S. Samuel
Chicago rap veteran Common is back on his grizzly after taking a slight break from the music scene by announcing plans to release a new album called Nobody Smiling.
The G.O.O.D. Music affiliate has promised his new project will help make this year one of his most memorable in the entertainment biz.
“2014 will one of my greatest times in music,” the prolific wordsmith promised during a sit-down with REVOLT before a recent show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Why is he feeling this way? Well, Common is actually prepping the arrival of his 10th studio album, Nobody Smiling–a title that stays true to enriching his troubled hometown of Chicago. “I feel excited about the project that I’m working on. It’s called Nobody Smiling and it’s an album that originally I was making an EP but, we’ve just been making a lot of songs-myself and No I.D.–and I liked the direction,” he admits. (Revolt TV)
Common also noted how much Chicago’s violent scene played into his project’s title.
Speaking on the call-to-action concept of Nobody Smiling, Com says, “We came up with this concept Nobody Smiling [and it] was really a thought that came about because of all the violence that was going on in Chicago, or that is going on in Chicago. I like to say was because we’re going to bring it into fruition that it’s going to stop and all the violence that was going on and it happens in Chicago but it’s happening around the world in many ways.” (Revolt TV)
Along with the announcement, the rapper-turned-actor has released his new “War” song.
Well that didn’t take long. After announcing a new album completely produced by No ID’s Cocaine 80’s collective, Common has dropped the first offering from his new album. Titled “War,” Common does what he does best and describes the rough socioeconomic and cultural problems plaguing his home town of Chicago. The beat is sinister and Common’s rhymes are as sharp as ever. Common’s album Nobody Smiling has no release date as of yet, but this will have to do for now. (Complex)
When asked about changing one key characteristic last September, Common admitted Chi-Town’s violence outweighed everything else.
So then, what is the most important message we can give to young people who are witnessing daily violence in their neighborhoods? “This is a broad thought but loving yourself, and having the support so that you can love yourself is the most important thing that young people in Chicago can get. Because when you love and value yourself, you love and value others,” Common said. “You won’t put yourself in the position where there’s violence.” If you could change just one thing about our fair city what would it be? “It’s definitely the violence.” (Huffington Post)
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Check out Common’s “War”:
