As well as music, Common has worked as an actor, on films such as 'Smokin' Aces' (as Sir Ivy) 'American Gangster' (as Turner Lucas), 'Wanted', and 'John Wick: Chapter 2'. He may also be seen in cameo roles in films such as 'Brown Sugar'.
His debut was the 1992 album Can I Borrow A Dollar, but he achieved little critical or commercial success until 1994's Resurrection, an instant classic. He produced several more albums, notably Like Water For Chocolate and the highly experimental Electric Circus, before releasing the Kanye West and J Dilla-produced Be in 2005, which was his first album to receive widespread mainstream appeal and radio playtime.
Common is considered a "cred" artist, which has lead him to collaborations with the likes of De La Soul, Jadakiss, T.I, Talib Kweli, The Roots, Kanye West, Lily Allen, Erykah Badu, and Fort Minor.
The 2007 album Finding Forever was produced mainly by long-time collaborator, Kanye West. Common released his eighth album Universal Mind Control in 2008, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album but lost to the Eminem album Relapse. He released his ninth album The Dreamer/The Believer in 2011. Nobody's Smiling, his tenth album, was released in 2014. The concept of the album was inspired by his troubled hometown of Chicago.
No Defense
Common Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't dream up the reasons
Why you try to extrude my confidence.
I have no defense,
Giving me no motive to stab me in the back,
I've only been your friend for years
And years to come. is it a joke,
Cause I'm not laughing,
Feel free to take hits on me
And don't worry about an apology
Cause it makes you feel good to stand your ground.
When it comes to playing my game,
You know I'm outta my league.
Tongue tied battered and reversed,
I can't get up to speed,
If I make the rules, you break, feel .
Like a fool who's been taken through the ringer
In Common's song "No Defense," the artist speaks about his struggles and frustrations with a friend who constantly puts him down and undermines his confidence. The lyrics suggest that the artist (Common) has a peaceful and non-confrontational nature and does not understand why his friend would choose to hurt him. He expresses his vulnerability and lack of defense, feeling like a fool who has been taken through the ringer.
This song touches upon the theme of toxic friendships, where one person constantly puts down the other and causes emotional distress. The lyrics showcase Common's vulnerability, highlighting the emotional impact of being put down, which can often be just as damaging as physical harm. The artist also implicitly critiques his friend's behavior, questioning if it's a joke, and portraying the friend as someone who takes pleasure in standing their ground regardless of how they hurt others.
Line by Line Meaning
Conflict and jeopardy, I avoid confrontation,
I try to stay away from conflicts and risky situations where I might have to confront someone.
I can't dream up the reasons
I don't understand why you are trying to undermine my confidence.
Why you try to extrude my confidence.
You are making an effort to strip me of my self-assurance and make me doubt myself.
I have no defense,
I am defenseless against your attacks and accusations.
Giving me no motive to stab me in the back,
I have done nothing to give you a reason to betray me or treat me poorly.
I've only been your friend for years and years to come. is it a joke,
I have been your loyal friend for a long time, which makes it hard to believe that you are betraying me.
Cause I'm not laughing,
I don't find this situation humorous or amusing in any way.
Well I guess it is cause I'm still standing.
Despite your attempts to bring me down, I am still persevering and standing strong.
Feel free to take hits on me
You can continue to criticize and attack me if it makes you feel better.
And don't worry about an apology
I don't expect you to apologize for your behavior and actions.
Cause it makes you feel good to stand your ground.
You are enjoying the feeling of asserting your superiority and control over me.
When it comes to playing my game,
I feel like I am not good enough or experienced enough to compete with you.
You know I'm outta my league.
You are much better at this than I am, and I am struggling to keep up.
Tongue-tied battered and reversed,
I am struggling to communicate my thoughts and feelings because of the way you are treating me.
I can't get up to speed,
I am falling behind and can't keep up with you in terms of skill or ability.
If I make the rules, you break, feel.
Even if I try to establish boundaries or create a fair playing field, you are willing to break those rules to get ahead.
Like a fool who's been taken through the ringer
I feel foolish and worn out after being subjected to your mistreatment and manipulation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANTHONY KHAN, LONNIE LYNN, LONNIE RASHID LYNN, TONY CRAIG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
hoopvision68
Thanks for watching! More information on Baylor's defense in this post from our Hoop Vision Weekly newsletter here: https://hoopvision.substack.com/p/hv-weekly-defensive-juggernauts-272020
Ben Charlton
In football, the "plays" can be relatively obvious to make out. But in BBall, it's much harder for a typical fan to appreciate how much strategy and organization goes into running efficient, on-court plays.
Dr Johnson
So true! I played basketball my whole life and only now at 40 am I understanding how it’s all about team strategy and plays. I just got frustrated at nba teams not being able to at least take away something from the offense and searched “take away the three point defense “ and got this
Bmonty
You guys are missing his point. He isn't saying football is "less complex" than basketball. He is making the point that my wife, who knows jack all about sports, can quickly understand the basic functions of football. The ball is snapped, the QB takes the snap and either hands off the ball or looks for a place to throw it. The same can not be said for basketball at all. Unless you have a legitimate understanding of basic basketball concepts nothing is outright discernible. You will never understand why the ball goes to certain areas of the court, why certain guys set screens or cut to the basket, why something that looks awful was actually a good offensive possession and why a throw up made basket was an awful offensive possession without some in depth knowledge of the game of basketball. To a completely untrained eye all basketball looks the same. Somebody who knows very little about football can still see basic concepts and aspects of the game. The main reason? Football has down and distance. Basketball does not and is a constant state of play. This is part of the reason football is the #1 sport in America by an incredible margin. You don't really have to possess any prior knowledge to enjoy the game.
Bug
@DinoGaming44 I don’t think he’s referring to realizing what plays they are before or during the play, rather knowing what happened and how AFTERWARDS. In football, most fans can recognize the amount of skill and expertise needed to make and run plays, and know how complicated the strategies are. In basketball most fans don’t realize that there is a lot of planning and technique, even though it isn’t as much as football
D Davis
@Nohavenameiwant they play once a week because it's way more damaging to your body. Imagine player 3 to 4 games a week. Dudes would be retiring in their 2nd and 3rd seasins.
Nohavenameiwant
You know why football plays once a week while basketball plays 3-4 times a week? Because Football has to prepare for the week. If you’d ever seen a video of what it takes to prepare for a football game, you’d be shocked
Vagary
This is a strong defense against “inside-out” offenses, but a high-assist 3-point shooting team will eat this up.
Vagary
@Only Facts hahaha ok
Only Facts
@Vagary SO?
Just because its number 1 that doesnt mean its still bad.
GOT IT?
Of course not.