Finding Forever.

Sure, the cover art is a little frou frou (about as frou frou as the one for Electric Circus, ergh) but there's nobody alive today with enough creative acumen to be shitting on The Artist Formerly Known As Sense. Yes, Cube, I mean you too, so shut the uff up, Hollywood.

I remember reading on now-defunct hip hop site Hip Hop Infinity (word to Jay Seagraves) a comment about Com, how as one of the most gifted lyricists in hip hop he doesn't grow upwards - maybe because there's not much higher an emcee can get than Resurrection. But Common does have the ability to surprise heads by expanding horizontally, widening his range of subject matter, themes and emotions to the point where I dismissed him at one point as being a touchy-feely pussywhipped Erykah-yes-dearing emorapper. He isn't, really. He's just out there having fun, doing whatever he can with whatever and whoever he has at hand. And you can't knock that type of hustle.

Finding Forever is Common getting a little older (note the slightly manic KRS-One stare on the cover graphic); his rhymes come a little slower, and you might have heard a simile or two before. His beat choices are pretty good, especially if you're looking for a soft revolutionary: slightly preachy, a little retrospective, and very feelgood. Kanye knows his homeboy, and you get a sense will.i.am went nuts with the hip hop is love vibe on this one. Raise your glasses (of your non-alcoholic beverage of choice, the man is a practicing Sunni, ya heard) to Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. He might not have found it yet, but we're looking forward for him to be doing it forever.

Common - Finding Forever (you gots to geddit geddit)

(And yo. Mad thanks to Kevin The Pug Pug Hitchoo With A Slug for the album. You fucking pirate.)

Common - The Game ft. DJ Premier