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.
Retrospective For Life feat. Lauryn Hill
Common Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You look at your brother man you gotta see yourself
Gotta see the God within him
Brothers getting changed real quick over nothing
We losing too many of ours
Gotta recreate y'all
Yo check it,
Cause I created you irresponsibly
Subconsciously knowing the act I was a part of
The start of something, I'm not ready to bring into the world
Had myself believing I was sterile
I look into mother's stomach, wonder if you are a boy or a girl
Turning this woman's womb into a tomb
But she and I agree, a seed we don't need
You would've been much more than a mouth to feed
But someone, I would of fed this information I read
to someone, my life for you I would of had to leave
Instead I lead you to death
I'm sorry for taking your first breath, first step, and first cry
But I wasn't prepared mentally nor financially
Having a child shouldn't have to bring out the man in me
Plus I wanted you to be raised within a family
I don't want to, go through the drama of having a baby's momma
Weekend visits and buying J's ain't gon' make me a father
For a while bearing a child is something I never wanted to do
For me to live forever I can only do that through you
Nerve I got to talk about them niggas with a gun
Must have really thought I was God to take the life of my son
I could have sacrificed going out
To think my homies who did it I used to joke about, from now on
I'ma use self control instead of birth control
Cause $315 ain't worth your soul
$315 ain't worth your soul
$315 ain't worth it
[Lauryn Hill]
I, never dreamed you'd leave, in summer
You said you would be here when it rained
[Common] Yo
Why didn't you stay
Seeing you as a present and a gift in itself
You had our child in you, I probably never feel what you felt
But you dealt with it like the strong black woman you are
Through our trials and tribulations, child's elimination
An integration of thoughts I feel about the situation
Back and forth my feelings was pacing
Happy deep down but not joyed enough to have it
But even that's a lie in less than two weeks, we was back at it
Is this unprotected love or safe to say it's lust
Busting, more than the sweat in somebody you trust
Or is it that we don't trust each other enough
And believe, having this child'll make us have to stay together
Girl I want you in my life cause you have made it better
Thinking we all in love cause we can spend a day together
We talking spending the rest of our lives
It's too many black women that can say they mothers
but can't say that they wives
I wouldn't chose any other to mother my understanding
But I want our Parenthood to come from Planning
It's so much in my life that's undone
We gotta see eye to eye, about family, before we can become one
If you had decided to have it the situation I wouldn't run from
But I'm walking, finding myself in my God
So I can, discipline my son with my writing
Not have a judge telling me how and when to raise my seed
Though his death was at our greed, with no one else to blame
I had a book of African names, case our minds changed
You say your period hasn't came, and lately I've been sleepy
So quit smoking the weed and the beadies and let's have this boy
[Lauryn Hill]
I, never dreamed you'd leave in summer
You said you would be here when it rained
You said you would be here when it rained
Oh I, never dreamed you'd leave in summer
Now the situation's made things change
Things change
Why, didn't you stay
Why didn't you stay
I, never dreamed you'd leave, in summer
In summer
You said you would be here when, it rained
When it rained, it rained
Oh I, never dreamed, you'd leave in summer
You said you wouldn't leave
Now the situation's made things change
Things change, why didn't you stay?
Stay, stay stay stay stay stay stay
Stay
Oh why didn't you stay
The lyrics to Common feat. Lauryn Hill's song Retrospect For Life touch on various issues surrounding life, parenthood, and responsibility. In the first verse, Common calls for more respect for life and speaks against the senseless violence that plagues so many communities. He urges people to see each other as reflections of themselves, thereby recognizing the inherent dignity in every human being.
The second verse centers around the topic of abortion, as Common grapples with his decision to abort a child he and his partner conceived. He expresses regret for his actions and acknowledges the gravity of taking a life. He explains that he was not mentally or financially prepared to be a parent, and he didn't want to bring a child into the world without a stable family environment. Lauryn Hill's vocals on the chorus convey the sense of loss and sadness that accompanies such a decision, as she mourns the departure of a loved one in the summer rain.
The third verse deals with the complexities of romantic relationships, as Common and his partner try to navigate the aftermath of their abortion. He admits that their love was not built on a solid foundation of trust and commitment, but rather on fleeting moments of passion. He expresses his desire to build a strong, healthy family with his partner, but only if they can come to a mutual understanding and commitment.
Overall, Retrospect For Life is a powerful song that encourages listeners to contemplate the value of human life, the importance of responsible parenthood, and the need for healthy relationships built on mutual trust and respect.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo we gotta start respecting life more y'all
We need to value human life more.
You look at your brother man you gotta see yourself
Empathy is key; we are all connected.
Gotta see the God within him
Recognize the divine in others.
Brothers getting changed real quick over nothing
People are dying needlessly.
We losing too many of ours
Too many people in our community are dying.
Gotta recreate y'all
We need to change our ways and do better.
Knowing you the best part of life do I have the right to take yours
Is it morally justifiable to take someone's life, especially knowing how precious life is?
Cause I created you irresponsibly
I was not prepared to have a child and my actions were careless.
Subconsciously knowing the act I was a part of
I knew what I was doing, but didn't fully comprehend the consequences.
The start of something, I'm not ready to bring into the world
I am not prepared to bring a child into this world.
Turning this woman's womb into a tomb
I have taken away life instead of bringing it into the world.
You would've been much more than a mouth to feed
You were more than an economic burden, you could have had a purpose in this world.
But someone, I would of fed this information I read to someone
I would have taught you everything I know and shared the knowledge.
my life for you I would of had to leave
I would have put my life on hold and dedicated it to you.
Instead I lead you to death
Instead, I chose to end your life before it began.
I'm sorry for taking your first breath, first step, and first cry
I regret not allowing you to have a chance at life.
But I wasn't prepared mentally nor financially
I was not in the right state of mind nor had the means to take care of you.
Having a child shouldn't have to bring out the man in me
Fatherhood should be a choice, not a forced obligation.
Plus I wanted you to be raised within a family
I desired for you to have a nurturing upbringing.
I don't want to, go through the drama of having a baby's momma
I did not want to deal with the tension that comes with co-parenting.
Weekend visits and buying J's ain't gon' make me a father
Being physically present does not equate to being a true father figure.
For a while bearing a child is something I never wanted to do
I never desired to have a child, at least not at that point in my life.
For me to live forever I can only do that through you
I realize that my legacy can live on through my child, but I was not willing to take on the responsibility.
Nerve I got to talk about them niggas with a gun
It's hypocritical of me to criticize others for taking lives.
Must have really thought I was God to take the life of my son
I was acting irrationally and thinking I had more power than I truly did.
I could have sacrificed going out
I could have made a sacrifice and changed my lifestyle.
To think my homies who did it I used to joke about, from now on
I have realized the severity of taking someone else's life and vow to never joke about it again.
I'ma use self control instead of birth control
Instead of relying solely on birth control, I will take more responsibility and practice self-control.
Cause $315 ain't worth your soul
Money is not equivalent to the value of life.
I, never dreamed you'd leave, in summer
I never imagined you would leave so soon.
You said you would be here when it rained
You promised to always be there for me.
Why didn't you stay
I wish you didn't leave.
Seeing you as a present and a gift in itself
I appreciate you and value you as a person.
But you dealt with it like the strong black woman you are
You have shown incredible strength and resilience.
Through our trials and tribulations, child's elimination
We have experienced difficulties, including losing our child.
An integration of thoughts I feel about the situation
The situation has brought about mixed feelings in me.
Is this unprotected love or safe to say it's lust
I question whether our relationship is built upon true love or mere physical attraction.
Busting, more than the sweat in somebody you trust
We were intimate and trusting with each other.
Or is it that we don't trust each other enough
Maybe our lack of trust in each other is the root of our issues.
And believe, having this child'll make us have to stay together
I thought having a child together would bind us together.
Girl I want you in my life cause you have made it better
I value you and want you in my life.
Thinking we all in love cause we can spend a day together
I used to think that just spending time together was indicative of a deep love.
It's too many black women that can say they mothers but can't say that they wives
I want us to be a family, not just co-parents.
I wouldn't chose any other to mother my understanding
I trust you and know that you would be a great mother.
But I want our Parenthood to come from Planning
I want us to be more prepared and responsible before having a child.
It's so much in my life that's undone
There are many things in my life that I still need to achieve.
We gotta see eye to eye, about family, before we can become one
We need to be on the same page and have a clear vision for our family.
If you had decided to have it the situation I wouldn't run from
If you wanted to keep the child, I would have been there for you.
But I'm walking, finding myself in my God
I am on a journey of introspection and finding my faith.
So I can, discipline my son with my writing
I want to raise my child to be a good person, and will use my writing as a tool for discipline.
Not have a judge telling me how and when to raise my seed
I want to have control over how I raise my child, not the court system.
Though his death was at our greed, with no one else to blame
Unfortunately, our lack of responsibility led to our child's death and we must take accountability.
I had a book of African names, case our minds changed
I had researched African names in case we changed our minds about having a child.
You say your period hasn't came, and lately I've been sleepy
You think you may be pregnant based on your missed period and other symptoms.
So quit smoking the weed and the beadies and let's have this boy
In preparation for having a child, it's time to make some lifestyle changes.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JAMES JASON POYSER, LONNIE RASHID LYNN, ERNEST WILSON, STEVIE WONDER, SYREETA WRIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Bigcheese6875
This has to be one of Lauryns best vocal performances ever. So, so beautiful.
@MikeFlanaganMusic
Absolutely incredible
@bisolaneil5083
$315 ain't worth your soul. STILL resonates. First time seeing the video. #tears
@mirgill1
The fact that this song is not over a million views is a travesty because this song is so real and timeless.
@91Definite
That’s because One Day It’ll All Make Sense wasn’t a selling album! Like Water For Chocate was! And it was a major label album! Commons first 3 albums weren’t on a major label which is strange but he was shown on TV
@NicolasWaldvogel
Apart from other reasons it's because of how truthful this song is. Sadly, the majority of people nowadays don't want to hear music with this kind of message. And the mainstream certainly won't push it.. glad you and I found it though <3
@da1fromdaheightz
God save us all
@Woohchaiell
Way back when I was ripping tracks off Limewire and Napster, I just happened to come across this song because Lauryn Hill was one of my favorite artists. Before that, never heard of this song just line many others haven't. It's unfortunate.
@patrickmillion
@MR J ....I can agree and @91definite this album was a classic....the album has some good reviews...I see this as a classic though.
@mbuguagathamuri6386
Common and Lauryn Hill two of the greatest all time musicians. Great song