The Corner (song)
Encyclopedia
"The Corner" is the second single released by rapper
Common
on his sixth album, Be. It features a chorus
and production by Kanye West
as well as spoken word
lyrics by The Last Poets
. The song's lyrics deal with street corners in poor neighborhoods. The song's beat contains samples
from "You Make the Sun Shine" by The Temprees and "What It Is" by The Temptations
. Because of the song's gritty sound, some fans considered it to be a return to Common's Resurrection
days. A music video directed by Kanye West was made for "The Corner."
at the 48th Grammy Awards. Spence D. of IGN.com explains the basis for its success writing:
In addition, Nathan Brackett of Rolling Stone
states that it is one of the "hardest-rocking tracks of Common's career." Pitchfork Media
's Tom Breihan considers the beat to be "dusty and heavenly." Steve Juon of RapReviews.com claims Common's lyrics to contain profound observations of urban life that show why hip hop is the "black man's CNN
."
Common understands that critics consider "The Corner" to be a return from his Electric Circus
style. As he says on "They Say" from his 2005 album Be: "They say the crochet pants and the sweater was wack/Seen 'The Corner', now they say that nigga's back."
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
Common
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
on his sixth album, Be. It features a chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
and production by Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
as well as 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....
lyrics by The Last Poets
The Last Poets
The Last Poets is a group of poets and musicians who arose from the late 1960s African American civil rights movement's black nationalist thread...
. The song's lyrics deal with street corners in poor neighborhoods. The song's beat contains samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
from "You Make the Sun Shine" by The Temprees and "What It Is" by The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
. Because of the song's gritty sound, some fans considered it to be a return to Common's Resurrection
Resurrection (Common album)
Resurrection is the second album by American rapper Common . Released in 1994 , the album received a great deal of critical acclaim, but not a significant amount of mainstream attention. Resurrection was entirely produced by No I.D. , and Ynot...
days. A music video directed by Kanye West was made for "The Corner."
Acclaim
"The Corner" attained some commercial success reaching #42 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, but was even more popular among critics. Amongst other accolades, it was nominated as the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or GroupGrammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded between 1991 and 2011, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
at the 48th Grammy Awards. Spence D. of IGN.com explains the basis for its success writing:
In addition, Nathan Brackett of Rolling Stone
Rolling 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...
states that it is one of the "hardest-rocking tracks of Common's career." 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...
's Tom Breihan considers the beat to be "dusty and heavenly." Steve Juon of RapReviews.com claims Common's lyrics to contain profound observations of urban life that show why hip hop is the "black man's CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
."
Common understands that critics consider "The Corner" to be a return from his 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...
style. As he says on "They Say" from his 2005 album Be: "They say the crochet pants and the sweater was wack/Seen 'The Corner', now they say that nigga's back."
Remixes
- The official remixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
featuring Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, The Last PoetsThe Last PoetsThe Last Poets is a group of poets and musicians who arose from the late 1960s African American civil rights movement's black nationalist thread...
, ScarfaceScarface (rapper)Brad Terrence Jordan , better known by his stage name Scarface, is an American rapper, and recording artist from Houston, Texas and a member of the Geto Boys. He is originally from South Park, Houston.-Life and career:...
, Mos DefMos DefDante 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...
and a new verse by Common can be found on Scarface's 2005 album My Homies Part 2My Homies Part 2My Homies Part 2 is the ninth studio album by Scarface and follow-up to his 1998 album, My Homies. Released as a Double album, My Homies Part 2 was a success, having made it to 12 on the Billboard 200.-Track listing:4:58-Bonus Disc Tracks:...
. It was also released by Common as a single. - This song was covered with heavily-revised lyrics by ClipseClipseClipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
on their We Got It 4 Cheap: Vol. 2 mixtapeMixtapeA Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
.
A-side
- "The Corner" (Radio) (3:46)
- "The Corner" (Instrumental) (3:46)
- "The Corner" (Radio A Capella) (3:34)
B-side
- "The Corner" (LP) (3:46)
- "The Corner" (LP A Capella) (3:46)
- "The Corner" (Last Poet Reprise) (3:46)
Chart positions
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
10 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 42 |