Common - Nobody's Smiling Deluxe Ed Album review - by popular demand

I have been a long time fan of the Chi-town Hip Hop aficionado Common Sense or now just Common. He's been in the game an extremely long time and unlike many artists with his style, survived and been extremely popular at times but always seems to rebound. His ear for beats has seemed to develop and mold into a lot more intricate layered offerings for him to rip apart lyrically as oppose to someone like MF DOOM or Kweli who always stay around the same style, Common ventures out and explores different sounds and styles quite a lot. On the opposite end of the spectrum while his beat selection has matured and evolved, his flow has gone in the opposite direction from very deliberate lines to more of a wild type of freestyle, this change has also been evident through his last couple albums. Nobody's Smiling is sort of a compilation of his work over the last 2 years (he had other plans to release an extended play EP and a mixtape but those tracks all turned into his album) all collating with No ID and adding features from newer Def Jam artists like Vince Staples. This is a seminal moment and album for Common since it is his 10th studio album and for a Hip Hop artist that kind of longevity is a feat in itself even with or without commercial success. Anyway let's get into it:

Nobody's Smiling (Deluxe Edition):

The Neighborhood (ft. Lil Herb & Cocaine 80's) - Mayfield sample makes a great start off track to the album. Common takes us on a tour lyrically of where he grew up, very similar track to the corner off the "Be" album. A little slower less aggressive beat but like I mentioned above its a lot more mean flow from Common my goodness but it meshes well with Herb's additional flow, this is a great track especially for the intro track. The interlude after the track is just a simple traffic update of metro Chicago area, something I'm not used to hearing from Common but a nice addition.

2. Diamonds (ft. Big Sean) - A lot different style track for Common but I also NEVER expected a Big Sean feature on a Common album. It honestly does sound a lot like a Sean track and the little bit Sean raps is terrible as it is usually but my goodness Common's flow on this track is absolutely SICK!! Big Sean should add this track to his next album because this track by itself would add 2 more stars to the trash he puts out. It's an outstanding track and truly shows both how eclectic No ID and Common both are because this track sounds so much different than the rest of the album, but it still works and still a great track.

3. Blak Majik (ft. Jhené Aiko) - a lot more aggressive beat with a couple riffs working on this one getting more intricate as the song goes on. He uses the riffs and namesake of the song to flow around the beat. Aiko's singing at the end was nice, wish we could've heard more. An ok track

4. Speak My Piece - LOVE the way No ID built this beat around the Biggie sample OMG. Common shows his respect well and kills this beat lyrically. One of my favorite Common tracks ever I think and that's a huge catalogue but this track really is amazing. This album also might be No ID's best collection of beats in a long time. I'm really feeling this track, a standout one for me.

5. Hustle Harder (ft. Snoh Aalegra & Dreezy) - A lot different track than we usually hear from Common like the Diamonds track but a different style altogether. A very simply crafted beat around the hook and Common uses the song subject as a sort of character in itself in the song. This feels a lot closer to a Jay Z type song or some other more pop artist in my opinion but it's still not a bad track just different. Dreezy is a lot different feature than you expect on a Common album but it fits this song well considering the content of the song.

6. Nobody's Smiling (ft. Malik Yusef) - A very harsh aggressive intricate beat sounds almost like a trap beat. Yusef kinda struggles a but with this beat but he's a little more of a poet than a musical artist. I believe Common wanted him to recite the poem that likely inspired Common to start rapping and the namesake of this album. I hate to say this on the track that is the albums namesake but this for me wasn't as good a track as the rest of most of the album, a throw away track for me.

7. Real (ft. Elijah Blake) - this is more like it. This track sounds a lot more like a true No ID soulful Common beat and I love Blake's beat. This tracks purpose is obvious considering the history of Common (torn down careers of a few rappers who had so called beef even stalled Ice Cube's career for a decade, and now some young cats in the game wanna have beef). The only problem I have is the track isn't long enough but I love it, it's a banger giving newer artists fair warning.

8. Kingdom (ft. Vince Staples) - Very intricate beat with a few samples including a choir sample as the hook. No ID shines on this beat. Common really rips this intricate beat, maybe his best flow on the album. Several take away lines from Vommon on this track. It's exciting to see this as a single to show popular music how hungry Common is and just signing to Def Jam shows these are the type of offerings we will see. I like Vince Staples and his flow melds well on this track, not as strong as Common but he has a bright future. A really great track I'm glad signing to Def Jam will produce great singles like this one.

9. Rewind That - Another great soulful beat with a nice flow to pair. No ID has really done some work on this album and this trackage the Eleanor Mills sample is crafted amazingly on this track. This track gives Common a chance to really pay some homage to the producer that was the cornerstone of Common's career and even GAVE him free beats for his first album J Dilla (R.I.P.) and dedicates his Grammy to him. A nice retrospective track for Common for sure. A standout track.

Bonus tracks:

10. Out on Bond (ft. Vince Staples) - I love this track and beat. No ID does a great job using the sample sounds and crafting a nice beat with a different style and Vince Staples melds well on this track. Commons flow isn't the best so it makes sense why it is a bonus track but the beat makes up for it.

11. 7 Deadly Sins - I like this track as well. It feels more like a Common freestyle lyrically and a very simple beat and Common flows in and out working around the hook riff. I really like this side of Commons flow it really works on this track. It is slower but more of an aggressive style from him. Could've easily made the regular album and been a standout.

12. Young Hearts Run Free (ft. Cocaine 80's) - A nice ending track for this album. Another standout and Cocaine 80's does a nice job singing and adding a backdrop soulful sound to this track (feels a bit like Musiq Soulchild to me). Some more slow flow from Common just not as aggressive as the last track but it is a lot more slow chill type song. Another standout track.

Overall: 8.5 out of 10

Best album honestly I've heard from Common since the Kanye exec produced "Be" album and this is his first offering on Def Jam it is a very promising offering and a fabulous addition to his catalogue that has more than spanned the length of time. It shows his and No ID's longevity and truly is a sign of things to come with Common now on Def Jam and partnered with No ID.