Electric Circus is the fifth studio album by rapper Common, released December 10, 2002 on the now-defunct MCA Records. The album was highly anticipated and praised by many critics for its ambitious vision. However, it was not as commercially successful as his previous album, Like Water for Chocolate, selling under 300,000 copies. An eclectic album, Electric Circus featured fusions of several genres such as hip hop, pop, rock, electronic, and neo soul. "I wasn't feeling hip hop," the rapper remarked. "So my motivation for that album were other genres of music, like Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix. It wasn't hip hop."

I know some of you all are saying, “Damn Kevin, another sample set?” What can I say… I love to dig! I know there are quite a few new albums out that I’ve probably been sleeping on that deserve a review, but I don’t enjoy reviewing as much as I do diggin’. So, I’ve been working on this one for quite some time. You may remember my original post showcasing the samples of Common’s Be back when I only posted snippets of the original songs. Well, I promised I would go back and make official sample sets out of all those and this one seemed to be the most requested. The problem was a few of the songs were a little difficult to come by in their full form. But finally, here it is… search no more!
Released on May 24, 2005, Common went back to his roots when he recorded Be. After the negative criticism he received over Electric Circus, Common decided to take a simpler approach to his next album. He enlisted super-producer Kanye West to produce the entire album. All songs were produced by Kanye, with the exception of two outstanding tracks from the late J Dilla. The formula worked — Be spawned three hit singles (”The Corner”, “Go!”, and “Testify”) and the album itself went to #2 on Billboard.
Common said in a 2005 interview with sixshot.com: “I named it Be to be who you are man and be able to be in the moment and not try too hard. Be is another way of saying just do without trying hard, like I said natural and be true to the core of who you are and this album I wanted to just be and not just go and exist as just an artist not worried about the past.”

More than just a protest statement, this politically charged album is at once an exorcism of rage and a constructive healing ritual. Behind a refreshingly inventive beat, “Joy and Peace” allows solemnity, anger, and patience to coexist. In “Pyramids” and “Home,” Common and producer/drummer Karriem Riggins’ fusion of gospel and classic boom-bap cuts a new path toward justice and liberation.

Like Water for Chocolate is the fourth studio album by American hip hop rapper Common, released March 28, 2000 on MCA Records. It was a considerable critical and commercial breakthrough for Common, receiving generally favorable reviews from major magazine publications and selling 70,000 copies in its first week. The album was certified Gold on August 11, 2000 by the Recording Industry Association of America. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold 748,000 copies by March 2005. The video for "The Light" was frequently shown on MTV, adding to Common's exposure. The album also formally marked the formation of the Soulquarians, a collective composed of ?uestlove (of The Roots), Jay Dee (formerly of Slum Village), keyboardist James Poyser, soul artist D'Angelo and bassist Pino Palladino, among numerous other collaborators. This group of musicians would also be featured on Common's next album, Electric Circus.
The album's cover photo, 1956 Alabama by Gordon Parks, is a photo of a young black woman in Alabama, dressed for church, and drinking from a "Colored Only" drinking fountain.

Be is the sixth studio album by American rapper Common, released May 24, 2005 on GOOD Music and Geffen Records. Primarily produced by hip hop artist Kanye West, the album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart with 185,000 copies sold in its first week.