice that many.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
rapper Common
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
, released March 28, 2000 on MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. It was a considerable critical and commercial breakthrough for Common, receiving generally favorable reviews from major magazine publications and selling 70,000 copies in its first week. The album was certified Gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
on August 11, 2000 by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. According to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
, the album has sold 748,000 copies by March 2005. The video for "The Light" was frequently shown on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, adding to Common's exposure. The album also formally marked the formation of the Soulquarians
Soulquarians
The Soulquarians is a neo soul and hip hop-informed musical collective with members from Philadelphia, New York, Detroit, Richmond, Brooklyn, Chicago, Dallas, and Oakland. The collective formed during the late 1990s, continuing into the early 2000s, and produced several well-received albums...
, a collective composed of ?uestlove
?uestlove
Ahmir Khalib Thompson known professionally as ?uestlove or Questlove , is an American drummer, DJ, music journalist and record producer...
(of The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
), Jay Dee
J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
(formerly of Slum Village
Slum Village
Slum Village was a hip hop group from Conant Gardens, Detroit, Michigan.The group was formed by three members: rappers Baatin and T3, plus rapper and producer J Dilla . J Dilla left in 2002 to pursue a solo career with MCA Records...
), keyboardist James Poyser
James Poyser
James Poyser in Sheffield, England is a multi-Grammy winning songwriter, musician and multi-platinum producer.Poyser has written and produced songs for various legendary and award-winning artists including Erykah Badu, Mariah Carey, John Legend, Lauryn Hill, Common, Anthony Hamilton, D'Angelo,...
, soul artist D'Angelo
D'Angelo
Michael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...
and bassist Pino Palladino
Pino Palladino
Pino Palladino is a Welsh bass guitarist who gained fame playing primarily rock and roll, blues rock, and rhythm and blues music, although he has been lauded for his ability to play most genres of popular music, including jazz, neo soul, and funk...
, among numerous other collaborators. This group of musicians would also be featured on Common's next album, Electric Circus
Electric Circus (album)
Electric Circus is the fifth studio album by rapper Common, released December 10, 2002 on the now-defunct MCA Records. The album was highly anticipated and praised by many critics for its ambitious vision. However, it was not as commercially successful as his previous album, Like Water for...
.
The album's cover photo, 1956 Alabama by Gordon Parks
Gordon Parks
Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks was a groundbreaking American photographer, musician, poet, novelist, journalist, activist and film director...
, is a photo of a young black woman in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, dressed for church, and drinking from a "Colored Only
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
" drinking fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
.
Background
Following 1997's One Day It'll All Make SenseOne Day It'll All Make Sense
One Day It'll All Make Sense is the third studio album by rapper Common, September 30, 1997 on Relativity Records. It was the follow-up to his critically acclaimed album Resurrection and the last Common album to feature producer No I.D.. Until 2011, Common stated No I.D...
, Common moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he began collaborating with the Soulquarians at Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios, at 52 West 8th Street, in New York City's Greenwich Village, is a recording studio originally built by Jimi Hendrix and designed by John Storyk in 1970...
. It was there that Ahmir Thompson (?uestlove) who oversaw the album's production, introduced Common to D'Angelo
D'Angelo
Michael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...
. Thompson had been doing a great deal of producing there with several members of the Soulquarians, including D'Angelo. The track "Geto Heaven Part Two" was originally supposed to be a track on D'Angelo's 2000 album Voodoo, but was traded for "Chicken Grease," a track which Common had intended to include on Like Water for Chocolate. ?uestlove on "Chicken Grease":
Title significance
The title Like Water for Chocolate comes from the 1989 Laura EsquivelLaura Esquivel
Laura Esquivel is a Mexican author making a noted contribution to Latin-American literature. She was born the third of four children of Julio César Esquivel, a telegraph operator, and Josefa Valdés.-Literary career:...
novel Like Water for Chocolate
Like Water for Chocolate
Like Water for Chocolate is a popular novel published in 1989 by first-time Mexican novelist Laura Esquivel.The novel follows the story of a young girl named Tita who longs her entire life to marry her lover, Pedro, but can never have him because of her mother's upholding of the family tradition...
, which was adapted into a movie in 1992. The phrase "Like water for chocolate" is of Spanish origin (translated, como agua para chocolate). In many Latin American countries, hot chocolate is made with water rather than milk. The phrase refers to someone who has reached their boiling point, like water ready to be used to make chocolate. In an interview with Combustible the Poet, Common compared the main character, Tita de la Garza's passion for food with his passion for music:
Another popular interpretation of the album title ties in the phrase with the image on the cover of the album. Using the word 'chocolate' to symbolise people of dark skin color and the words 'like water' to describe the racially provocative concept of providing drinking water of exactly the same likeness for two different races alludes to the famous image and the themes of race that are found within the lyrical content of the album.
Music
Like Water for Chocolate is notable for its afrocentricAfrocentrism
Afrocentrism is cultural ideology mostly limited to the United States, dedicated to the history of Black people a response to global racist attitudes about African people and their historical contributions by revisiting this history with an African cultural and ideological center...
themes. It borrows from the Afrobeat
Afrobeat
Afrobeat is a combination of traditional Yoruba music, jazz, highlife, funk and chanted vocals, fused with percussion and vocal styles, popularised in Africa in the 1970s. Its main creator was the Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who gave it its name, who used it to...
genre on the track "Time Travelin' (A Tribute To Fela
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
)", the Tony Allen
Tony Allen (musician)
Tony Oladipo Allen is aNigerian drummer, composer, and songwriter who currently lives and works in Paris. He is currently writing his autobiography "Tony Allen: Master Drummer of Afrobeat" with author/musician Michael E...
-sampling "Heat" and the Slum Village-assisted "Nag Champa
Nag Champa
Nag Champa is an Indian fragrance, commonly found in incense, soap, perfume oil, essential oils, candles and personal toileteries originating there. It is commonly used in ashrams.-Composition and properties:...
(Afrodisiac For The World)". MC Lyte
MC Lyte
MC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:...
and Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
join Common for the amusing "A Film Called (Pimp)" and "The Questions," respectively. In the former, Common sends up his own "conscious" image with a skit depicting him as a hypocritical woman-beater.
Like Common's previous two albums, Like Water for Chocolate closes with spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
recited by Common's father Lonnie "Pops" Lynn
Lonnie Lynn
Lonnie Lynn, nicknamed "Pops" , is a retired American basketball player.At 6'7" and 215 lb, he was a forward and played basketball at DuSable High School on Chicago's south side before moving on to Wilberforce University and Upper Iowa University.Lynn was drafted by the St...
. A slightly altered version of the album was released after its success on the charts, with the Macy Gray
Macy Gray
Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,...
-assisted "Geto Heaven Remix T.S.O.I. (The Sound of Illadelph)
Geto Heaven Remix T.S.O.I. (The Sound of Illadelph)
"Geto Heaven Remix T.S.O.I. " is the third single from rapper Common's 2000 album Like Water for Chocolate. It features Macy Gray and was produced by Questlove and James Poyser, both of whom are members of the Soulquarians...
" replacing the original.
As of 2011, the musical interludes on tracks such as "A Film Called Pimp" and "Time Travelling" have been removed from all online versions of the album, possibly due to uncomfirmed sample-clearing issues.
Lyrical content
Like previous albums from Common, the subject matter discussed in Like Water for Chocolate is of a socially conscious nature. Typically, conscious hip hop's greatest following is undergroundUnderground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
, and conscious hip hop artists do not achieve great mainstream success. Yet despite being Common's first commercially successful album, Like Water for Chocolate maintains the same level of concern and social responsibility that had previously been seen in Common's first three albums. The album contains significant afrocentric elements which are particularly evident on "Time Travelin' (A Tribute to Fela)" and "Time Travelin' (Reprise)." Both tracks discuss the ills of modern society and are a tribute to Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
, a pioneer of Afrobeat
Afrobeat
Afrobeat is a combination of traditional Yoruba music, jazz, highlife, funk and chanted vocals, fused with percussion and vocal styles, popularised in Africa in the 1970s. Its main creator was the Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who gave it its name, who used it to...
music and a prominent human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist, with "Time Travelin' (Reprise) featuring Kuti's son, Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti popularly known as Femi Kuti, is a Nigerian musician and the eldest son of afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti....
. Track 2, "Heat" samples Tony Allen
Tony Allen (musician)
Tony Oladipo Allen is aNigerian drummer, composer, and songwriter who currently lives and works in Paris. He is currently writing his autobiography "Tony Allen: Master Drummer of Afrobeat" with author/musician Michael E...
, Fela Kuti's one-time fellow band member and co-founder of the Afrobeat genre.
Also unique are "Payback is a Grandmother" and "A Song for Assata." "Payback is a Grandmother" is a continuation of the series of "Stolen Moment" songs that appeared on One Day It'll All Make Sense
One Day It'll All Make Sense
One Day It'll All Make Sense is the third studio album by rapper Common, September 30, 1997 on Relativity Records. It was the follow-up to his critically acclaimed album Resurrection and the last Common album to feature producer No I.D.. Until 2011, Common stated No I.D...
, whereby Common weaves a fictional tale in which he pursues a thief (on this occasion the thugs who have robbed his grandmother). Amidst the intricate caper, the song emphasizes the importance of family values. As Common says in the song's intro "I don't know what was on y'all niggaz birds to go up to the boat - and start robbin old folks". The song ends in a skit involving police officers at the scene of a crime where, breaking out of character, one of the officers can be heard saying "the skit definitely needs more added to it... Someone get Prince Paul on the phone please" - the last remark being a recognition of Prince Paul's reputation as a pioneer of the album skit.
"A Song for Assata" chronicles the arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
, trial
Trial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
, incarceration
Incarceration
Incarceration is the detention of a person in prison, typically as punishment for a crime .People are most commonly incarcerated upon suspicion or conviction of committing a crime, and different jurisdictions have differing laws governing the function of incarceration within a larger system of...
and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n political asylum of Assata Shakur
Assata Shakur
Assata Olugbala Shakur is an African-American activist and escaped convict who was a member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army...
(a member of the Black Panther Party
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
, after whom Common named his daughter, Omoye Assata Lynn). The spoken word piece at the end of the track is a quote from Assata Shakur. During the album's creation, Common traveled to Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
where he met and talked with Shakur. The excerpt used details Shakur's thoughts on what freedom is and what it means to be free. As she notes:
I know a whole more about what freedom isn't
Than about what it is, cause I've never been free.
I can only share my vision with you of the future, about what freedom is.
Working as both a battle song and self-reflection, the sensuous "Nag Champa (Afrodisiac for the World)" sees Common proclaiming himself "The Earth, Wind, and Fire of hip hop" while admitting "By Rakim
Rakim
William Michael Griffin Jr. , known by his stage names Rakim , Rakim Allah, R.A.K.I.M., and The Master, is an American rapper. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled emcees of all time. Eric B...
and Short I been inspired" - a comment which compounds the two very contrasting rap artists. Common goes on to note:
The mind is funny, how it's spent on gettin' it [money]
I'm sittin wit descendants of AbrahamAbrahamAbraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
Who say the jam is "Money, Cash, HoesMoney, Cash, Hoes"Money, Cash, Hoes" is a song featured on Jay-Z's third album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life. It features rapper DMX and production by Swizz Beatz. Its beat features a heavy use of descending synthesizers...
"
"Nag Champa" is one of a few rare occurrences in which Common's frequent collaborator, producer J Dilla
J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
takes on the role of singer. Common later explained:
Production
Although Questlove was the album's executive producer, a large deal of the production work was handled by Jay Dee of Slum VillageSlum Village
Slum Village was a hip hop group from Conant Gardens, Detroit, Michigan.The group was formed by three members: rappers Baatin and T3, plus rapper and producer J Dilla . J Dilla left in 2002 to pursue a solo career with MCA Records...
and The Ummah
The Ummah
The Ummah was a music production collective, composed of members Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, and the late Jay Dee of the Detroit-based group Slum Village. Occasional members included Raphael Saadiq, and D'Angelo...
. Common and Jay Dee both hailed from the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
region (Jay Dee from Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
and Common from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
) and were good friends. The track "Thelonius" was even placed on both Like Water for Chocolate and Slum Village's 2000 release Fantastic, Vol. 2
Fantastic, Vol. 2
Fantastic, Vol. 2 is the second album from Detroit's Slum Village, released in 2000. During the time of its release the group was still composed of its earliest members T3, Baatin and Jay Dee....
.
Common also wanted to work with DJ Premier
DJ Premier
Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...
, citing Gang Starr
Gang Starr
Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...
as one of his favorite groups to listen to. In an interview with New Jeru Poet, Common described his motivation to work with DJ Premier:
Reception
Like Water For Chocolate received positive reviews from music critics such as Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s kris ex, who called Common "A hip-hop MC willing to actually examine himself through his art." Spin Magazine gave it a rating of 8/10 calling it "His most aggressive and powerful record yet." The Wire
The Wire (magazine)
The Wire is a British avant garde music magazine, founded in 1982 by jazz promoter Anthony Wood and journalist Chrissie Murray. The magazine initially concentrated on contemporary jazz and improvised music, but branched out in the early 1990s to various types of experimental music...
called it his "best album", and Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
chimed in with "most user-friendly contribution so far to the wave of 'conscious' rap". NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
called him a "great storyteller" who is "Equal parts philosopher and documentarian". In 2004, PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
' Marc Lamont Hill
Marc Lamont Hill
Marc Lamont Hill is an American academic, commentator, author, activist, and television personality. He currently serves as an Associate Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. Hill is also an affiliated faculty member in African American Studies at the Institute for Research in...
named the album his personal favorite, writing:
The music online magazine
Online magazine
An online magazine shares some features with a blog and also with online newspapers, but can usually be distinguished by its approach to editorial control...
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
placed Like Water for Chocolate at number 169 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s.
The album's hit single, "The Light
The Light (Common song)
----"The Light" is the Grammy-nominated second single off Common's 2000 album Like Water for Chocolate. It is produced by Jay Dee and features keyboards performed by James Poyser. It samples "Open Your Eyes" as performed by Bobby Caldwell and the drums from "You're Getting a Little too Smart" by...
" received a 2001 Grammy Award nomination
Grammy Awards of 2001
The 43rd Grammy Awards were held on February 21, 2001. Steely Dan was the biggest winner winning three awards including Album of the Year for Two Against Nature. U2 was also a big winner winning three awards as well; including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for Beautiful Day. Dr...
for Best Rap Solo Performance.
Accolades
Information is taken from AcclaimedMusic.net.| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addicted to Noise | USA | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #19 |
| Aftenposten Aftenposten Aftenposten is Norway's largest newspaper. It retook this position in 2010, taking it from the tabloid Verdens Gang which had been the largest newspaper for several decades. It is based in Oslo. The morning edition, which is distributed across all of Norway, had a circulation of 250,179 in 2007... |
Norway | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #33 |
| Amazon.com Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and... |
USA | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #61 |
| Barnes & Noble.com Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton... |
USA | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #54 |
| BigO | Singapore | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #4 |
| Dagsavisen Dagsavisen Dagsavisen is a daily newspaper published in Oslo, Norway. The former party organ of the Norwegian Labour Party, the ties loosened over time from 1975 to 1999, and it is now fully independent... |
Norway | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #13 |
| Ink Blot Magazine | USA | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #3 |
| Iguana | Spain | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #24 |
| Intro | Germany | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #2 |
| Les Inrockuptibles Les Inrockuptibles Les Inrockuptibles is a French cultural magazine. Started as a monthly magazine in 1986, it became weekly in 1995. The name is a play on "Les Incorruptibles", the French title of the American television series The Untouchables... |
France | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #21 |
| Sean Mattson | UK | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #1 |
| Musik Express/Sounds | Germany | Albums of 2000 | 2001 | #28 |
| Muzik Magazine | UK | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #10 |
| Natt & Dag | Norway | Albums of the Year | 2000 | — |
| Nöjesguiden Nöjesguiden Nöjesguiden is a Nordic free-of-charge young adult monthly magazine, available in the major cities in Sweden, which was established in 1982. In Finland, the equivalent magazine is City-lehti and in Norway Natt og Dag.... |
Sweden | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #2 |
| Trax Trax Trax may refer to:in Music:*'Trax' may be shorthand for 'Tracks'*Trax , the debut album from Japanese electronic music group Ravex*TRAX , a Korean rock band... |
France | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #62 |
| OOR | Netherlands | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #45 |
| Rock de Lux | Spain | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #6 |
| Spex Spex (magazine) Spex is a prominent German rock and pop culture magazine located in Berlin, Germany. Besides music news, Spex also covers literature, cinema, fashion and contemporary social trends... |
Germany | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #9 |
| The Village Voice The Village Voice The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City... |
USA | 2000 Pazz & Jop Poll | 2000 | #24 |
| Wall of Sound Wall of Sound The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s... |
USA | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #17 |
| Zundfunk | Germany | Albums of the Year | 2000 | #6 |
Later albums
Following the success of LWFC, Common continued collaborating with the Soulquarians for his next album, Electric CircusElectric Circus (album)
Electric Circus is the fifth studio album by rapper Common, released December 10, 2002 on the now-defunct MCA Records. The album was highly anticipated and praised by many critics for its ambitious vision. However, it was not as commercially successful as his previous album, Like Water for...
. It featured the Soulquarians more prominently than Like Water for Chocolate, but was not nearly as successful because of its more eclectic vision, and relatively poor promotion from MCA Records
Music Corporation of America
MCA, Inc. was an American talent agency. Initially starting in the music business, they would next become a dominant force in the film business, and later expanded into the television business...
. Electric Circus was considered a commercial disappointment, selling just over 200,000 copies, whereas its predecessor sold over twice that many.
Track listing
Track listing and production credits are taken from the album's liner notes.Original release
| # | Title | Time | Performer(s) | Songwriters | Producer(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Time Travelin' (A Tribute to Fela Fela Kuti Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:... )" |
6:37 | Common, Vinia Mojica Vinia Mojica Vinia Mojica is a singer from Queens, New York, best known for her collaborations with the Native Tongues collective and other hip hop artists.... , Roy Hargrove Roy Hargrove Roy Anthony Hargrove is an American jazz trumpeter. He won worldwide notice after winning two Grammy Awards for differing types of music, in 1997, and in 2002... , Femi Kuti Femi Kuti Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti popularly known as Femi Kuti, is a Nigerian musician and the eldest son of afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti.... |
Lonnie Lynn, Michael Archer D'Angelo Michael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,... , Ahmir Thompson, James Poyser James Poyser James Poyser in Sheffield, England is a multi-Grammy winning songwriter, musician and multi-platinum producer.Poyser has written and produced songs for various legendary and award-winning artists including Erykah Badu, Mariah Carey, John Legend, Lauryn Hill, Common, Anthony Hamilton, D'Angelo,... , James Yancey J Dilla James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan... |
D'Angelo D'Angelo Michael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,... , Questlove, James Poyser, Jay Dee |
|
| 2 | "Heat" | 3:41 | Common | Lonnie Lynn | Jay Dee |
|
| 3 | "Cold Blooded" | 4:58 | Common, Rahzel Rahzel Rahzel M. Brown, also known as simply Rahzel, is an American musician and virtuoso beatboxer, formerly a member of The Roots.Nicknamed the "Godfather of Noyze," Rahzel is known for an ability to sing or rap while simultaneously beatboxing, as evidenced in his performances of "Iron Man" and his... , Roy Hargrove, Black Thought Black Thought Tariq Trotter , better known as Black Thought, is an American hip-hop artist who is the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group The Roots and occasional actor... |
Lonnie Lynn, Ahmir Thompson, Michael Archer, Rahzel Brown, Tariq Trotter, Kelo Saunders |
D'Angelo, Questlove, Kelo, The Roots The Roots The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals... |
George Clinton (funk musician) George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost... |
| 4 | "Dooinit" | 3:37 | Common | Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey |
Jay Dee |
Rick James James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B... |
| 5 | "The Light The Light (Common song) ----"The Light" is the Grammy-nominated second single off Common's 2000 album Like Water for Chocolate. It is produced by Jay Dee and features keyboards performed by James Poyser. It samples "Open Your Eyes" as performed by Bobby Caldwell and the drums from "You're Getting a Little too Smart" by... " |
4:21 | Common | Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey, Bobby Caldwell Bobby Caldwell Bobby Caldwell is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who, despite a prolific musical output over his 30-year career, is still best known for his 1978 hit single "What You Won't Do for Love". While he has always maintained a devoted fan base in the United States, a legendary... , Norman Harris Norman Harris Norman Harris was an American guitarist, producer, arranger and songwriter associated with Philly soul. He was a founding member of MFSB and one-third of the production trio of Baker-Harris-Young... , Bruce Malament |
Jay Dee |
|
| 6 | "Funky for You" | 5:55 | Common, Bilal Bilal (musician) Bilal Sayeed Oliver , better known by his stage name Bilal, is an American neo soul/jazz singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He is also a core member of the loose collective, the Soulquarians. Bilal started out by singing in small clubs until he began classical training in jazz and big-band... , Jill Scott Jill Scott Jill Scott is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. In 2007, Scott made her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and in Tyler Perry's feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That year, her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on... |
Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey, James Poyser, Bilal Oliver |
Jay Dee, James Poyser |
|
| 7 | "The Questions" | 4:09 | Common, Mos Def Mos Def Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which... |
Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey, James Poyser, Dante Smith |
Jay Dee, James Poyser |
|
| 8 | "Time Travelin' Reprise" | 1:33 | Interlude | Lonnie Lynn, Michael Archer, Ahmir Thompson, James Poyser, James Yancey |
D'Angelo, Questlove, James Poyser, Jay Dee |
|
| 9 | "The 6th Sense The 6th Sense "The 6th Sense" is the first single from Common's 2000 album Like Water for Chocolate and is a b-side of "The Light." It is produced by DJ Premier making it the only song on Common's 2000 album not produced by a member of the Soulquarians... " |
5:19 | Common, Bilal |
Lonnie Lynn, Bilal Oliver, C. Martin, Kejuan Muchita, Albert Johnson Prodigy (rapper) Lance Albert Johnson Banks, better known as Prodigy, is an American rapper and one half of the hip-hop and rap duo Mobb Deep.... |
DJ Premier DJ Premier Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru... |
Mobb Deep Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones... The Intruders The Intruders were an American soul music group most popular in the 1960s and 1970s. As one of the first groups to have hit songs under the direction of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, they had a major influence on the development of Philadelphia soul.... |
| 10 | "A Film Called (Pimp)" | 6:05 | Common, Bilal, MC Lyte MC Lyte MC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:... |
Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey, Bilal Oliver |
Jay Dee |
|
| 11 | "Nag Champa (Afrodisiac for the World)" | 5:10 | Common | Lonnie Lynn James Yancey |
Jay Dee |
Hugh Hopper Hugh Colin Hopper was a progressive rock and jazz fusion bass guitarist. He was a prominent member of the Canterbury scene, as a member of Soft Machine and various other related bands.-Early career:... and Alan Gowen Alan Gowen Alan Gowen was a fusion/progressive rock keyboardist, best known for his work in Gilgamesh and National Health.-History:... on the album Two Rainbows Daily. |
| 12 | "Thelonius" | 4:41 | Common, Slum Village Slum Village Slum Village was a hip hop group from Conant Gardens, Detroit, Michigan.The group was formed by three members: rappers Baatin and T3, plus rapper and producer J Dilla . J Dilla left in 2002 to pursue a solo career with MCA Records... |
Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey, Titus Glover, R.L. Altman III |
Jay Dee | |
| 13 | "Payback Is a Grandmother" | 4:30 | Common | Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey, James Brown, Fred Neslay, John Starks John Starks (drummer) John "Jabo" Starks is an American funk and blues drummer. He is best known for playing with James Brown. Starks played on many of Brown's biggest hits, either as the sole drummer or in tandem with Clyde Stubblefield, including "The Payback", "Sex Machine", "Super Bad", and "Talking Loud and... |
Jay Dee |
James Brown James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr... |
| 14 | "Geto Heaven Part Two" | 5:18 | Common, D'Angelo |
Lonnie Lynn, Michael Archer, Ahmir Thompson, James Poyser, Peter Lord, Sandra S. Victor, Vernon Smith |
D'Angelo, Questlove, James Poyser |
|
| 15 | "A Song for Assata" | 6:48 | Common, Cee-Lo Cee-Lo Thomas DeCarlo Callaway , better known by his stage name Cee Lo Green, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor... |
Lonnie Lynn, James Poyser, Thomas Burton |
James Poyser | |
| 16 | "Pop's Rap III... All My Children" | 5:09 | Lonnie "Pops" Lynn Lonnie Lynn Lonnie Lynn, nicknamed "Pops" , is a retired American basketball player.At 6'7" and 215 lb, he was a forward and played basketball at DuSable High School on Chicago's south side before moving on to Wilberforce University and Upper Iowa University.Lynn was drafted by the St... |
Lonnie Lynn Sr., Erykah Badu Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical... , A. Scott, Karriem Riggins Karriem Riggins Karriem Riggins is a jazz drummer, hip hop producer, dj, and sometime rapper. He is a former member of the Ray Brown Trio and Mulgrew Miller trio and currently appears in the Diana Krall quartet.... , Fela Kuti Fela Kuti Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:... |
Karriem Riggins |
Fela Kuti Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:... |
Alternate version
| # | Title | Time | Performer(s) | Songwriters | Producer(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Time Travelin' (A Tribute to Fela)" | 6:37 | Common, Vinia Mojica, Roy Hargrove, Femi Kuti |
Lonnie Lynn, Michael Archer, Ahmir Thompson, James Poyser, James Yancey |
D'Angelo, Questlove, James Poyser, Jay Dee |
|
| 2 | "Heat" | 3:41 | Common | Lonnie Lynn | Jay Dee |
|
| 3 | "Cold Blooded" | 4:58 | Common, Rahzel, Roy Hargrove, Black Thought |
Lonnie Lynn, Ahmir Thompson, Michael Archer, Rahzel Brown, Tariq Trotter, Kelo Saunders |
D'Angelo, Questlove, Kelo, The Roots |
|
| 4 | "Dooinit" | 3:37 | Common | Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey |
Jay Dee |
Contains a sample of "Give It To Me Baby" as performed by Rick James Rick James James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B... |
| 5 | "The Light" | 4:21 | Common | Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey, Bobby Caldwell, Norman Harris, Bruce Malament |
Jay Dee |
|
| 6 | "Funky for You" | 5:55 | Common, Bilal, Jill Scott |
Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey, James Poyser, Bilal Oliver |
Jay Dee, James Poyser |
|
| 7 | "The Questions" | 4:09 | Common, Mos Def |
Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey, James Poyser, Dante Smith |
Jay Dee, James Poyser |
|
| 8 | "Time Travelin' Reprise" | 1:33 | Common | Lonnie Lynn, Michael Archer, Ahmir Thompson, James Poyser, James Yancey |
D'Angelo, Questlove, James Poyser, Jay Dee |
|
| 9 | "The 6th Sense" | 5:19 | Common, Bilal |
Lonnie Lynn, Bilal Oliver, C. Martin, Kejuan Muchita, Albert Johnson |
DJ Premier |
The Intruders The Intruders were an American soul music group most popular in the 1960s and 1970s. As one of the first groups to have hit songs under the direction of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, they had a major influence on the development of Philadelphia soul.... |
| 10 | "A Film Called (Pimp)" | 6:05 | Common, Bilal, MC Lyte |
Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey, Bilal Oliver |
Jay Dee | |
| 11 | "Nag Champa (Afrodisiac For The World)" | 5:10 | Common | Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey |
Jay Dee |
Hugh Hopper Hugh Colin Hopper was a progressive rock and jazz fusion bass guitarist. He was a prominent member of the Canterbury scene, as a member of Soft Machine and various other related bands.-Early career:... and Alan Gowen Alan Gowen Alan Gowen was a fusion/progressive rock keyboardist, best known for his work in Gilgamesh and National Health.-History:... on the album Two Rainbows Daily. |
| 12 | "Thelonius" | 4:41 | Common, Slum Village |
Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey, Titus Glover, R.L. Altman III |
Jay Dee | |
| 13 | "Payback Is a Grandmother" | 4:30 | Common | Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey, James Brown, Fred Neslay, John Starks |
Jay Dee |
|
| 14 | "Geto Heaven Remix T.S.O.I. (The Sound of Illadelph) Geto Heaven Remix T.S.O.I. (The Sound of Illadelph) "Geto Heaven Remix T.S.O.I. " is the third single from rapper Common's 2000 album Like Water for Chocolate. It features Macy Gray and was produced by Questlove and James Poyser, both of whom are members of the Soulquarians... " |
5:08 | Common, Macy Gray Macy Gray Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,... |
Lonnie Lynn, Ahmir Thompson, James Poyser |
Questlove, James Poyser |
|
| 15 | "A Song for Assata" | 6:48 | Common, Cee-Lo |
Lonnie Lynn, James Poyser, Thomas Burton |
James Poyser | |
| 16 | "Pop's Rap III... All My Children" | 5:09 | Lonnie "Pops" Lynn | Lonnie Lynn Sr., Erykah Badu, A. Scott, Karriem Riggins |
Karriem Riggins |
|
Album
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
||
| 2000 | Like Water for Chocolate | #16 | #5 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | Rhythmic Top 40 | ||
| 2000 | "The Light" | #44 | #12 | #13 | #21 |
| 2000 | "The 6th Sense" | — | #87 | #14 | — |
| 2001 | "Geto Heaven, Part 2" | — | #61 | — | — |
External links
- Ready for the Majors at Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....