Fans of Common's earlier work will not be pleased with this release. From a lyrical perspective, I've always thought Com was just a bit sloppy with his wording, but he's definitely written plenty of good, clever rhymes throughout his career, and the subject matter of his music has been commendable to say the least. The lyrical content on Finding Forever is a far cry from the socially conscious, culturally relevant music we've all come to expect from Common. It sounds as though he locked himself in a room with a television set and watched VH1 for an entire weekend. Pop culture references like "Ryan and Reese" will leave you dumbfounded. I'm not one to throw around terms like "sellout," but it practically goes without saying on this album. A few catchy beats here and there are all this album has going for it in my opinion. I might recommend downloading some of the better instrumentals (I'm partial to "Break My Heart") and sparing yourself the painful realization that Common has developed a taste for mainstream recognition and there is no turning back.
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