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.
The Invocation
Common Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a Quest for Love like the Proceed drummer
I strike like lightning and don't need thunder
Inhale imagination and breathe wonder
That's your lady, I used to run up in her and G weed from her
It's a cold world and niggas need summer
At times my going forward seems like retreat
As I rewrite rhyme after rhyme and throw away beats
There's a thin line between war and peace, whores and jeeps
Ignore MCs like beeps, scribblin' freedom on pages
My third eye is like pink eye, seemin' contagious
Redeemin' the ancients with ace this rhyme jargon
I feel Mexican, hip hop is my garden
Don't give a fuck where you chartin', certain shit I can't honor
It ain't that you sellin', it's your karma
Rappers I monitor like a chaperone, you large and haven't grown
Poetically perform fly-bys, another rapper gone
The stage becomes a catacomb, I rap like a mummy
Not for the money, I could have sampled Diana Ross a long time ago
My mind of flow is like motor key 20
Youngblood said he had dimes, I prayed that he see twenty
Hollerin' at the brothers, either you gon' be a thug or a man
Flip drugs and get land, I can see my man Rashad
As he described how the bucks hit him
And said slugs was still stuck in him, when it rained, it fucked wit' him
This bucket interrupt wisdom and asked when my album was comin'
I said it's here
It's here, it's here, it's here, it's here, it's here
It's here, it's here, it's here, it's here, it's here
It's here, it's here, it's here, it's here, it's here
It's here, it's here, it's here, it's here, it's here
It's here, it's here, it's here, it's here, it's here
The lyrics of "Invocation" by Common are a reflection on the rapper's life, experiences, and his quest for love and peace in a world full of violence and coldness. He begins by invoking the afterlife and seeking inspiration from Stevie Wonder, whom he admires. Common is on a quest for love, using the drum beats of the Proceed drummer to guide him. He believes in striking with power and imagination, taking in wonder and exhaling creativity. He acknowledges his past, stating that he used to sleep with someone's lady and smoke weed with their friends. It's a cold world, and he believes people need summer, meaning warmth and comfort.
He acknowledges his growth as a rapper, both mentally and musically, and the thin line between war and peace, suggesting that the world tends to mix the two. Common refuses to be just another rapper, ignoring those who don't uphold the same high standards as him. He writes freedom on pages, using his third eye to share his truth and insights with others. He wants to redeem the old way of doing things in hip hop, preserving it as a fertile ground to grow into the future.
He does not care about charting and commercial success; he seeks to honor his karma and hold true to his values. He watches over other rappers to ensure they maintain the same level of quality and growth that he seeks for himself. In the end, the stage becomes a place of change, as he transforms into a mummy, preserving the past as he moves into the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Envisioning the hereafter, listenin to Steve Wonder
Thinking about the afterlife and listening to Stevie Wonder's music
On a Quest for Love like the Proceed drummer
Searching for true love like the drummer from the band The Roots
I strike like lightning and don't need thunder
I am powerful and don't need any extra noise to make an impact
Inhale imagination and breathe wonder
I take in creativity and breathe wonder into everything around me
That's your lady, I used to run up in her and G weed from her
I used to have a sexual relationship with a woman who is now with someone else
It's a cold world and niggaz need summer
Life can be tough and people need times of happiness and warmth to balance it out
At times my going forward seems like retreat
Sometimes it feels like I am not moving forward with my goals, but actually taking a step back
As I rewrite rhyme after rhyme and throw away beats
I constantly work on my music, refining my lyrics and discarding old beats
Growing into my britches, outgrowing the streets
I am maturing and moving beyond the rough environment of the streets
There's a thin line between war and peace, whores and jeeps
There is a delicate balance between opposing forces like war and peace, or innocent women and flashy cars
Ignore MCs like beeps, scribblin freedom on pages
I pay no attention to other rappers' taunts, focusing instead on expressing myself through writing
My third eye is like pink eye, seemin contagious
My intuition and insight is so strong it can spread to others like an infection
Redeemin the ancients with ace this rhyme jargon
I am reviving old styles of music with my excellent rhyming skills
I feel Mexican, hip hop is my garden
Although I am black, I feel a connection to Mexican culture and see hip hop as my creative outlet
Don't give a fuck where you chartin, certain shit I can't honor
I don't care how popular an artist is, there are some things I just cannot support
It ain't that you sellin, it's your karma
It's not about the money you make, but the energy you put out into the world that determines your fate
Rappers I monitor like a chaperone, you large and haven't grown
I keep an eye on other rappers like a chaperone, noticing that some have achieved fame but have not matured
Poetically perform fly-bys, another rapper gone
I deliver poetic verses that are like a drive-by shooting, taking down other rappers with my wordplay
The stage becomes a catacomb, I rap like a mummy
The stage is like a tomb, and I perform as if I am a mummy brought back to life through rap
Not for the money, I could have sampled Diana Ross a long time ago
I am not in this for the money, I could have used a popular sample from Diana Ross but chose not to
My mind of flow is like motor key 20
My rhyming ability is like a high-performance engine
Youngblood said he had dimes, I prayed that he see twenty
A young person claimed to have drugs, but I hope he doesn't end up in trouble with the law
Hollerin at the brothers, either you gon be a thug or a man
I am calling out to my fellow men, telling them they need to choose between a life of crime and violence, or of being a true man
Flip drugs and get land, I can see my man Rashad
Selling drugs to buy property is the path some people take, and I can see a particular friend of mine doing this
As he described how the bucks hit him
As he explained how he was shot and injured
And said slugs was still stuck in him, when it rained, it fucked wit him
He revealed that bullets were still lodged in his body from the shooting, and when it rained he experienced pain
This bucket interrupt wisdom and asked when my album was comin
Someone with no respect interrupted my conversation to ask when my album would be released
I said it's here
I simply replied that my album was already available
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: William James Wilson, Olga Kharitidi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joshua Wright
This track is ridiculously good.. And short enough to repeat a few times.
Christopher Lucas
Joshua Wright I know. I wish this was longer. Fuckin classic. This dude embodied hip hop in Chicago.
MK-Ultra Mags
I play this for 15min straight
M Peters
...but also worthy of one of those 10 Hours of...videos
Jason Hairston: Little Sun
One of the dopest beats of all time.
Love Powers
📠
Facts
Mr. Midnight
Some songs make you simply say.....THIS IS HIP HOP.
El 47
Lol frl
Rodney Wright
I can play the beat endless times
Sluggz McGee
Been a fan of this brother ever since Can I Borrow A Dollar (1992). I was just starting junior high. I'm now a 41 year old grandfather. I've watched Common evolve paralleled with his music. I witnessed him being Unsigned Hype in Source magazine to being a multi-platinum, Grammy and Oscar award winning philanthropist/artist. And he did it by being himself. He didn't have to follow the trend of being a gun-slinging, tatted up, trap-thug. He was comfortable in his own skin and blazed his own trail and guess what... IT WORKED! Common, I salute you, sir.