Its rare that you find a mainstream hip-hop artist, that still have a huge underground following, a recognized actor, and the backing of a record label that appreciates and pushes lyricism of their artist as a major marketing tool. Kanye West’s GOOD Music imprint has a hefty conglomerate-sized roster, that include one half of The Clipse, Pusha T, Big Sean, Cyhi Da Prynce, Mos Def, Kid Cudi, and John Legend. Although Mr. West has more gadgets than a Batman utility belt, one of his prized weapons happens to be his close friend, admitted influence, and fellow Chicago native, Common. Common has blessed the game with tracks that made you love hip-hop again if you had a bad break-up. “Love of my Life” feat Erykah Badu is a hip-hop classic, and who can forget “Testify” which featured the beautiful and talented Taraji P. Henson. He is one of the first signees to the label, and has released many Grammy-nominated albums. In this addition of WBLB, we explore “The Corner” from the album, “Be”. This record echoes soulful, gritty spoken word cuts from The Last Poets. Kanye West contributes a heart pounding hook, accompanied by Common’s smooth mind-cranking flow that gives us his illuminating point of view of our urban street corners. Check it.
Verse 1:(Common)
Memories on corners with the fo’s and the mo’s
Walk to the store for the rose, talking straightforward to hoes
Got uncles that smoke, and some put blow up they nose
To cope with the lows, the wind is cold and it blows
In they socks and they soles, niggaz holdin’ they rolls
Corners leave souls opened and closed, hopin’ for mo’
We know where to go, niggaz rollin’ in droves
They shoot the wrong way, cuz they ain’t know and they goes
The streets ain’t safe cuz they ain’t knowing the code
By the foes I was told, either focus or fold
Got cousins with flows, hope they open some doors
So we can cop clothes and roll in a Rolls
Now I roll in a Olds, with windows that don’t roll
Down the roads where cars get broken and stole
These are the stories told by Stony and Cottage Grove
The world is cold, the block is hot as a stove
On the corners
Hook:
(Kanye West)
I wish I could give this feelin’
I wish I could give this feelin’
On the corners niggaz rob or kill
And dyin’ just to make a livin’, huh?
(Spoken: Last Poets)
We underrated, we educated
The corner was our time when times stood still
And gators and snakes gangs and yellow and pink
And colored blue profiles glorifying that
Verse 2: (Common)
Street lights and deep nights, cats tryin’ to eat right
Ridin’ no-seat-bikes, with work to feed hypes
So they can get sweet Nike’s, they head and they feet right
Desires of street life, cars and weed types
Its hard to breathe nights, days are thief-like
The beasts roam the streets, the police is Greek-like
Game that is deep, we speak and believe hype
Banged in the streets has cop left for deep life
Its steep life, coming up where niggaz is sheep-like
Rappers and hoopers, we strive to be like
G’s with three strikes, seeds that need light
Cheese and recite, needs and BE strife
The corner, where struggle and greed fight
We write songs about wrong cuz its hard to see right
Look to the sky, hoping it will bleed light
Reality’s a bitch, and I heard that she bites
The corner
Hook:
(Kanye West)
I wish I could give this feelin’
I wish I could give this feelin’
On the corners niggaz rob or kill
And dyin’ just to make a livin’, huh?
(Spoken: Last Poets)
The corner was our magic, our music, our politics
Fires raised as tribal dances and war cries
Broke out on different corners
Power to the people
Black power
Black is beautiful
Verse 3: (Common)
Black church services, murderers, Arabs serving burgers
As cats with gold permanents, move they bags as herbalists
The dirt isn’t just fertile, its people workin’ and earnin’ this
The curb getters go where the cats flow and the current is
Its so hot that niggaz burn to live
The furnace is, whether money movin’, the determined live
We talk shit, play lotto, and buy German beers
Its so black packed with action that’s affirmative
The corners
Hook:
(Kanye West)
I wish I could give this feelin’
I wish I could give this feelin’
On the corners niggaz rob or kill
And dyin’ just to make a livin’, huh?
(Spoken: Last Poets)
The corner was our Rock of Gibraltar, our Stonehenge
Our Taj Mahal, our monument
Our testimonial to freedom, to peace, and to love
Down on the corner
